TEACHING ENGLISH AT A COLLEGE OF EDUCATION- A CASE STUDY IN TRANSFORMATION

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List of abbreviations

CASSContinuous Assessment
CCERSAThe Committee of College of Education Rectors of South Africa
CHECouncil on Higher Education
CLTCommunicative Language Teaching
COLTCommunicative Orientation of Language Teaching
D.C.E.Department of Collegiate Education
E.L.R.C.Education Labour Relations Council
HEDCOMHeads of Education Departments Committee
H.O.D.Head of Department
INSETIn- service Education and Training
LLCLanguage, Literacy and Communication
M.E.C.Member of the Executive Committee
NCHENational Commission on Higher Education
OBEOutcomes Based Education
PRESETPre- service Education and Training
SATECSouth African Teacher Education Community
SADTUSouth African Democratic Teachers’ Union
U.D.W.University of Durban Westville
UNISAUniversity of South Africa
UNITRAUniversity of Transkei

Translations

Libertas, dulce auditu nomen. Livy Freedom, a name sweet to hear.

Tempora mutantur, et nos mutamur in illis. Anonymous Times change, and we change with them.

(Quoted in Harrison, Description of Britain, 1577)

Non scholae sed vitae discimus. Seneca We learn not for the school but for life.

Res loquitur ipsa, quae semper valet plurimum. Cicero The fact itself speaks, and this always avails most.

Ut sementem feceris, ita metes. Cicero As you sow, so will you reap.

PREFACEiv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSvi
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONSvii
TRANSLATIONSviii
  CONTENTS 
  CHAPTER ONE   1.1 Introduction      1
1.2 Background2
1.3 Problem defined4
1.4 Aims of the Study9
1.5 Motivation for the Research10
1.6 Research Method and Design11
1.7 Chapter Divisions12
  CHAPTER TWO   2.1 Introduction      13
2.2 Educational Transformation of Tertiary Institutions15
2.3 Transformation of Schools29
2.3.1 Physical Conditions of Schools31
2.3.2 Social Background of Learners/ Pupils36
2.3.3 Language37
2.3.4 High Drop-out Rate40
2.3.5 Commitment42
2.3.6 Governmental Support45

CHAPTER THREE

  1. Introduction                                                                                                   49
    1. Background Knowledge                                                                               50
      1. Preparation                                                                                                             51
      1. Hypothesis or Question                                                                             51
      1. Sources of Information                                                                                          51
        1. Subjects   51
        1. Procedures                                                                                            54
        1. Researcher’s 5 Demonstration Lessons                                                55
        1. Student Teachers’ Lessons                                                                   60
    1. Setting                                                                                                           62
    1. Objects/tools                                                                                                 64
    1. Records                                                                                                        65
    1. Documents                                                                                                   65
    1. Informants                                                                                                     66

CHAPTER FOUR

  1. Introduction                                                                                                   67
    1. Background                                                                                                  68
    1. Observation Instruments                                                                              70
    1. Procedure                                                                                                     71
    1. Notes on the Evaluation Protocol                                                                 71
    1. Requirements of Parameters                                                                       72
    1. Role of the Researcher in the Interpretation of the Lessons                         78
    1. Data Portrayal and Interpretation                                                                  80
      1. Student A                                                                                         81
      1. Student B                                                                                         86
      1. Student C                                                                                        89
      1. Student D                                                                                        93
      1. Student E                                                                                         97
    1. Overall Findings                                                                                          101
      1. Productive                                                                                                   101
      1. Counter – Productive                                                                                  101
      1. Outside Factors                                                                                           102

CHAPTER FIVE

  1. Introduction                                                                                                 103
    1. Theory of the Study                                                                                    103
    1. Consolidation of Interpretations                                                                  104
    1. Concerns of the Study                                                                                108
    1. Suggestions                                                                                                 109
    1. Room for Further Research                                                                       111
    1. Conclusion                                                                                                  112

Bibliography                                                                                                       114

Appendix A Transcripts Appendix B Protocol

Appendix C Researcher’s demonstration lessons Appendix D Trainees’ demonstration lessons

Appendix E Photographs of schools and the environment. Appendix F Letter of Permission

TEACHING ENGLISH AT A COLLEGE OF EDUCATION- A CASE STUDY IN TRANSFORMATION

Libertas, dulce auditu nomen. Livy.

Chapter 1

  1. Introduction

The year 1994 was an historic one for South Africa. She had undergone a metamorphosis of an unusual nature. The iconoclastic experience was the consequence of the elections of 1994. The new image that resulted is the face of democracy. This face has launched new ties with the rest of the world; opened doors to nations; wiped out repressing sanctions; and rejuvenated a country with a moral and spiritual upliftment:

Liberation is thus a childbirth, and a painful one. The man who emerges is a new man, viable only as the oppressor-oppressed contradiction is superceded by the humanization of all men (Freire 1972:25).

