Revised National Curriculum Statement Grades R-9 (Schools) - Grade Five
Learning Area: Languages - Home Language
Learning Outcome 1: Listening
The learner will be able to listen for information and enjoyment, and respond appropriately and critically in a wide range of situations.
Assessment standards
We know this when the learner:
- Enjoys listening to different kinds of oral texts such as stories, myths, choral chants, jokes and riddles, and short plays and responds appriately.
- Identifies the main message and themes in oral texts and relates them to everyday life.
- Identifies features of oral texts (structure, language, tone, register, etc.) that make them appropriate for different purposes and audiences.
- Discusses how language is used to create a sense of atmosphere.
- Listens to different types of informational texts (directions, instructions, speeches, radio talk shows, television documentaries), notes main ideas or specific details, and uses information appropriately.
- Listens actively, considering other points of view, and responds with sensitivity to ideas and suggestions.
- Discusses the social, moral and cultural values, attitudes and assumptions in oral texts, and comments on what is included and excluded (e.g. ‘Is the moral of the story true for all circumstances?’ ‘What circumstances are not covered in this story?’).
Learning Outcome 2: Speaking
The learner will be able to communicate confidently and effectively in spoken language in a wide range of situations.
Assessment standards
We know this when the learner:
- Communicates experiences, ideas and information in different and fairly challenging contexts for different audiences and purposes:
- uses language thoughtfully for interpersonal communication (e.g. praising someone’s efforts, disagreeing with someone);
- uses language for creative and imaginative self-expression (e.g. expresses feelings and thoughts, dramatises);
- shares ideas and offers opinions on less familiar topics and events, using speculation and hypothesis;
- describes events, presents feedback, and gives directions clearly and in an understandable way;
- asks critical questions which do not have obvious answers, and can respond thoughtfully to such questions;
- expresses and justifies own opinion with reasons.
- Uses interaction strategies to communicate effectively in group situations:
- takes turns, stays on topic, asks relevant questions, maintains discussion and responds to others’ ideas with empathy and respect;
- gives balanced and constructive feedback;
- uses appropriate intonation and facial expressions;
- shows sensitivity to the rights and feeling of others during group work.
- Uses appropriate body language and presentation skills:
- shifts eye contact to include as much of the audience as possible;
- uses appropriate intonation and facial expressions;
- adjusts tempo and volume for emphasis;
- pauses at appropriate places and adjusts pace to needs of audience.
- Uses appropriate language for different purposes and audiences:
- uses language with the appropriate register in less familiar situations;
- uses grammatical structures and idioms that are appropriate for the purpose;
- uses language carefully to express complex but common emotions such as anger, impatience, sympathy, admiration;
- identifies and challenges discriminatory use of language.
Learning Outcome 3: Reading and Viewing
The learner will be able to read and view for information and enjoyment, and respond critically to the aesthetic, cultural and emotional values in texts.
Assessment standards
We know this when the learner:
- Reads a variety of South African and international fiction and non-fiction texts for different purposes (e.g. poems, book reviews, short novels, newsletters, reference books):
- reads independently, selecting appropriate reading and comprehension strategies for the purpose;
- skims to get the general idea;
- scans for specific details;
- surveys contents page, headings, index;
- uses previous knowledge or textual clues to determine meaning and make inferences;
- predicts content or ending;
- makes story maps or notes key points to track comprehension;
- reads aloud clearly, adjusting speed according to purpose and audience.
- Views and comments on various visual and multimedia texts for different purposes (e.g. advertisements, video/films, television dramas and, where available, computers and CD-ROMs):
- discusses message conveyed;
- identifies and discusses graphical techniques such as colour, choice of images, kind and size of lettering, symbols, layout, etc.
- Describes and analyses emotional response to texts.
- Discusses how writers and visual artists relate to their readers in different ways, and how they create different views of the world using language and visual features.
- Shows understanding of fiction text:
- discusses central idea, plot, setting, atmosphere and characters;
- makes inferences about plot and characters;
- discusses themes and issues and offers opinions with justification.
- Understands the vocabulary and discusses how writers have used language to achieve effects (similes, rhythm, onomatopoeia, etc.).
- Recognises the different structures, language use, purposes and audiences of different texts:
- identifies the way different kinds of texts are organised (e.g. fables, letters, book reviews);
- identifies what characterises different forms of writing such as science fiction, mystery stories, etc.;
- identifies the different purposes of texts and analyses how language and register differ for purpose and audience.
- Identifies and discusses environmental, cultural and social values in texts:
- identifies and discusses point of view and its purpose and effect;
- recognises and discusses different stereotypes and how they are created;
- discusses and compares the treatment of social and cultural issues by different writers on various topics.
- Understands and responds appropriately to a range of information texts:
- identifies main and supporting ideas, notes specific details and summarises information;
- reads and carries out fairly complex instructions, and follows directions with minimum assistance.
