Challenges with the Teaching and Learning of English Language in a Bilingual Classroom

Abstract

The aim of the study was to identify challenges encountered in the teaching and learning of English in a bilingual classroom and as a language of learning and teaching (LoLT) among rural schools under the King Cetshwayo District of South Africa, and to suggest ways to improve the situation. Using mixed research methods, data were collected using interviews and questionnaires from a randomly selected group of twenty (20) teachers and forty (40) bilingual learners within the district. It was found that the majority of teachers lack training on grammar, which leads them to focus more on literature. The study recommends re-skilling of language teachers and improvement in their approaches to the teaching of grammar.

Keywords: Bilingual learners, barriers, linguistics, pedagogy, language teacher