Browsing by Author "Young, Doug"

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    A case study of students from mixed educational and linguistic backgrounds learning English as a first language in a non-racial school
    (1990) Leibowitz, Brenda; Young, Doug
    This is a case study of a multilingual Standard Nine class in a non-racial Cape Town college, studying English as a first language. It assesses the social and academic effects of the multilingual composition of the class. The study locates the class in the broader South African social and educational context and provides a rationale for emancipatory and reciprocal research. The theoretical foundation for the research methodology, i.e. participant observation, with the teacher as primary observer, is then presented. Theories of Second Language Acquisition (SLA) are discussed in relation to the broader context of language, society and education in South Africa. Arising out of this discussion is a description of progressive English teaching, which is suggested to be appropriate for the multilingual classroom. The prior learning experience of the second language students and the impact of this experience on the second language students in the case study, is illustrated. The social dynamics and level of participation of all students in the classroom, as well as the academic and linguistic development of the second language students. is discussed. The effectivity of the research process itself is assessed. Finally, suggestions for future research and a summary of the findings are presented.
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    The politics of English : a study of classroom discourses in a township school
    (2001) Kapp, Rochelle; Young, Doug; Herrington, Anne
    This is an ethnographic study, which investigates discourse practices in English subject classrooms at Mziwethu Senior Secondary, a Western Cape township high school, where the subject is taught as a second language. The data were collected between October 1997 and March 1999. Working within a critical theory framework, my assumptions are (1) that classroom discourse practices reflect and construct outside realities and (2) that motivation to learn a language, and classroom language practices are intimately connected to power relations outside the classroom, as well as to social identity. These assumptions are embedded in my thesis title. Alongside Pennycook (1998), Kumaravadivelu (1999) and Canagarajah (1999), I believe that it is not possible to analyse English language practices in colonial and post-colonial contexts without a consideration of the history and national politics of English in that country. But, as all these writers emphasise, politics also extends to the contemporary local context in which the learning takes place, the roles and relationships in the classroom, and to literacy practices.