- Interprets and discusses more complex visual texts (e.g. tables, charts, posters, bar graphs, maps) and can change text from one form to another (e.g. a table of data into a graph).
- Selects relevant reading material and applies research skills to find information in dictionaries, reference books and textbooks from community sources or electronic media (where available).
Learning Outcome 4: Writing
The learner will be able to write different kinds of factual and imaginative texts for a wide range of purposes.
Assessment standards
We know this when the learner:
- Writes different kinds of texts for different purposes and audiences:
- writes for personal, exploratory, playful, imaginative and creative purposes (e.g. diary, humorous anecdotes, story, poem);
- writes informational texts expressing ideas clearly and logically for different audiences (e.g. notices, reports);
- writes and designs visual texts expressing information clearly and creatively (e.g. advertisements, newsletters, map with pictures and labels);
- transfers information from one form into another (e.g. information from a table into a written paragraph or graph).
- Develops and organises ideas through a writing process:
- explores and analyses a topic and brainstorms ideas using mind maps, flow charts and lists;
- develops the topic by consulting relevant sources, selecting relevant information and organising ideas;
- produces a first draft with central idea and well-developed supporting paragraphs;
- uses simple, compound and complex sentences with awareness of the specific purpose and audience;
- revises work focusing on content, appropriate language, organisation and style, and uses feedback from classmates and/or teacher;
- proofreads and corrects final version;
- submits final draft and reflects on assessment of the piece.
- Produces neat and legible work with attention to presentation (e.g. cover page, title, headings, and suitable graphics).
- Applies knowledge of language at various levels:
- word level:
- selects and experiments with a wide variety of words drawn from various sources,
- consults dictionary or thesaurus to check words;
- sentence level:
- extends sentences by adding qualifiers, adjectival, adverbial and noun phrases and clauses,
- shifts from one tense to another consistently and appropriately,
- uses direct and indirect speech appropriately and effectively;
- paragraph level:
- writes a topic sentence and includes relevant information to develop a coherent paragraph,
- shows different ways of linking paragraphs,
- uses appropriate grammar, spelling and punctuation.
- word level:
Learning Outcome 5: Thinking and Reasoning
The learner will be able to use language to think and reason, as well as to access, process and use information for learning.
Assessment standards
We know this when the learner:
- Uses language to think and reason:
- identifies cause and effect in oral and written texts and explains the relationship;
- makes estimations based on known information;
- distinguishes between advantages and disadvantages of something and explains why;
- questions and develops different perspectives on familiar topics;
- discusses influence of context on information.
- Uses language to investigate and explore:
- formulates relevant questions to guide search for information;
- uses interviews to gather information;
- can rephrase questions to get more relevant information;
- discusses how interviews work as a means of finding information;
- searches for information from other relevant sources.
- Processes information:
- collects and categorises relevant ideas and explains the reasons underlying the categorisation;
- distinguishes general from specific information;
- organises information under different headings;
- sequences a series of steps or events in a logical way and explains the logic;
- organises information into a paragraph, table, timeline, chart or other appropriate written or graphical representation;
- evaluates and draws conclusions and can explain basis.
- Uses language to think creatively:
- hypothesises possible results or endings to a sequence of steps or events;
- predicts what might happen in an imagined situation;
- reflects on past processes or activities and lessons for future use;
- experiments with visual and sound effects of language;
- explores associations of words and concepts to get new angles on topics.
Learning Outcome 6: Language Structure and Use
The learner will know and be able to use the sounds, words and grammar of the language to create and interpret texts.
Assessment standards
We know this when the learner:
- Works with words:
- uses prefixes, stems and suffixes/extensions to form words;
- explores the origin of words (e.g. words borrowed from French);
- records words in a personal dictionary;
- uses phonics and spelling rules to spell words correctly.
- Works with sentences:
- identifies subject and predicate;
- uses subject-verb concord;
- identifies and uses nouns, pronouns, prepositions, articles and conjunctions;
- uses direct and indirect speech;
- uses complex tenses correctly (e.g. past perfect progressive - ‘He had been working ...’);
- consolidates use of punctuation learned so far.
- Works with texts:
- uses topic and supporting sentences to develop coherent paragraphs;
- links sentences in cohesive paragraphs using, for example, pronouns and connecting words such as ‘therefore’;
- shifts from one tense to another consistently and appropriately.
- Develops awareness and use of style:
- uses language appropriate for the audience, purpose and context (e.g. formal/informal register);
- understands and uses figurative language such as personification (e.g. ‘The flames were licking the building.’).
- Develops critical language awareness (e.g. explores the language and images used to create racial, gender, and other stereotypes).
- Uses meta-language (terms such as articles, conjunctions, topic sentence, audience, tense, personification).