Barriers associated with the use of English in the teaching of technology in grade 9 at some schools in Eastern Cape Province

Abstract

English is the language of learning and teaching in most schools in South Africa. The ability of teachers and students to understand and communicate with each other in English contributes to better performance in Science and Technology subjects. This article explores the challenges posed by the use of English in the teaching and learning of Technology at schools in Eastern Cape. The study was undertaken in order to gauge the commonness of problems related to the use of English. The sample for the questionnaire comprised 57 teachers who taught Technology at different schools in the district. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with five subject specialists in Technology. The findings revealed that the use of English militates against effective learning and teaching of Technology. In order to enhance the communication skills of students, it is recommended that teachers increase dialogue in English by means of small-group discussion, exploratory talk and argumentation.