Using English as a second language as the language of instruction: Concerns and needs of primary school teachers in South Africa

Abstract

The issues discussed in this article have arisen from the authors’ concern about primary school teachers’ ability to use English as the language of instruction in their classrooms. Teachers in primary schools who are English second language speakers were asked to comment on the three main problems that they experience in using English as the medium of instruction in their classrooms. From the teachers’ responses it was deduced that their main problems in using English as the language of instructions are that their learners are ‘deaf’ to correct English pronunciation and that the learners do not understand English. Teachers also indicated that they have a lack of vocabulary and that they also lack the confidence to teach in English.

Key Concepts: English as a second language (ESL), language of instruction, primary school teachers, pronunciation, understanding as a language skill, vocabulary