Factors contributing to poor reading and writing skills among Grade 4 English First Additional Language Learners in Klein Letaba Circuit

Abstract

The study intends to investigate the factors that contribute to poor reading and writing skills in English First Additional Language ( EFAL) in schools. It is assumed that Grade 4 learners cannot pronounce and write English words correctly. As such, learners fail to read English texts or stories for understanding. This is proved when they struggle to answer questions from the given texts. The study used a qualitative approach. The data analysis is descriptive, and the model used relied on content analysis. The content analysis included, among other things, the induction of themes, coding of those themes, elaboration of those codes, interpretation of those codes and checking of those interpretations. Data was collected through interviews, observations, and documentary studies. The key participants were a focused group of four EFAL teachers together with learners in each school, four school principals and the two EFAL curriculum advisors in the sampled public schools. Four primary schools in the Klein Letaba circuit were sampled for data collection. The study aimed at exploring the factors that contribute to poor reading and writing skills, to identify the role played by EFAL teacher, principals, and curriculum advisors in improving reading and writing skills and recommended strategies necessary to improve reading and writing skills among the grade four EFAL learners. The findings covered the broad concepts dealing with listening and hearing challenges, inappropriate strategies and methodology used by teachers, and teachers not following the teaching plan and lack of reading and writing activities. The study concludes that curriculum advisors as the curriculum coaches should regularly visit EFAL teachers to discuss subject – related matters, recommends that both EFAL teachers in the Foundation Phase (FP) and Intermediate Phase (IP) teachers should firmly teach English as the Annual Teaching Plan (ATP) requires. Teachers have strong reading and writing skills for the leaners to model after their examples. Learners be given plenty of written activities, critique their work and be shown how to fix their mistakes. Learners with speech and hearing impairments obtain remedial aid. Teachers training workshops be done regularly for teachers to be able to handle language skills challenge.