1. Question 2: Academic essay
How language works as a barrier to learning in South African schools
Teachers experience things in different ways, as they meet different learners with
differentbehavior in classrooms. That is why they said a teacher should be a
classroom manager. So teaching is not all about teaching a subject but it also about
learning and recognizes what happen in classrooms. Teachers recognizes some of
the issues that appeared in classrooms as we know that in South African schools
there are learners with learning difficulties. I will going to clarify one of the difficulties
which is the language barrier, let us find out more in the essay below.
Teachers are all aware that in order to know how best to teach, motivate or discipline
a child, they must first get to know what makes them pulse. Theteacher listen to what
children say, observe them in the classroom and talk to them about their behavior.
The more a teacher does this then the more closely they can match the curriculum
and the classroom to the needs of that child. Most of the language barriers caused
by hearing impairments, a child who lose hearing may end up not talking that will
force him/her to use sign language. So a teacher may suspect hearing loss by
observing behavioral signs such language delays, poor response to verbal
instruction, request to repeat what was said and failure to imitate dialogues.
A teacher can overcome this language barrier and any other challenges by thinking
the pronunciation instruction for learners to pronounce like native speakers. Learners
have to learn English as a medium of instruction and to help them to be essential in
English language so that they can be easily understood by others. But a child have
to learn to read and write in his/her own language meaning his/her mother tongue
language. That will make it easier for the teacher to recognize barrier language from
them.
According to (L. Fox 1995) people migrating to cities from rural areas of South Africa
are facing difficulties with employment and social service access due to language
barriers. Language barriers also influence migrationsince the late 1800s, auxiliary
languages have been available to help overcome the language barrier. These
languages were traditionally written or constructed by a person or group. Originally,
the idea was that two people who wanted to communicate could learn an auxiliary

2. language with little difficulty and could use this language to speak or write to each
other.
In clarification teachers may use different teaching methods to overcome barriers in
classes. Firstly they have to make sure everybody in class understand when they are
learning. The teacher can use pre-teaching strategy to introduce new vocabulary and
concepts. Help learners to read and interpret instructions correctly and check for
understanding by asking them to explain what they have to do. The teacher also can
use the memory way by reminding learners of teaching points and use pictures, art
facts where possible. Other learners have difficulty with expressive language, while
they are able to understand spoken and written language, they encounter problems
remembering and using vocabulary correctly or expressing themselves confidently.
They may speak in shorter sentences, signaling often and rarely using adjectives
and verbs. Teachers should provide a sign for the class indicating that learners’
sufficient time must listen. Allow learners sufficient time to consider and answer
questions, use pictures and existing object to support learning of meaningful
vocabulary.
Teachers must draw on instructional methods from both bilingual education and
special education to help learners whose native language is not English and who
also have learning disabilities.One way obviously, is to emphasize communicable
language (phrases) rather than the usage of grammar. For example, learning basic
phrases / groups of words that are fundamental to communication like: come here,
go there, sit down, do this, do that, draw this, write that, see this. These, in any
language, can ensure that basic operational words of communication are taken and
the learner can start to use the new language. The teacher’s job then is to build on
this. The focus initially therefore can be on hidden language learning rather than
open grammar learning. Using learning aids like flash cards is another way to
overcome language barrier. This could prove quite useful especially in cases where
a child is learning to identify letters/numbers.
Another good way that (Sylvia McNamara at al, 1993) suggested is to pass stories
rather than read them out. As the saying goes: “Tell me and I’ll forget; show me and I
may remember; involve me and I’ll understand.’’ Taking short stories with morals and
with a lot of action, help children understand the central idea of the story and more

3. easily; infer the messages while learning to communicate. Creating activities that
involve all children will greatly help them learn the new language. This ensures that
all are on a level-playing field. They could be through simple art and craft activities –
say drawing on a common theme, watching a movie, listening to or playing music.
Games and exercises that call for team work will help them interact with one another.
For example, solving puzzles together, crossword, spelling bees, guided story
writing.
Teachers can also give learners hand out cards to everybody in class and ask
learners to their names, their hobbies and favorite activities and a description of the
most interesting experience they have ever had. These cards will also give the
teacher some of the information about them such as their handwriting and their
ability to express themselves in English. In classes some of the learners find difficult
to read and write, clearly learners with reading disability often struggle to translate
the visual symbols of our language into their responding and meanings. These
difficulties also include parents/caregivers because they are the first people to work
together with teachers in order to help those learners who experience reading and
writing difficulties.As parental involvement has a positive impact on a child’s success
at school. (L. Conley at al, 2010) suggest that parents should be involved in the
school system at the different levels. As we know that parents used to be involved in
school governance meaning that they have to form a good partnership in order to
deal with the individual needs and development of a child.
Special schools should be provided by the department of education and the
government as a whole for those learners who experience barriers in schools, not
only the language barrier but all difficulties that are faced by the learners. Actually
language is very important to every person around the world because it is the way to
makes us to communicate to each other. English is the languagethat many people
used as second language especial blacks. So they end up working under pressure in
making sure that they learn English and able to use it to communicate with other
people.

4. Conclusion
These are just some of the problems that teachers with large classes face when
teaching speaking activities in the classroom. These problems are not new or do the
solutions exist above. Teachers all over the world continue to face the same
difficulties, but any teacher who has overcome these difficulties and now has a large
class of energetic students talking and working in English in groups together will tell
you it is worth all the experimental and mistake and effort at the beginning. If you
believe in the importance of teaching speaking skills in the classroom but are having
difficulties making speaking activities work in your classroom why not contact your
local teaching associations. Maybe they run workshops for teaching speaking skills,
or maybe they can put you in contact with other teachers in similar situations but with
more experience teaching speaking skills who will be willing to share their
experiences with each other.