Xhosa L1 learners' perceptions of language classes mechanical mysteries

Abstract

This article reports on a study which investigated Xhosa First Language learners' perceptions of the Xhosa teaching and learning they experience in high school. Grade 11 learners in 26 Eastern and Western Cape schools (N = 2825) completed a questionnaire especially designed for the research project. Selected findings from this large-scale study, particularly those concerning the use of structural and communicative language teaching approaches, are included in this article. The perceptions of the learners reveal a negative stance towards more structural classroom activities: They find them difficult, they do not enjoy them and they do not see their relevance or usefulness for life after school, in the work-place or for further study, for instance.