Teaching Isizulu Literacy Through Translanguaging: The Narratives of Pre-Service Foundation Phase Teachers

Abstract

UKUFUNDISA UKUFUNDA NOKUBHALA ISIZULU NGOBULIMIKUSHINTSHANA: IMIBONO-NKULUMO YOTHISHAABAQEQESHELWA UKUFUNDISA AMABANGA AYISISEKELO Indlelasu yokufundisa ngobulimikushintshana inconywa ngabacwaningi abehlukene ngokuthuthukisa ubuliminingi, ukunqanda ukuqonela nokuphakamisa ulwazi lwezilimi zomdabu zama-Afrika cishe kuwona wonke amabanga. Izingcwaningo ezivulelekile ezicwaninga ngotho ngendlela esabalele ziveza ukuthi abafundi abafundiswe kusetshenziswa indlelasu yobulimikushintshana baba nokuqonda okuthe thuthu ngomehluko othi awube yisithupha kunalabo abafundiswa kusetshenziswa ulimi olulodwa, olukhethelwe ukufundisa. Noma kunjalo, emaBangeni asesiGabeni esiyiSisekelo, abafundi kumele bafundiswe ukufunda nokubhala ngolimi lwabo lwaseKhaya. Umbuzo-ke odinga ukuphendulwa ngolwazi locwaningo yilowo othi “ngabe isu lokuxuba izilimi kufanele yini lisetshenziswe emabangeni ayiSisekelo lapho kufundwa ukufunda nokubhala ngolimi lwaseKhaya kubafundiâ€. Kusemqoka ukubheka imibono-nkulumo yothisha abaqeqeshelwa ukufundisa la mabanga ngobumqoka nobuthaka bokusebenzisa le ndlelasu. Lolu cwaningo-ke beluphokopheke ukuhlaziya imibono-nkulumo yothisha abaqeqeshelwa ukuyofundisa amaBanga ayiSisekelo ngokusetshenziswa kwendlelasu yobulimikushintshana lapho kufundiswa ukufunda nokubhala. Indlela-kubuka yomhumusho kanye nomdwebo-mumo wocwaningo lwesimo kuye kwasetshenziswa ukuqoqa nokuhlaziya ulwazi kubafundi abayishumi abakhethwe ngenhloso esikhungweni esithile esinophiko-nhlaka oluqeqesha othisha. Imibono ehlaluka ocwaningweni lukaClandinnin noConnelly (2014) kanye nasocwaningweni lukaCreese noBlackledge (2015) iye yalunjaniswa ukubumba uhlaka lwemicabango, olusetshenziswe njengensizakuhlaziya kuleli phepha. Ngokusebenzisa indlela yokuhlaziya ulwazi ngezindikimba, kuye kwatholakala ukuthi othisha abasaqeqeshwa bancoma indlelasu yobulimikushintshana lapho kufundiswa ukufunda nokubhala onhlamvu-mbili nonhlamvu-ntathu. Lolu cwaningo luhlaluke nokuthi othisha abasaqeqeshwa bancoma ukusetshenziswa kwendlelasu yobulimikushintshana lapho kufundiswa ukubhala kuphela, hhayi ukufunda. Iphepha lethula uhlaka-sibonelo lokufundiswa kokufunda nokubhala kusetshenziswa indlelasu yobulimikushintshana olukhiqizwe ilolu cwaningo. TEACHING ISIZULU LITERACY THROUGH TRANSLANGUAGING: THE NARRATIVES OF PRE-SERVICE FOUNDATION PHASE TEACHERS The translanguaging strategy is commended for its role in promoting multilingualism, decolonization, and intellectualization of African indigenous languages across grades. Large scale studies reveal that the performance of learners who are taught through the translanguaging strategy is six standard deviations above the performance of the counterparts who are taught through one language which is recommended as the Language of Learning and Teaching. However, research recommends the use of learners’ Home Language in the foundation phase. The question then, of “Why translanguaging should be used as the pedagogical strategy in theteaching of home language literacy in the foundation phase” is a worthwhile question. This research sought to investigate the narratives of pre-service foundation phase teachers on the use of translanguaging in the teaching of isiZulu literacy. The interprevist epistemological stance was employed and the study was framed within the case study research design to generate and analyse data from ten purposively sampled pre-service foundation phase teachers within the context of one selected university that has the education faculty. Clandinnin and Connelly (2014) as well as Creese and Blackledge’s (2015) scholarly perspectives were used to architecture the framework of concepts, which was subsequently used as lens in the analysis of data. The thematically analysed data revealed that pre-service teachers opt for the use of translanguaging strategy in the teaching of isiZulu two-lettered and three lettered phonemes. The paper further revealed that pre-service teachers employ the translanguaging strategy solely for the teaching of writing, not reading. Based on the findings, the model for the teaching ofisiZulu literacy through translanguaging in the foundation phase is presented.