ENG2613 Assignment 3
(COMPLETE ANSWERS)
2025 (172594) - DUE 4
August 2025
For assistance contact
Email:
, Evaluating the Appropriateness of "The Robin's Lament" and "Why the Bat Flies at Night" for
the Intermediate Phase FAL Classroom
Introduction
Choosing suitable reading material for Intermediate Phase learners (Grade 4–6)
in an FAL classroom requires care in relation to a
number of development and education considerations. This essay compares two texts — The
Robin's Lament by Amy Gozelski (2024) and Why the Bat Flies at Night by Kgosi Kgosi (n.d.)
— on the basis of their age appropriateness (style and theme), moral and ethical learning,
emotional and mental growth, and promotion of diversity. Although both pieces of writing
present educational value, their relevance and accessibility to Intermediate Phase FAL
learners differ immensely.
1. Age Suitability in Theme and Style
Robin's Lament contains mature themes such as terminal illness, grief,
and psychological collapse. The work is highly introspective, rich in metaphor
and symbolic abstraction. The work is composed in advanced vocabulary with complex sentence
structures. Literary techniques such as imagery, inner monologue, and flashbacks are employed
to propel the narrative. These features pose challenges for FAL learners during the Intermediate
Phase, whose linguistic and cognitive development may not
be developed enough to comprehend such refined emotional experiences (Department of Basic
Education, 2011).
While highly emotional, the text itself is better suited for older, more linguistically able, and mor
e emotionally mature learners.
Conversely, Why the Bat Flies at Night is suitably matched to the age and level
of cognitive functioning of Intermediate Phase learners. Its plot is linear, uncomplicated,
and framed like a folktale — a genre that many South African learners will be familiar with.
It employs unambiguous language, brief paragraphs, and literal speech, all of
which enhance understanding for FAL learners. The use of animals as characters adds depth
to the story and makes it child-friendly, through which they can learn more complex messages
in an easily comprehensible manner (Nal'ibali, n.d.).
2. Moral and Ethical Learning
Both stories have important moral lessons. The Robin's
Lament naturally touches on issues of grit, coping with loss,
and humankind's struggle with death. While these are important lessons for life, they are
conveyed through oblique symbolism and consequently less available for beginning FAL
learners. The story's sadness is its power, but
the moral learning is overshadowed by poetic narrative, requiring substantial inference
(COMPLETE ANSWERS)
2025 (172594) - DUE 4
August 2025
For assistance contact
Email:
, Evaluating the Appropriateness of "The Robin's Lament" and "Why the Bat Flies at Night" for
the Intermediate Phase FAL Classroom
Introduction
Choosing suitable reading material for Intermediate Phase learners (Grade 4–6)
in an FAL classroom requires care in relation to a
number of development and education considerations. This essay compares two texts — The
Robin's Lament by Amy Gozelski (2024) and Why the Bat Flies at Night by Kgosi Kgosi (n.d.)
— on the basis of their age appropriateness (style and theme), moral and ethical learning,
emotional and mental growth, and promotion of diversity. Although both pieces of writing
present educational value, their relevance and accessibility to Intermediate Phase FAL
learners differ immensely.
1. Age Suitability in Theme and Style
Robin's Lament contains mature themes such as terminal illness, grief,
and psychological collapse. The work is highly introspective, rich in metaphor
and symbolic abstraction. The work is composed in advanced vocabulary with complex sentence
structures. Literary techniques such as imagery, inner monologue, and flashbacks are employed
to propel the narrative. These features pose challenges for FAL learners during the Intermediate
Phase, whose linguistic and cognitive development may not
be developed enough to comprehend such refined emotional experiences (Department of Basic
Education, 2011).
While highly emotional, the text itself is better suited for older, more linguistically able, and mor
e emotionally mature learners.
Conversely, Why the Bat Flies at Night is suitably matched to the age and level
of cognitive functioning of Intermediate Phase learners. Its plot is linear, uncomplicated,
and framed like a folktale — a genre that many South African learners will be familiar with.
It employs unambiguous language, brief paragraphs, and literal speech, all of
which enhance understanding for FAL learners. The use of animals as characters adds depth
to the story and makes it child-friendly, through which they can learn more complex messages
in an easily comprehensible manner (Nal'ibali, n.d.).
2. Moral and Ethical Learning
Both stories have important moral lessons. The Robin's
Lament naturally touches on issues of grit, coping with loss,
and humankind's struggle with death. While these are important lessons for life, they are
conveyed through oblique symbolism and consequently less available for beginning FAL
learners. The story's sadness is its power, but
the moral learning is overshadowed by poetic narrative, requiring substantial inference
