Bhorat, Sumayya2007-02-222007-02-222007-02-22http://hdl.handle.net/10539/2091Student Number : 8801261D - MA research report - School of Human and Community Development - Faculty of HumanitiesThe 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.10007 bytes9702 bytes28420 bytes18272 bytes13938 bytes19600 bytes27247 bytes10227 bytes9622 bytes19854 bytes32655 bytes89701 bytes10721 bytesapplication/pdfapplication/pdfapplication/pdfapplication/pdfapplication/pdfapplication/pdfapplication/pdfapplication/pdfapplication/pdfapplication/pdfapplication/pdfapplication/pdfapplication/pdfenEnglish Second Language (ESL) learnersacademic language proficiencyacademic achievementreading programmereading abilityspelling abiltycomprehension abilityThesis