Who should enrol? What we can and cannot say What happens in South African schools is that children usually learn in … ORDER NOW. What happens in South African schools is that children usually learn in their mother-tongue for the first three years (Grades 1-3) then switch to either English or Afrikaans in Grade 4 and continue with that language for the rest of their schooling career. Community Resources. Dr Stephen Taylor works in the department of basic education and Marisa Coetzee is a researcher in the economics department at the University of Stellenbosch. One of the perennial issues that arises when discussing South African education is our complex language policy. SignOnOne. Add to cart. Classes are also given on request, should it seem fitting. This course, the first of two modules at Level 3, aims to enable participants to engage in specific sustained communication with users of the language in South African Sign Language at upper-intermediate A level, including making complex arrangements and engaging in sustained communication regarding the Deaf community and technology, services and education for the Deaf. Language level: Refers to the level of proficiency at which language learning areas are offered at school (e.g. But these arguments only take us so far. Given the practical realities of the South African education system, the policy to encourage the use of mother-tongue instruction in the foundation phase but still allow schools to make the final choice based on their specific circumstances seems to be beneficial. So education policymakers in countries with multiple home languages, such as South Africa, have a dilemma. South African Sign Language is also understood across the country especially when interpreters decode the message. In order to make headway on this important issue, we need to move beyond a discourse fuelled by ideology and emotions towards one informed by rigorous research. But this conclusion rests on a key assumption: “Instruction in English from as early as possible is the best way to become fluent in English.”. Although there is a lot of theory about this, there is very little empirical evidence on the causal impact of these alternative instructional models. South African sign language (SASL) is a uni que language and is not linguistically related to spoken languages in South Africa (English or isiZulu, for example). This video has no sound, however is full subtitled. In a nutshell, the Talk Sign campaign aims to have South African Sign Language (SASL) approved as South Africa’s 12 th official language. Talk Sign 1 – A Basic South African Sign Language Guide R 200.00. Sign Language 1 2015 The Deaf Society Updated: Version 2, July 2015 INSIGHTS INTO AUSLAN Established and Productive Signs (Adapted by Anne Horton from “Australian Sign Language: An introduction to sign language linguistics” by Johnston and Schembri) Established Signs These signs are “frozen” and form the basis of the vocabulary listed in dictionaries In a nutshell, the Talk Sign campaign aims to have South African Sign Language (SASL) approved as South Africa’s 12 th official language. Cape Town - During a webinar hosted by DeafSA, Cultural Affairs and Sport the MEC Anroux Marais said the department was committed to promoting the use of South African Sign Language … The goal is to optimise educational outcomes, which include English fluency, mother-tongue fluency and skills in other subject areas, for pupils whose first language is not English but how does one best achieve this? In a 1953 landmark publication, UNESCO underscored the importance of educating children in their mother-tongue (UNESCO, 1953). The status of South African Sign Language (SASL) in South Africa | Sled - Sign Language … First, though, some background. First, schools that decide to teach in English are, on average, more likely to charge school fees, have smaller classes and have access to more resources than mother-tongue schools. We investigate the different factors that underlie the claims that there is more than one sign language in South Africa, and we spell out the practical consequences of accepting these claims without further examination. Student enquiries. My name is Ayanda Ntukwana. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. KwaZulu-Natal Blind and Deaf Society Donations to the Society is tax deductible in terms of Section 18A(1)(a) Income Tax Act. A more scientific approach is required to address such an explosive topic and this week we released a working paper that we believe offers this. Popularly Spoken Native Languages. 2. ), [The following article appeared in the Mail & Guardian on the 18th of October], Mother-tongue classrooms give a better boost to English study later – Stephen Taylor & Marisa Coetzee. Language learning areas: Refers to any of the 11 official languages, other languages approved by the Pan South African Language Board (PANSALB), Braille and South African Sign Language, approved by UMALUSI. SignGenius SASL Pro 3 is the future for sign language software. Language and communication are without doubt two of the most important factors in the learning process. Talk Sign 1 – A Basic South African Sign Language Guide R 200.00. Click on the button to see a video on the Do's and Don'ts of interacting with Deaf people. After all, evidence-based policy needs exactly that – evidence. Change ). It is an indigenous language that constitutes an important element of South African linguistic and cultural heritage. Sign Language in the Brain. Includes an easy to use South African Sign Language Dictionary or Tutor module. My name is Ayanda Ntukwana. This Libguide provides information and useful web resources for persons who are deaf or who have hearing impairments, as well as persons providing education, training or other services to persons with hearing problems. SignOnOne. CONNECT WITH US. If a person did not speak a second language, that too was recorded. Rather, what is required is to separate out the effects of the various factors affecting academic performance. establishment of a statutory Pan South African Language Board to promote, and create conditions for, the development and use of all official languages, other communities and sign language. The constitution mentions "sign language" in the generic sense rather than South African Sign Language specifically. We also used test score data from the annual national assessments of 2012 for all children in grades one to six. ( Log Out / For a long time, learners who are Deaf were persistently marginalised as they had been deprived of a home language, resulting I have a great passion for teaching Deaf children. