The attitudes of grades 5-7 Xitsonga learners towards learning English as a first additional language.
Ndukwani, Tiyiselani
Ndukwani, Tiyiselani
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Abstract
This study investigates the attitudes of Grades 5-7 Xitsonga learners towards learning English as a first additional language using the four language skills viz. listening, speaking, reading and writing. Variables such as attitude, orientation, motivation, and anxiety are imperative, influential factors to consider when studying aspects that contribute to learning a second language. Learners' attitude towards language learning is considered to be the key factor that affects the levels of learner motivation in their trajectory to learn a language and are intertwined with the aspect of motivation. This study explores the attitudes of learners from a particular primary school towards learning English as a first additional language. This study deals with a sample of a selected primary school's learners‟ attitudes towards learning English as a first additional language. The first language of these students is Xitsonga, one of the eleven official languages in South Africa. The researcher followed a mixed-methods approach. A questionnaire and focus group interviews were employed to collect data. 110 learners responded to a questionnaire and 5 learners participated in a focus-group interview. This study reveals that the Xitsonga Grade 5-7 learners generally had a positive attitude towards learning English as a first additional language. This study also reveals that parents sometimes motivate their children to learn English. Furthermore, more than half of all respondents indicated that they would like to spend as much time as possible to improve their command of English.
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Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree Magister Technologiae: Language practice in the Department of Applied Languages, Faculty of Humanities at the Tshwane University of Technology.
Date
2016-01-01
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Tshwane University of Technology
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Keywords
Attitudes Toward English, Grades 5–7 Learners, Xitsonga Students First, First Additional Language (FAL), Language Acquisition In Education