Abstract
This article is the second in a series of three articles that focuses on task-based grammar teaching in Afrikaans Home Language Grade 4.
In the first article the nature, classification, and the way tasks are graded and grouped were discussed to develop a conceptual framework for task-based grammar teaching in Afrikaans Home Language Grade 4. The framework could then be used to teach grammar communicatively using tasks – namely task-based grammar teaching. The motivation for this framework is to understand how task-based grammar teaching can be implemented in the Afrikaans Home Language classroom to contribute to the development of a new approach to learning and teaching in Afrikaans Home Language in the Intermediate Phase.
It is the aim of this article to do a comparative analysis of the application of the suggested structure for the teaching of grammar, as determined in the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) (2011), in two of the most widely used textbook series for Afrikaans Home Language Grade 4. Activities that require learners to be actively involved with language will show the use, or the absence, of the task-based approach during the teaching of grammar. As a result, the article will be able to answer the following question: How do textbooks that are used by Afrikaans Home Language Grade 4 learners comply with a conceptual framework for task-based grammar teaching?
To determine to which extent the DBE’s Rainbow workbook series and the Platinum learner’s book for Afrikaans Home Language Grade 4 are successful in implementing the task-based approach, the following sub questions can be asked to guide the analysis:
- Do the textbooks afford learners the opportunities to use Afrikaans to practise for social and practical purposes?
- Is the teaching of grammar an integrated practice where the teacher models good language practices and the learners practise the relevant skills in groups before they apply the skills individually?
- Do the textbooks afford learners the opportunity to complete pedagogical tasks, in other words, real-world tasks that are used as part of teaching and learning?
The analysis of the Rainbow workbook series and the Platinum learner’s book shows that the three language components, namely working with words, working with sentences and spelling and spelling patterns, as determined by CAPS, are given ample attention in both textbook series.
The writers could also determine that there are 34 activities in the Rainbow workbook series that can be grouped under grammar, in comparison to the 22 activities in the Platinum learner’s book. The Rainbow workbook series therefore gives learners 1,5 times more opportunities to receive grammar teaching in comparison to the Platinum learner’s book. The writers can thus assume that the Rainbow workbook series better adheres to the requirements of CAPS – namely that the workbook is to a greater extent communicative, text based, process oriented and integrative in the teaching of grammar.
It has also been found that the 34 activities in the Rainbow workbook series can be divided into 30 individual activities and four group activities. This means, unfortunately, that 88% of the activities are completed individually, with only 12% of the activities lending themselves to opportunities for communication amongst learners. There is therefore scarcely any opportunity for learners to make decisions, solve problems or construct new knowledge together.
The 22 activities in the Platinum learner’s book are indicated as 20 individual activities, with only two (9%) described as group activities. This means that learners complete 2,5 activities per week individually and only 0,25 activities as part of a group. Thus, the opportunity for communication among learners and the construction of new knowledge by working in a group are basically non-existent.
The writers have also been able to identify 12 of the 13 different types of tasks (87 tasks in total) discussed in the first article in this series of articles. The 34 activities in the Rainbow workbook series can be divided into 55 tasks, whereas the Platinum learner’s book only contains 32 tasks. This indicates that Grade 4 Afrikaans Home Language learners that use the Rainbow workbook series, complete an average of 6,9 tasks per week. This leads to increased development of their creative thinking skills. In classes where the Platinum learner’s book is used only four tasks are completed per week.
The comparative analysis of the two textbook series shows that there is a real need for a conceptual framework to guide the use of a task-based approach to grammar education. The writers believe that such an approach can only be successful if the guidelines of CAPS (2011) are followed: Grammar teaching must be communicative, text based, follow a specific process and be integrated with other skills.
The writers will provide specific principles regarding the task-based approach to grammar teaching, recommendations, and a practical example of the conceptual framework in the third article of this series.
Keywords: Afrikaans Home Language; comparative analysis; grade 4; grammar teaching; task-based approach
- This article’s featured image was created by Karolina Grabowska and obtained from Pexels.
Lees die volledige artikel in Afrikaans
Die gebruik van taakgebaseerde aktiwiteite in Afrikaans Huistaal graad 4: ’n vergelykende ontleding