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. KwaZulu-Natal Blind and Deaf Society Donations to the Society is tax deductible in terms of Section 18A(1)(a) Income Tax Act. With 2221 videos in several categories learning SASL has never been easier. Add to cart. The copyright of the items in this collection belongs to the University of South Africa. The theme of language in education has been a contentious issue ever since former colonies in Africa, Asia and South America gained their political independence. As researchers focused on education in South Africa, we recently conducted a study that we believe provides some preliminary evidence on one important part of the language in education debate. SLED produces high quality South African Sign Language literature, and Education Resources for Deaf Education. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. South African Sign Language (SASL) is the primary language of Deaf persons in South Africa and should be respected as a language of choice to be used in all interactions. In conclusion, our research indicates that, as far as we can tell from empirical analysis, the current language policy is on the right track. According to the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, nearly 500,000 deaf South Africans use SASL and yet, due to years of misunderstanding of the Deaf community, there are very few SASL interpreters. Finally, although our study points to the value of the mother tongue as the language of instruction, it may well also be important to strengthen the teaching of English as a subject in the early grades to help to facilitate the transition to English in grade four, as the curriculum and assessment policy statements recommend. SHOP. 5 National Language Policy Framework - 2003 SECTION 1: BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT 1.1 Introduction 1.1.1 Approximately 25 different languages are spoken in South Africa, of which 11 have been granted official status in terms of section 6 of the Constitution (Act No. Their full academic paper is available at http://www.ekon.sun.ac.za/wpapers/2013/wp212013. Our friend, Ann Matthews, has developed a South African Sign Language Manual for parent-training classes provided at Mary Kihn School (where she once worked) in Observatory. From 2010, we undertook the development of Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements (CAPS) for the South African Sign Language (SASL) Grades R-12 which were completed and approved as policy in July 2014. Signwriting in South Africa. SignGenius SASL Pro v.3.1.3.718 Learn South African Sign Language in a fast, interactive and convenient way. The South African government added a National Language Unit for South African Sign Language in 2001. Add to cart. The South African language policy is used as an example of such a constitutional text. Classes are also given on request, should it seem fitting. Deaf people have access to upload videos, and vote for the signs they frequently use. Schools and teachers across South Africa rely on SLED to provide good resources, and friendly helpful back up and support in using the resources. A rough estimate based on Census 2001 first-language data and a 2002 study of second-languages speakers is that the average South African – man, woman and child – uses 2.84 languages. Speaking hands and silent voices : exploring the identities of d/Deaf teachers through narratives in motion. About Donations. Classes on request. Visit us. Talk Sign Sticker – Sheet of 20 R 200.00. Similarly, our study has no direct application to the language policy debates at the university level. Thirteen options were given: South Africa’s 11 official languages, plus Sign Language, and “Other”. The motivation for this study was to gain insight into the situation at the schools where this policy matters most. Measuring the impact of this language choice on the academic performance of children later in life is no simple task. Many linguists argue that when it comes to learning a second language it is crucial to first have a solid foundation in one’s first language. With 2221 videos in several categories learning SASL has never been easier. The current language in education policy encourages the use of mother-tongue instruction in the first three years of primary school followed by a switch to English or Afrikaans in grade four, but allows schools to make the final decisions. Both sets of factors – school quality as well as the home environment – have been shown by research to impact strongly on the academic performance of children. … A sociolinguistic question . Pingback: South Africans prefer their children to be taught in English - AfricansLive, Pingback: South Africans prefer their children to be taught in English – FREE SPEECH DAILY. NPO: 002-178 PBO 18/11/13/2948 . They write here in their personal capacities as academic researchers. However, we estimate the impact of the alternative models as they are being implemented currently, within specific contexts of schools, teachers and homes. As with any study, our findings have their limitations. “Hi. Combining these data sets, we are able to separate the effects of overall school quality and home circumstances from the impact of language of instruction on the performance of children in a standardised English test written in grades four, five and six. In his recent Percy Baneshik Memorial Lecture to the English Academy of South Africa, Professor Jonathan Jansen recommends the introduction of English as the language of instruction as early as possible (“Wrest power from English tyranny“, Mail & Guardian, October 4). South African Sign Language. Rather, there are underlying similarities shared by many African societies which, when contrasted with other cultures, reveal a wide gap of difference. 