Failure to launch
Matching language policy with literacy accomplishment in South African schools
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 4178626 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Elizabeth Pretorius, Elizabeth J Pretorius (0000-0003-2137-1604, University of South Africa, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2015 |
| Volume | 2015 |
| Issue | 234 |
| Publication date | 2015-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal of the Sociology of Language (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0165-2516 • E-ISSN: 1613-3668 |
| Publisher | Walter de Gruyter GmbH (PUBLISHER • DE) |
| DOI | 10.1515/ijsl-2015-0004 |
| OpenAlex | W2248891435 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 5 |
| References cited | 33 |
This article argues that the education crisis in South Africa stems largely from a literacy problem. The prediction that use of the primary language is beneficial in formal schooling is not unambiguously met in the South African context when examining evidence from large-scale literacy assessments. Understanding the reasons for this is critical for improving the use of African languages in early schooling. This article examines the Zulu and English reading literacy skills of a Grade 4 cohort of learners after three years of schooling in their home language. The research reveals low reading levels in both languages, suggesting a mismatch between language policy and literacy accomplishment. It is suggested that one of the primary reasons for the poor results in schools that have African languages as initial LoLT lies in the oral orientation to classroom practices in these schools. A more fully specified language in education model is proposed where an emphasis on
Language policy · Linguistics · Literacy · Mathematics education · Pedagogy · Political science · Sociology · Zulu · History · Multilingual Education and Policy · Psychology · Reading and Literacy Development · Second Language Learning and Teaching
Reading in a Second Language
The Reading Crisis
Oral Reading Fluency Norms
Fluency
Phonological awareness and early reading
A longitudinal study of phonological processing skills in children learning to read in a second language.
Effects of fluency, oral language, and executive function on reading comprehension performance
Bridges and barriers
Beginning to Read
What Really Matters in Second Language Learning for Academic Achievement
Matthew Effects in Reading
Reinterpreting the development of reading skills
Learning to Read Words
Variations in Reading Achievement Across 14 Southern African School Systems
Getting ready for reading
Commonalities and Differences in Word Identification Skills Among Learners of English as a Second Language
The Contribution of Phonological Skills and Letter Knowledge to Early Reading Development in a Multilingual Population
| Unique citing works | 5 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2021 - 2026 (6) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 4 |