Developing academic language proficiency in grade 8 ESL learners
Date
2007-02-22T13:01:07Z
Authors
Bhorat, Sumayya
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Abstract
The ability to achieve academic success is dependent on the acquisition of academic
language proficiency, basic to which is the ability to decode and comprehend relevant
academic content, with limited contextual support. Research indicates that English
Second Language (ESL) learners at primary and tertiary educational institutions in
South Africa lack the skills necessary for academic success. This study investigated
firstly, the relationship between academic achievement of Grade 8 learners and their
decoding and spelling ability and secondly, the impact of a peer mentoring paired
reading programme on reading and spelling skills of Grade 8 ESL learners. Results
confirm a strong positive relationship between reading and spelling skills of learners
and their academic achievement and suggests that the lack of reading skills is not
confined to second language English learners only. The reading programme had a
significant impact on the on the decoding skills of ESL learners and a small nonsignificant
impact on spelling and comprehension skills.
Description
Student Number : 8801261D -
MA research report -
School of Human and Community Development -
Faculty of Humanities
Keywords
English Second Language (ESL) learners, academic language proficiency, academic achievement, reading programme, reading ability, spelling abilty, comprehension ability