The importance of getting children off to a good start in reading cannot be overstated. Successful academic performance at primary and secondary school level is partly dependent on the ability to read. It is believed that good learners are those who are proficient in reading. However, many learners are struggling to read and, therefore, struggle to academically succeed in other subjects. The problem of not being able to read transcends negatively on learners’ academic achievements. This study proposes a strategy towards motivating learners in developing better reading habits through the distribution of reading bags. The mixed-method approach was adopted in conducting this study. Learners’ reading strategies were first identified by administering a survey on reading strategies. About 14 student-educators volunteered in distributing the questionnaires at their respective schools during their teaching practice sessions. The questionnaires were distributed to 155 learners who voluntarily participated in the study. Data were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software for descriptive statistics. The results indicated that most of the learners use global reading strategies, with the least utilising the problem-solving strategies and the support reading strategies. The researchers recommend the usage of reading bags as a strategy to motivate learners to develop good reading habits, which will then lead to the usage of all three strategies, in particular, the problem reading strategies.

In the study reported on here we investigated the use of post-method practice to optimise pre-service teachers’ teaching practice and English First Additional Language (EFAL) proficiency. This study was premised on the theoretical framework of Paulo Freire’s critical pedagogy which promotes diverse perspectives in language learning and teaching among teachers and learners. Qualitative data were collected using semi-structured interviews with 10 (n = 10) third year pre-service teachers enrolled in a 4-year Bachelor of Education (BEd) degree programme in the Department of Language Education, School of Education at the University of Limpopo, South Africa. We found that post-method pedagogy enables pre-service teachers to monitor their teaching process and optimise learners’ potential to learn, which affords them opportunities for critical reflection on the self and the social world, as well as opportunities to form learning communities. The results suggest that post-method pedagogy enables pre-service teachers to recognise their prior and current knowledge, and their potential to teach and act autonomously. This promotes their ability to know how to develop a reflective critical approach in their teaching by analysing and evaluating their teaching acts, initiating change in their classroom practices, and monitoring the effects of these changes. We concluded that post-method practice could provide teachers, curriculum developers and researchers with an understanding of the realisation of post method in teaching and learning of EFAL in South African classrooms.

The article highlights folklore as an effective and genuine tool for indigenous language teaching and learning in the 21st century. There is a need to use pure, error-free and standardised language for it to be acknowledged and respected. In the campaign to sustain and preserve the revived indigenous languages—in this case, Sepedi—employing folk narratives in a text-based approach in teaching and learning Sepedi can develop in learners the desire to use language that is more refined, literary, figurative, symbolic and deep in meaning. Document study was adopted as the research method in this inquiry. Folk narratives in Moepathutse by Makopo were explored as they are rich in vocabulary and culture and promote indigenous knowledge. The study revealed that: a) Sepedi folk narratives are rich in relevant Sepedi vocabulary, b) employing folk narratives in a text-based approach results in teaching and learning the language in context and c) folk narratives preserve culture. The study recommends that language teachers promote and conserve indigenous languages through the use of folklore in a text-based approach. This is because folklore enhances relevant vocabulary. Furthermore, folklore supports languages to be learned in context – it is therefore, in the use of folk narratives that ethos, values, traditions, and cultures are preserved in communities. The study therefore, concludes that folklore is a relevant tool through which indigenous languages can be instilled and preserved by language users.

The teaching of reading appears to be a global concern, especially in South Africa. Various reading programmes have been implemented as attempts to address the above challenge. The National Reading Strategy is one of those programmes that have been implemented in the Foundation Phase. The problem of learners not able to read still exists, despite the implementation of the above strategy. Approximately 50% of the learners experiences reading difficulty when they transit from the Foundation Phase to the Intermediate phase. This may be attributed to various factors of which this study see to address.. The purpose of this study was to investigate the challenges experienced by Foundation Phase teachers in the implementation of the National Reading Strategy in the primary schools of Dikgale area, Limpopo Province, South Africa. The study followed a qualitative research approach where a cross-sectional design was adopted.  Ten (10) teachers from five mainstream primary schools were requested to take part in the study. Data was collected through interviews, observations and document analysis. Data was analysed with a thematic content analysis, which involved identifying common themes that emerge from the data collected. The preliminary findings were as follows: (a) Lack of teacher training in the form of workshops on National Reading Strategy (b) The problem encountered in the interpretation of the National Reading Guidelines(c) The attitude towards the implementation of the National Reading Strategy. The study recommends that fully developed workshops be implemented

The purpose of this study was to induct students' educators into the relevant communicative approach in teaching English in High schools and to find out about the impact of the method of teaching module on the practicum of completing students (English First Additional). The study adopted a qualitative explorative approach, and semi structured interviews were conducted on the purposefully sampled 50 Bachelor of Education students registered for Method of English module level 4. Students were requested to demonstrate their understanding of the current approach by designing activities which would best develop their learners’ communicative competence. Students’ lessons designed were presented during lecture interactions. The findings of the study were that students demonstrated a good understanding, relevance and application of the communicative approach in the teaching of English First Additional language. The study further recommends that for the students to be effective in curriculum delivery at schools, especially inn teaching English as First Additional language, student teachers should have ample time in practising the implementation of the application of CLT during their lectures.