031 309 4991. SignGenius SASL Pro 3 is the future for sign language software. Our study provides preliminary evidence on one key aspect of the matter: as things are currently being implemented, the choice to use mother-tongue instruction as opposed to English instruction in grades one, two and three generally leads to better English learning in the long run. promote South African Sign Language and "the Khoi, Nama and San languages". Add to cart. respect for all languages used in the country, including South African Sign Language and the languages referred to in the South African Constitution. SASL would enable you to communicate with a Deaf person and provide you with the ability to communicate and therefor render a professional service to the Deaf without the use of … Two friends (and colleagues) of mine have recently completed a Working Paper (“Estimating the impact of language of instruction in South African primary schools: A fixed effects approach“) which is well worth the read – methodologically interesting and highly policy-relevant, the very thing we need more of in South Africa. It creates obligations that will make sign language more commonly available in a range of situations, including anywhere front-line staff often deal with deaf people. South African Sign Language - one language or many? The contrast between first language and second language is shown in the maps at right. Therefore, we cannot make deductions about what the impact would be if all teachers were able to speak English fluently and household poverty and gaps in school quality were eliminated from the South African landscape. Obviously, many people are limited to one, and many others able to speak three, four or more languages. ORDER NOW. Advocates of both “straight-for-English” approaches and mother-tongue instruction envisage a carefully thought-through set of instructional practices implemented by high-quality teachers and supported by sufficient materials. Zulu is the most widely spoken language in South Africa with about 12 million speakers representing 23% of the country’s population. Enjoy the read…, (Update: Sara Muller provides a useful summary of some the qualitative research on language of learning and teaching in SA here – go check it out. The size of the difference is not inconsequential: it is equivalent to about a third of a year of additional learning for children who were instructed in their home language during grades one, two and three compared with their peers who were instructed only in English during that same period. “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” – Mandela. At first this seems like a fair assumption to make: Surely the earlier you start with English the better? In South African Sign Language there are five basic elements or parameters that make up each sign. Introduction This chapter focuses on signed languages in general and SASL in particular. Frame-by-frame viewing of videos. Learning South African Sign Language (SASL) may seem daunting, but in fact the process is quite similar to that of learning any foreign language. What we need is rigorous evidence. The hands are in many colors and shades. When we therefore observe that children in the “straight-for-English” schools perform much better than their peers in the home-language schools in both English and mathematics, it would be naive to conclude that this is primarily driven by the language of instruction. This website works best with modern browsers such as the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. The Deaf Federation of South Africa stated that it was approaching the Committee as a suggested first step in its quest to have South African Sign Language recognised as the twelfth official language of South Africa. In addition, children who attend the “straight-for-English” schools are on average from richer households where they receive more academic support from better-educated parents or caregivers, are less likely to go to bed hungry, have fewer siblings with whom they need to share resources and are more frequently exposed to English on television and in the home. From 2010, we undertook the development of Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements (CAPS) for the South African Sign Language (SASL) Grades R-12 which were completed and approved as policy in July 2014. Add to cart. As a bonus, there’s even a small crash-course in South African sign language too. South African Sign Language (SASL) is a minority language used by more than 600 000 people in South Africa. The status of South African Sign Language (SASL) in South Africa | Sled - Sign Language Education & Development. What happens in South African schools is that children usually learn in their mother-tongue for the first three years (Grades 1-3) then switch to either English or Afrikaans in Grade 4 and continue with that language for the rest of their schooling career. For those who aren’t from South Africa, we have 11 official languages – Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sesotho sa Leboa, Sesotho, Setswana, siSwati, Tshivenda, and Xitsonga. “I have been working at SLED for 7 years. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. About Donations. Therefore, a “straight-for-English” approach still involves a transition in a child’s language of learning, and children may be less well prepared for such a transition in grade one than in grade four. The Pan South African Language Board has published a draft charter on South African Sign Language that will become final next week if nobody objects to it. language policy in education would be most appropriate for Africa. respect for all languages used in the country, including South African Sign Language and the languages referred to in the South African Constitution. What language should South African children be taught in? 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