The role of traditional storytelling in the teaching and learning of isiNdebele in Grade 3

Abstract

The teaching and learning of a language is a harmonious process that aims to develop and promote the required language skills, such as listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills of learners in the Foundation Phase in Grade 3. The outcomes of teaching and learning using home language unlock the literary components, such as listening, oral, writing, reading and comprehension and develop learners’ literacy to be competent and critical language users. Traditional storytelling of folktales is perennial to literacy development. It uses traditional folktales, which are told and performed through oral communication and the usage of behavioural gestures. Folktales are ancient stories told from one generation to the other, attaching us to the past but reflecting the present educational and socio-economic landscapes, to sharpen language abilities and competencies, critical thinking, problem solving, decision making and social relations skills. The study investigated how the traditional storytelling of isiNdebele folktales is used to teach language skills, such as speaking and listening attributed to Grade 3. It further explored the role of parental involvement through the storytelling of traditional folktales to their children at home. The socio-cultural theory was used to assist the researcher by establishing whether teachers are utilising the traditional oral storytelling and the oral art literature materials in class to teach their learners in Grade 3 of the Foundation Phase level. The study also explores that the existence of the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) ensures that there will be sufficient interaction between the learners and teachers at school, parents and children at home or amongst learners themselves for the intellectual upliftment of the learners and to reach the Zone of Proximal Development. Data were collected using interviews, observations and document analysis. The study was conducted in two primary schools in Siyabuswa where isiNdebele is used as a Language of Learning and Teaching (LoLT). It focused on Grade 3 learners to explore the role and usage of traditional storytelling for the development and pruning of language skills of learners. The findings of this study revealed that teachers and parents believe that the usage of folktales during isiNdebele lessons encourages the learner-centred approach to literacy development and therefore beneficial to the learning experiences inside and outside the classroom. Albeit the goodness of storytelling, the inclusion of storytelling of folktales is very limited in the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) and therefore, the performance of storytelling of folktales in the classroom becomes inadequate. The unavailability of learning and teaching resources depicting isiNdebele folktales also contributes to the lack of usage of traditional storytelling. The study concludes by acknowledging that traditional folktales are a rich and perpetual reservoir through which young learners can acquire not only literacy skills, but also cognitive, linguistic, and social skills. These skills can assist them to become active citizens in the real world and be able to survive in the communication domain. The parental engagement in the education of their children could assist in developing their language skills as well.

Keywords: traditional storytelling; folktales; language skills; parental involvement; teaching and learning; isiNdebele language.

ISIRHUNYEZO SERHUBHULULO

Ukufundisa kanye nokufunda ilimi kunetjhebiswano lehlelo elinqophe ukuthuthukisa amakghono adingekako afana nokulalela, ukufunda, ukutlola kanye nokulalela emntwaneni ofunda eBangeni elisiSekelo leGreyidi ye-3. Imiphumela yokufunda nokufundisa nakusetjenziswa ilimi lekhaya kukhiqiza amakghono kezemitlolo, ukulalela, ukwazi ukucoca indaba, ukutlola, ukufunda nokuzwisisa begodu kusiza umfundi abe msebenzisi welimi onekghono eliqakathekileko. Ukucocwa kweenolwana kunesizo elinomthelela wesikhathi eside ukuthuthukisa ilwazi lokufunda nokutlola. Ukucocwa kweendatjana okuziinolwana kulokha nakucocwa ngomlomo kanye nokwenziwa kweenolwana ngokusebenzisa izitho zomzimba ukudlulisa umlayezo omumethwe ziinolwana. Iinolwana ziindatjana ezazicocwa ekadeni, zicocwa ukusukela kusizukulwana sinye kuye kesinye. Zikwazi ukusikhumbuza ekadeni kodwana zisisiza esikhathini esiphila kiso kezefundo nakuhlalomnotho ngomnqopho wokuthuhukisa amakghono welimi, ukucabanga udephe, ukurarulula imiraro, ukwenza iinqunto kanye namakghono wokuhlalisana nabantu. Irhubhululwleli liphenyisisa ukwazi kabanzi bona ukucocwa kweenolwana elimini lesiNdebele kusetjenziswa njani ukufundisa amakghono welimi ukukhuluma nokulalela eGreyidini yesi-3. Liragele phambili ngofunisisa bonyana ngengiyiphi indima edlalwa babelethi babantwana ekucocweni kweenolwana ekhaya. Itiyori yezeHlalo namaSiko (Socio-cultural theory) ngiyo ekhethiweko bona isize umrhubhululi ngokobana iqinisekise ukuthi abotitjhere basebenzisa ubukghwari beendatjana zeenolwana ekufundiseni abafundi etlasini. Irhubhululo libuye latjheja ukuba khona kwe-Zone Proximal Development (ZPD) yona eqinisekisa bona kuba khona ukukhulumisana phakathi kwabotitjhere nabafundi esikolweni, ababelethi babantwana ekhaya nabantwana nofana hlangana kwabo abantwana babodwa ekuletheni ubuhlakani bokwazi ukukhuluma ngepumelelo ukufezekisa yona i-Zone Proximal Development. Ukubuthelelwa kwelwazi kwenziwe ngekulumo pendulwano hlangana nababandakanyi berhubhululo nomrhubhululi, kwasetjenziswa nehlelo lokuqala, kanye nokuhlaziya kweencwadi zabafundi bunqopha ekufundeni nokufundiswa ngekumbeni yokufundela. Irhubhululweli lenziwe eenkoweni ezimbili zamabanga aphasi eziseSiyabuswa lapha kusetjenziswa isiNdebele njengelimi lokufunda nokufundisa (LoLT). Umnqopho werhubhululo bekukutjheja indima edlalwa kusebenzisa iinolwana ekufundiseni abafundi ukwakha nokuthuthukisa amakghono welimi. Ekutholiweko ngerhubhululweli kukobana abotitjhere nababelethi babafundi bahlongoza bebakwakwazelela ukusebenziswa kweenolwana ngesikhathi kufundwa isiNdebele njengesifundo esizijameleko etlasini, ngombana lokho kuqinisekisa bona abafundi bathathelwa phezulu begodu bayatjhejwa ekufundeni kwabo ngaphakathi etlasini nangaphandle. Nanyana ukucocwa kweenolwana kuqakatheke kangaka, isiTatimende somThetho-kambiso weKharikhyulamu nokuHlola (TTKH) asikhulumi ngokwaneleko ngokucocwa kweenolwana ukufundisa ngetlasini, begodu iinsetjenziswa ezifana neencwadi eziqukethe iinolwana nomtlolondabuko azikaneli, ngombana lokhu kuba nomthelela. Irhubhululweli lisongwa ngokobana likhiqize imiphumela evumako bonyana ukucocwa kweenolwana kutjhujile begodu kumthombo ogobhozako owenza bona abantwana bathole woke amakghono welimi adingekako, lokhu kufaka hlangana nekghono lokwazi ukucabanga badephe, kanye namakghono adingekako ekuhlalisaneni nabantu ukwenzelela bona babe zizakhamuzi ezifundileko nezinelwazi emiphakathinabo. Ukuzibandakanya kwababelethi efundweni yabantwababo nakho kucalwe ngelihlo elibukhali njengento Amagama aveleleko: ukucocwa kweendatjana zendabuko; iinolwana; amakghono welimi; ukuzibandakanya kwababelethi; ukufundisa nokufunda; Ilimi lesiNdebele.