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The purpose of this study is to seek blended learning as an intervention programme in first year's students' English language academic writing. The 21st century's focus on technology presents an ideal opportunity to use the digital platform as a space for students to learn. This is believed to work well particularly with students who might be struggling with academic writing. It may also apply to students who appreciate not being publicly exposed to the stigma of a struggling student. On the digital platform, they can experience the freedom and space to learn at their own pace and convenience. The study is framed theoretically in the Community of Inquiry based on Bourdieu's structural constructivism theory. The study used the stimuli and synergies afforded by the qualitative interpretivist paradigm that involves a population of 36 people. It used a purposive sampling of six first year English Home Language students and three Intermediate Phase Lecturers. The data were collected through participant observations, focus group discussions and interviews. Thematic analysis served as the analytical tool for the data collected. We believe that this study is of paramount value because it informs and assists the teaching of English as the language of teaching and learning in the classroom to hone academic writing practices of students.

This paper explores the necessity of a good knowledge of the language of teaching and learning (LOLT) in English for student-teachers in South Africa. The study reported in the paper focuses on communication skills and academic reading and writing skills: with defamiliarization as a research method. Defamiliarization creates a space free from fear and anxiety in which students can express themselves. Third-year students were asked to write a report based on their experiences in their major teaching subjects which form the data in this study. Students were also asked to write a needs analysis and state what they learnt during the report writing project. Multilingual glossing was a compulsory component in order to match the realities of school classrooms which had various language groups. The results showed that students engaged and participated; leading to conscious critical awareness and development. Student performance improved in English as language of learning and teaching (LOLT) in teacher pre-service education, and in their specialised teaching subjects. The study concludes that defamiliarization did create a space for student's ability for reading and responding to texts as well as building self-confidence in their ability to synthesise information. It is therefore envisaged that through a community of inquiry framework (Garrison et al., 2000), students can collaboratively develop problem-solving techniques.

The main purpose of this reflective paper is to signpost the importance of language of learning and teaching in a Teacher's Education course. It is then meant to decolonise the curriculum by tapping into the indigenous knowledge systems of the students. In view of this, the main aim of the Language of Learning and Teaching (LoLT) English is to bridge the gap between schools and Higher Education given the fact that a considerable number of students come to universities in South Africa unprepared or underprepared. LoLT gives students the opportunity to take ownership of their literacies, particularly academic writing through defamiliarization and co-construction of knowledge. Our reflections are based on first year students' experiences on the language of learning and teaching in the Senior Phase/Further Education and Training (SP/FET) in Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT). In light of this, our reflections are primarily focused on their ability to read and respond to selected texts where they were encouraged to interpret the texts based on their own perspectives. Most of the work was done in groups before individual assignment to factor in diversity in their interpretation bringing out the richness of the texts. The paper in conclusion, supports the belief and realization that once students are engaged to participate in unpacking a text, they come to understand that diversity is inevitable in whatever they do in life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Education is a mind builder and should be taken as a matter of importance in any nation. Following this, the curriculum designer is responsible for building learners' minds. Seen through this lens, this theoretical article intends to project the importance of community schools in conflict-stricken Ambazonia against the backdrop of the French curriculum. Education guidelines are addressed with reference to language planning, policy, and implementation. Additionally, the paper seeks to explain the current situation in Ambazonia and make arguments regarding the community schools' guidelines that aspire for multilingualism, where indigenous languages are taken seriously in teaching and learning. Another point discussed is the transitional authority (Ambazonia Transitional Authority), which was put in place to deal with implementing education guidelines and administrative issues. The paper concludes with the argument that what we think must be transformed into what we do and be shown by what we have done. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the challenges and highlights of teaching practice during the COVID 19 pandemic. Teaching practice is an indispensable part of the training of pre-service teachers. In light of this, teaching practice assumes particular immediacy and primacy given the opportunity it can afford for theory to blend in with practice. In a normal situation, student teachers are usually confronted by inexperience but to make matter worse, COVID 19 came with more challenges. In most circumstances, teachers were expected to use technology in their teaching to lessen direct contact and to reach a wider number of students. The data for this qualitative study was collected through an engagement with some English language student teachers who were asked to voluntarily write reflections on the highlights and challenges during their lessons within the teaching practice exercise. The findings portrayed that student came up with innovative ways of handling classes by themselves since it was not feasible for their lecturers to supervise them and give them the much-needed feedback that could improve their teaching. Secondly, the article upholds a view of language teaching as a social practice which we believe is well placed to reduce anxiety and build self-esteem. The study concludes that since learning during the COVID 19 appears to be more individualistic, it is important to promote student teachers' voice and agency in learner's learning to be able to build self-learning skills and learner's identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to explore the theoretical knowledge and its application by the BA CEMS degree graduates at the work place. The degree is in keeping with the South African government's commitment to the maintenance and promotion of African languages and multilingualism as articulated in its Constitution of 1996. The BA CEMS degree aims to develop students into bilingual specialists who can compete effectively for employment in South Africa's multilingual terrain. In this regard, the rationale for the study is to investigate ways through which BA CEMS programmes support its graduates through the curriculum as well as prepare them for the workplace. We strongly believe that such a degree can help to foster good citizenry at the work place in terms of the ability to use both the hegemonic language (English) on the one hand and indigenous African Language on the other. Methodologically, we interviewed graduates from the programme at their work places to better understand their practices/experiences on multilingualism and how they are coping with diversity. The main findings indicate that their dealings with diversity were based on trial and error rather than on the theoretical knowledge from their BA CEMS programme. The article makes a case for interrogating the curriculum so that the efficacy and the efficiency of the programme may be improved to provide graduates with the most relevant skills to handle diversity at the work place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]