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Language used for teaching and learning (LoLT) is considered as the essential tool that drives learning in classrooms. When the language of teaching and learning is not the mother tongue (MT) it becomes a barrier to teaching and learning. This study aims to evaluate strategies that can be employed to foster teaching and learning in English First Additional Language (EFAL) classrooms. The study employed a qualitative research method through case study design. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and class observations; it made use of purposive sampling which involved ten educators and seven learners from grade seven classrooms. Thematic analysis approach was adopted to analyse the collected data and themes were extracted. Findings of this paper showed that language as medium of instruction (MoI) plays a crucial role in teaching and learning, and the confusion could lead to a mismatch of concepts and ideas when it is different from learners’ and educators’ home languages. This requires EFAL educators to possess specific first additional language teaching competencies, skills, and an extremely high sense of personal linguistic proficiency in the language of instruction (LOI). The paper, therefore, recommends that to improve EFAL learners’ performance, language educators must utilise conceivable teaching and learning strategies that would be relevant to the subject, content, topics, and class activities. It was also recommended that EFAL learners be exposed to language learning programs that would develop and improve basic language skills in the targeted language. Educators are encouraged to use handcrafted teaching resources and DoE renovate infrastructure and provide basic resources.
Lungiswa Nqoma (Thu,) studied this question.