Covid-19 and the experiences of educators with English as the language of learning and teaching in the intermediate phase

Abstract

This study aimed to explore the experiences of educators in using English as the language of learning and teaching for Grade 4 learners. It employed an interpretive qualitative approach. A sample of six teachers teaching Grade 4 were purposively selected from a district in the province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. Data were collected through unstructured interviews. Findings revealed that teachers in rural monolingual community schools find it difficult to meet the policy prescriptions and curriculum demands in terms of the language of learning and teaching. Teachers end up translating into the mother tongue, which is isiZulu, and code-switching to enhance content understanding; this is a strategy that limits both teachers’ and learners’ exposure to English. In addition, learners transitioning from their Home language to English as the language of learning are not sufficiently supported. The findings also indicate that teachers in rural monolingual community schools in King Cetshwayo district find it difficult to meet the curriculum demands in terms of the language of learning and teaching. Teachers were also found to be not very proficient in English. The significance of the study relates to the educational issues of rural schools that are ignored by officialdom, including the fact that teachers are not adequately prepared to teach in English. In addition, learners transitioning to the very unfamiliar language of learning and teaching are not sufficiently supported with regard to improving their command of the language. Hence, policies need revision to address the
linguistic shortcomings of teachers and learners. New policies ought to be designed and implemented if English is to remain the language of learning and teaching in South African schools.

Keywords: code-switching, code-mixing, deep rural area, translanguaging, transition, monolingual, language of learning and teaching.