Revised National Curriculum Statement Grades R-9 (Schools) - Grade Four

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 and responds appropriately (e.g. stories, fables, limericks, short reports).
• Discusses the central idea and specific details of the text and relates them to own experience.
• Discusses the speaker’s use of words, phrases and body language and how they affect the listener. (e.g. ‘How did you feel after listening to the speaker?’, ‘What did s/he say or do that made you feel that way?’).
• Discusses how a speaker’s tone and choice of words change for different audiences and purposes.
• Talks about the sound and word pictures in the language and comments on their effect on the listener.
• Listens for information in different kinds of texts (such as weather reports, school announcements, interviews), recalls main ideas or specific details, and responds appropriately.
• Carries out instructions and follows directions.
• Listens actively in conversation and discussion showing respect for and sensitivity to the feelings of others and appreciating other points of view.
• Discusses the social, moral and cultural values, attitudes and assumptions in oral texts. (e.g. ‘Are all families made up of mother, father and children?’, ‘Are there other kinds of families?’).

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 contexts for different audiences and purposes:
  • uses language with ease for interpersonal communication in everyday conversation;
  • uses language for imaginative self-expression (e.g. tells a story, recites a poem or role-plays a situation);
  • shares ideas and offers opinions on familiar topics from personal experience;
  • recalls and describes a set of actions or events;
  • gives directions or instructions;
  • asks and responds to questions;
  • discusses and compares own and others’ ideas and opinions.
• Uses interaction skills and strategies for working in groups:
  • takes turns;
  • stays on topic;
  • asks relevant questions;
  • maintains discussion;
  • responds to others’ ideas with empathy and respect;
  • gives balanced and constructive feedback;
  • uses appropriate intonation and facial expressions;
  • shows respect for others in the group.
• Uses appropriate body language and presentation skills:
  • makes eye contact and limits fidgeting;
  • uses appropriate gestures and facial expressions;
  • uses audible volume, pauses appropriately, and speaks at reasonable pace.
• Uses appropriate words and structures for different purposes and audiences:
  • uses language with the appropriate degree of formality (register) in different situations (tone, choice of words and style, body language);
  • uses appropriate language when expressing social courtesies (apologies, requests, thanks, support);
  • names and tries to avoid insensitive or 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, stories, myths, brochures, reference books and text-books):
  • reads independently using a variety of reading and comprehension strategies appropriate for different purposes;
  • skims for general idea;
  • scans for specific details;
  • surveys content page, headings, index for overview;
  • makes predictions, uses contextual clues to determine meaning, and makes inferences;
  • reads aloud clearly and with expression.
• Views and comments on various visual and multimedia texts for different purposes (e.g. pictures, posters, cartoons and, where available, computers and CD-ROMs):
  • interprets message;
  • identifies and discusses graphical techniques such as colour, design, choice of images, etc., and how they affect the message conveyed.
• Describes feelings about the text (factual or literary, visual or multimedia), giving reasons.
• Discusses how the choice of language and graphical features influence the reader.
• Shows understanding and identifies and discusses aspects such as central idea, characters, setting and plot in fiction texts.
• Infers reasons for actions in the story.
• Understands the vocabulary and discusses the choice of words, imagery and sound effects in poems, stories and multimedia texts (e.g. rhythm, rhyme, alliteration, word pictures, humour).
• Recognises the different structures, language use, purposes and audiences of different kinds of texts:
  • identifies the different purposes of texts (e.g. speeches, stories, poems, advertisements);
  • identifies the way texts are organised;
  • identifies how language and register (degree of formality) differ according to purpose and audience;
  • identifies the language used in different kinds of texts (e.g. direct speech in fables, sequence words in procedures, passive speech in reports).
• Identifies and discusses values in texts in relation to cultural, social, environmental and moral issues (e.g. moral of the story and its validity in different contexts, issues of fairness and equity in relation to different situations and characters).
• Understands and responds appropriately to information texts:
  • identifies main and supporting ideas;
  • scans for specific details in texts (e.g. weather reports, bus timetables, maps);
  • follows short printed instructions and directions.
• Interprets simple visual texts (tables, charts, posters, graphs, maps) and can change text from one form to another (e.g. graph to explanatory paragraph).
• Selects relevant texts for own information needs (e.g. dictionaries, children’s encyclopaedias and reference books).

