This article reports on pedagogical practices in teaching SiSwati as a first language (SL1) in diverse linguistic settings of Eswatini. In response to educational research indicating the vital role played by a learner’s first language in learning, the Eswatini government embarked on an exercise of decolonising the curriculum in 2011 by using SiSwati as the medium of instruction and learning in the foundation and middle phases and a core subject throughout primary and senior secondary school. However, arguably, research on African language pedagogy is scanty, let alone teaching of SiSwati, as the little available research has been on issues of policy, thus leaving a knowledge gap on the pedagogy in SiSwati first language (SL1). Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore pedagogical practices that are used in the SL1 class in compliance with the policy, which provides for SiSwati to be a compulsory subject and a vehicle for teaching and learning in early primary schools.. This qualitative case study involved eight teachers who taught SL1 in the foundation and middle phases. Data were generated through interviews. The findings indicated that teachers’ practices were anchored in the understanding that teaching SL1 meant equipping learners with functional language skills, such as productive and receptive skills, essential for studying across subject curricula. However,  a lack of pedagogical knowledge thwarted teachers’ practices to teach language in general, let alone to multilingual learners as expository pedagogy dominated SL1 classrooms, as opposed to curriculum requirements that learner-centred pedagogies anchored in social practice be used. Besides, these findings advocate for culturally responsive pedagogies appropriate to teach SL1 to learners from diverse linguistic backgrounds.

This study investigates the manifestation of Transfer or Cross-Linguistic Influence (CLI) from language learners’ previouslyknown languages in the learning of a third language, Northern Sotho, by examining errors identified in their written productions in the target language. Data for the study was gathered from first year university students learning Northern Sotho L3, with a roughly homogeneouslanguage background of isiZulu L1 and English L2 (elicitation tasks and questionnaires), and from three of their lecturers (interviews). The focus of the study was to determine whether the subjects produced patterns in their interlanguage that could be traced to one or both of their previously-known languages. Contrastive Analysis (CA) and Error Analysis (EA) techniques were used in the analyses of the learners’interlanguage (IL), to identify and quantify the errors, as well as to compare and contrast the three language systems at play in the learners’ minds, so as to pinpoint the possible source languages of the transfer. The findings indicate that most errors relating to spelling,vocabulary, and grammar, in general, showed evidence of prevalent influence from the language learners’ previouslyknown Black South African language (isiZulu L1), with no visible evidence of influence from English L2.

South Africa and the Philippines are home to a number of indigenous groups whose cultures and traditions have not been tainted by centuries of colonization. This paper compares the pre-colonial literature of cultural communities in two countries, where one is part of a continent (South Africa) while the other is an archipelago (the Philippines). Despite the differences in their geographical features, the two countries share common experiences: 1) colonized by European powers; 2) have a significant number of indigenous communities; 3) a treasury of surviving folk literature. Published African and Philippine folktales reveal recurring images and elements. One of these is the use of animals as characters, performing domestic tasks in households, and representing gender roles. This paper compares how animal characters portray feminine characteristics and domestic roles in selected fables from South Africa and the Philippines, specifically on the commonalities in the roles of the female characters. The research highlights the relevance of recording and publishing of folk literature, and the subsequent integration and teaching thereof within basic and higher education curricula.Key words: Indigenous, Cultural communities, fables, folk literature, Philippine folk tales, South African folk talesHow to cite this article:Quintero, G.J. & Makgabo, C. 2020.  Animals as Representations of Female Domestic Roles in selected fables from the Philippines and South Africa. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in the South. v. 4, n. 1, p. 37-50. April 2020. Available at:https://sotl-south-journal.net/?journal=sotls&page=article&op=view&path%5B%5D=121This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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The paper investigates the linguistic challenges faced by Setswana-speaking Grade 7 learners when writing Science examinations in English. In South African schools, non-mother tongue speakers of English learners are only introduced to English as a language of learning and teaching in Grade 4, which creates problems for these learners because English is foreign to them. The purpose of conducting this research was to help policymakers meet the linguistic needs of non-native English speakers, make curriculum development specialists aware of the linguistic challenges faced by non-native speakers of English and help readers gain a better understanding of why some teachers prefer to use indigenous languages when they teach in English. The participants comprised four purposively selected Grade 7 Natural Science teachers, two school governing bodies (SGBs) and Grade 7 learners from two primary schools in Hammanskraal, Gauteng. Data gathered indicated that Setswana-speaking learners made basic errors related to spelling, sentence construction, grammar, incomplete sentences, mixed languages, using words that do not exist, tenses and understanding instructions. As a result, SGBs should consider these linguistic challenges when they draft language policies for rural and township schools.