With a new democracy, inevitably comes change. This transformation then is the new order. For change to succeed, there has to be remodelling, a paradigm shift. The oppressed now rule. For transformation to succeed the present government must create novel situations. Paulo Freire asks,

How can the oppressed, as divided, unauthentic beings, participate in developing the pedagogy of their liberation (Freire 1972:25)?

The present government has political power to bring about change. Change has to take place in all spheres from land to education. Transformation should be planned “with” the people than “for” them for successful implementation (Freire 1972:25). It should be a collaborative undertaking.

         Background

Policy makers are trying to improve educational practices in South Africa today. The emphasis is on a culture of learning and teaching and discipline. These have been told to educators over and over again. How these are going to be achieved would depend on the educators themselves, parent bodies, governing councils, and non-governmental organisations and of course, on pupils, students and principals. There is room for research in this area.

Since research has one prime goal “discovery” (Leedy 1992:8) the researcher ought to discover, expose and find reasons. Various researchers and investigators have for long done research in education dating from the Middle Ages. The church then “stood firmly astride the practice of empirical investigation” (Leedy 1992:9). Throughout the world research is encouraged from space to education to human life. In the new South Africa with regard to education, as stated in the White Paper,

Every person is guaranteed the right, to freedom of conscience, religion, thought, belief and opinion, which shall include academic freedom in institutions of higher learning (White Paper on Education and Training 1995:43).

In the current dispensation there is a uniform education system for all races, colour and creed. The Bill of Rights states:

Clause 29 (1) everyone has the right-

  • to a basic education, including adult basic education; and
    • to further education, which the state, through reasonable measures, must make progressively available and accessible.

(The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa 1996:14).

In the Green Paper (1996:35) the ministry showed concern in the National Commission on Higher Education, remarking, “There is a stark race, gender

and institutional imbalance in participation in research activity.” Further, “The Ministry agrees with the NCHE that the current capacity of research in higher education must be increased…” (Green Paper 1996:35).

In the Eastern Cape, confined to the former homeland, Transkei, not much research has been done on the teaching of English to pupils and students whose mother-tongue predominantly is Xhosa. Alan Weimann (1996) researched Communicative Language Teaching in English second language classrooms in the former Ciskei, another homeland adjacent to Transkei. His focus was on teaching methods and teachers’ responses to educational innovations. His findings stressed the need for sound pre-service training coupled with commitment on the part of the teachers.

Though English is a second language in the Transkei, in certain departments, especially in education, English enjoys a first language status. Except for the mother tongue paper (Xhosa), all papers in all subjects are written in English in schools and colleges. This fact indeed stresses the need for a good  foundation in English for successful communicative competence. This study examines the communicative competences of teacher trainees in the former Transkei in the teaching of English.

All teacher training institutions in the Transkei were affiliated to the University of the Transkei (UNITRA) in Umtata. UNITRA set, marked, moderated and processed the results for all Diploma examinations for the final years. Even set books were prescribed by UNITRA. Once a year, members of the Department of Collegiate Education, an appendage of UNITRA visited colleges in an advisory capacity. Lessons in all subjects including English were demonstrated to the collegiate team. Chapter 2 will reveal the latest on the control of UNITRA over the colleges, including the one in this case study, in the former Transkei.

In the new South Africa the status of English has involuntarily risen. With foreign nationals coming in, it has become the lingua franca of South Africa. In the Green Paper (1996:75) it is clearly stated that “The position of English

as the national and international academic lingua franca”, be considered. Multilingualism promotes the status of English. The use of English as a medium of communication is wide. Most of the printed media are in English. English is the language of technology and commerce. Computers, ATM machines and photocopiers are but a few examples.

“It is a marketable, practical skill, like computer programming.” (Muchiri, Mulamba, Myers & Ndoloi 1995:188) This is the view of this team of researchers who researched the status of English in some countries in central Africa.

English is also a marketable language in South Africa. It is the language of interaction and communication between South Africa and the rest of the world. Among eleven official languages in South Africa, English enjoys prominence. Since this is the case, research is a necessity to illuminate the problem areas and improve the use of the language. If the language ability of teachers at the college is researched, then problems would be identified and possibly remedied so that these very teachers would give forth an improved taught English, thereby improving educational practice for outcomes and value-based education.

Today education is being levelled. All strata of educational institutions and departments enjoy equal opportunities. A single matriculation examination is foreseen for all schools in South Africa. Curriculum 2005 is another milestone in education. Success of it is still to be experienced and much research is being conducted.