A critical view of National Senior Certificate examination discourse and First Additional Language writing tests

Abstract

Critical views on language testing have long pointed out that tests are not neutral and that the use of test results requires a deeper interrogation of who is assessed, in what language and to whose benefit. In South Africa, English, especially Standard English, creates a linguistic market where additional language (L2) students’ writing and English language proficiency are under constant evaluation. Various systemic tests since 1994 highlight students’ low English language proficiency, often resulting in negative discourses about their L2 proficiency and teachers’ pedagogy. However, a key factor missing in such a narrative is how writing test design and its corresponding examination discourse impact pedagogy and the required writer identities needed in post-school contexts. This study draws on systemic functional linguistics (SFL) to illustrate the relationship between L2 writing discourse in the National Senior Certificate (NSC) examination (2017–2019) and the writing requirements stipulated in the national curriculum. The findings reveal that narrow definitions of writing proficiency underpin the test items and that the assessment documents are unlikely to contribute to academic writing and discourse competencies in school or post- school contexts in South Africa.