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 purpose (e.g. letters, descriptive paragraphs, limericks);
  • writes informational texts expressing ideas clearly for different audiences (e.g. short reports , instructions);
  • writes and designs various media texts for different audiences (e.g. poster, cartoon strip, simple brochures);
  • converts information from one form into another (e.g. written text into tables).
• Develops and organises ideas through a writing process:
  • chooses and explores topic and brainstorms ideas using mind maps, flow charts and lists;
  • organises ideas into paragraphs using simple and compound sentences;
  • produces a first draft with appropriate language and conventions for the specific purpose and audience;
  • revises work using own awareness of appropriate language, organisation and style, and feedback from classmates and/or teacher;
  • proofreads final draft for grammar, punctuation, and spelling, incorporating feedback from classmates and teacher;
  • ‘publishes’ final draft by sharing with relevant audience and/or teacher.
• Presents work using neat and legible handwriting and proper form, such as headings, spacing for paragraphs, indentations, etc., as appropriate.
• Applies knowledge of language at various levels:
  • word level:
    • selects and uses a wide variety of words drawn from language experience, activities, literature, and oral language of classmates and others;
  • sentence level:
    • extends sentences by adding adjectives, adverbs, qualifying phrases and clauses,
    • shifts from one tense to another consistently and appropriately;
  • paragraph level:
    • uses topic and supporting sentences to develop a coherent paragraph,
    • uses appropriate grammar, spelling and punctuation.

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:
  • discusses cause and effect in written texts and the language used to express it (e.g. ‘when...’, ‘then...’, ‘if...’, ‘then...’);
  • identifies alternative options and why and how they are different;
  • infers meanings that are not obviously stated and can explain how the meaning was conveyed.
• Uses language to investigate and explore:
  • formulates questions to assist in obtaining the required information;
  • identifies relevant sources of information;
  • locates information using key words or concepts;
  • selects and surveys different sources for different perspectives on topic.
• Processes information:
  • discusses and compares information obtained from various sources;
  • selects relevant ideas;
  • picks out examples from explanations;
  • puts information in the right order;
  • summarises information in various ways (e.g. diagrams, paragraphs, mind maps, tables);
  • makes judgements based on the information and draws conclusions.
• Uses language to think creatively:
  • predicts what will follow or how something will be concluded based on evidence gathered;
  • develops different possibilities or scenarios for a given situation;
  • finds different ways to express ideas using a thesaurus and discusses nuances in meaning.

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 to form words;
  • explores the origin of words (e.g. words borrowed from Afrikaans and African languages);
  • records words in a personal dictionary;
  • uses phonics and spelling rules to spell word scorrectly;
  • checks spelling in a dictionary.
• Works with sentences:
  • identifies the subject and predicate of a sentence;
  • uses conjunctions to form compound sentences (e.g. ‘She worked hard so she passed the exam.’);
  • uses subject-verb concord;
  • uses a variety of sentence types correctly and appropriately (statements, questions, commands, exclamations);
  • identifies and uses nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, prepositions;
  • uses complex tenses correctly (e.g. past progressive - ‘She was watching TV when ...’);
  • uses direct and indirect speech;
  • uses punctuation correctly (e.g. quotation marks for direct speech, apostrophe for possession).
• Works with texts:
  • uses topic and supporting sentences to develop a coherent paragraph;
  • links sentences in a cohesive paragraph using, for example, pronouns and connecting words such as ‘also’, ‘finally’.
• Develops awareness and use of style:
  • uses an appropriate degree of formality/informality (register);
  • understands and uses figurative language such as simile (e.g. ‘He looks like an angel.’).
• Develops critical language awareness - for example , explores different ways of asking someone to do something (using ‘must’, ‘can’, ‘could’, etc.), how this relates to the relationship between speaker and listener, its effects, and whether they should be challenged.
• Uses meta-language (terms such as direct speech, indirect speech, idioms, proverb, formal, informal, simile, quotation marks).