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

Learning Area: Languages - First Additional 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:

• Understands and appreciates stories, including those told by other learners:
  • responds personally and critically, asks and answers questions;
  • evaluates the storytelling technique and performance and gives feedback.
• Understands oral texts (e.g. radio talk shows, texts with statistics):
  • answers questions;
  • retells and summarises;
  • identifies point of view and is able to offer an alternative point of view;
  • analyses the features of different kinds of oral texts (e.g. a conversation, a story).
• Listens for specific information:
  • takes own simple notes;
  • uses information to complete a table or chart, or label a diagram.
• Listens actively in discussion:
  • shows openness to ideas and treats the views of others critically but with respect;
  • invites contributions from others and responds to their views;
  • is prepared to challenge others but does so politely and does not interrupt them;
  • criticises the ideas and not the person.

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:

• Translates and interprets:
  • tells stories from home language in the additional language;
  • translates or interprets messages;
  • translates or interprets where necessary in a conversation.
• Interacts in additional language:
  • uses language for a range of functions: makes polite requests and asks people not to do things (‘Would you mind not ...’), asks for help from friends or strangers (‘Excuse me ... I wonder if you could...’), etc.;
  • takes part in role-plays of different situations involving different kinds of language (e.g. a job interview).
• Shows developing ability to use features of spoken language to communicate: word stress, weak vowels, intonation and rhythm.
• Debates social and ethical issues by arguing persuasively and responding critically:
  • shares roles (e.g. chairperson, timekeeper, secretary);
  • brings people into the discussion (e.g. ‘What do you think?’, ‘Don’t you?’);
  • interrupts politely (e.g. ‘Excuse me ...’);
  • expresses opinions and supports them with reasons (e.g. ‘I’d just like to say that ... because...’);
  • expresses agreement (e.g. ‘You’re right.’) and disagreement (e.g. ‘Yes, but...’);
  • switches languages where necessary.
• Is interviewed by someone (e.g. a job interview):
  • anticipates the questions that will be asked and prepares for them;
  • answers questions;
  • uses appropriate tone, register and body language.
• Gives a short formal talk or presentation:
  • uses some statistics and visual effects (e.g. a poster);
  • uses challenging topics (e.g. HIV/AIDS, human rights and environmental issues).
• Demonstrates critical awareness of own language use:
  • uses language to include rather than exclude people;
  • is strategic about when to use additional language and when to use home language;
  • shows awareness of the way language constructs knowledge and identity and positions people (e.g. when giving a talk about HIV/AIDS).

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 text (fiction or non-fiction):
  • identifies purpose, audience and context;
  • infers meaning;
  • identifies what is not said in a text;
  • identifies the register/style (formal or informal);
  • explains and assesses point of view in both written and visual parts of the text, and offers alternative points of view;
  • shows understanding of the way in which texts position readers (e.g. by using the inclusive pronoun ‘we’);
  • identifies topic sentences, distinguishes main points from supporting detail;
  • with fiction, demonstrates an understanding of character, plot, setting and narrator;
  • compares different kind of texts and matches them with their purpose (e.g. instructing, persuading).
• Understands some elements of poetry (e.g. metaphor, rhythm), and understands some of the terms used to describe this language (e.g. metaphor).
• Reads and responds to social texts (e.g. simple business letters):
  • identifies purpose, audience and context;
  • describes features of the type of text being read (e.g. a simple job advertisement);
  • comments on register/style (formal or informal);
  • analyses point of view, construction of meaning, way in which reader is positioned.
• Reads for information:
  • reads information texts (e.g. a short newspaper article);
  • reads diagrams, graphs and charts of increasing complexity;
  • reads texts with statistics;
  • summarises information.
• Critically analyses media texts (e.g. a short newspaper article):
  • identifies subject, context, audience and message of written and visual text;
  • analyses the type of text and register/style (e.g. newspaper articles have headlines, and use short sentences and paragraphs, direct speech, short and simple adjectives in order to get readers’ attention).
• Uses reading strategies:
  • skims texts - identifies the topic and key points, and uses layout features (e.g. illustrations);
  • matches different ways of reading to different texts (e.g. skims newspaper articles for main ideas);
  • develops and evaluates reading speed;
  • uses strategies to work out the meanings of words (e.g. discusses the word in home language).
• Reads for pleasure:
  • reads fiction and non-fiction books at an appropriate reading and language level;
  • reads some new kinds of books (e.g. science fiction);
  • reads and writes book reviews.
• Shows some understanding of how reference books work:
  • evaluates and selects books, using contents pages and indexes;
  • uses a dictionary, a simple thesaurus and an encyclopaedia.
• Develops a reading vocabulary of between 6000 and 7500 common words. Learners who will study other Learning Areas through their additional language should aim for 7500 words.

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 to communicate information:
  • writes longer texts of several paragraphs describing processes and procedures, giving explanations, giving advantages and disadvantages, arguing for and against;
  • writes texts that include graphs and statistics;
  • does a survey and writes it up (e.g. as a report or a newspaper article);
  • writes text types required in other Learning Areas (e.g. an explanation of how a circuit works for Technology).
• Writes for social purposes:
  • writes a simple business letter (e.g. a job application) and a CV);
  • writes informal and more formal e-mail messages;
  • writes the minutes of a meeting (e.g. an SRC meeting);
  • shows awareness of text type, purpose, audience, context and register/style.
• Writes for personal reflection:
  • writes a diary or journal.
• Writes creatively:
  • translates stories (and other texts) from home language - tries to capture the idiom and notices how idiom (and often values) are different in the two languages;
  • shows development in the ability to write stories, poems and play-scripts (e.g. by working with design).
• Designs media texts:
  • writes simple personal advertisements (e.g. advertising something for sale);
  • designs magazine, CD and book covers.
• Treats writing as a process:
  • drafts, reads and discusses own writing critically;
  • uses feedback to revise, edit and rewrite;
  • uses knowledge of grammar, spelling, etc., to edit;
  • plans the layout of a text, including how to incorporate graphs and pictures;
  • evaluates design and layout.
• Uses developing knowledge of language structure and use:
  • shows an understanding of style and register (e.g. rewrites a story as a newspaper article);
  • shows an understanding of the information structure of texts;
  • writes coherent, longer pieces of writing, with introductions and conclusions;
  • critically evaluates own point of view;
  • begins to see how own writing positions the reader.

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 and literacy across the curriculum:
  • understands some concepts from other Learning Areas and uses the vocabulary associated with them in the additional language (e.g. ‘xenophobia’ in Social Sciences);
  • writes texts required in other Learning Areas (e.g. reports and explanations in Natural Sciences);
  • produces visual or graphic material to support texts (e.g. diagrams for explanations and reports).
• Uses language for thinking:
  • asks and answers more complex questions;
  • expands generalisations, definitions and classifications into paragraphs;
  • thinks of examples for general statements;
  • understands and uses evidence to support a theory or argument (e.g. scientific evidence);
  • draws conclusions.
• Collects and records information in different ways:
  • selects relevant information and takes notes (organises key ideas under headings and sub-headings, uses layout such as capital letters and underlining);
  • reads and synthesises information from several texts on the same topic;
  • transfers information from one mode to another (e.g. uses statistics to write paragraphs, uses mind maps).

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:

• Understands and uses different ways of talking about the future (e.g. ‘I am going to see him tomorrow.’, ‘I will see him tomorrow.’, ‘I am seeing him tomorrow.’, ‘He flies to Cape Town tomorrow.’).
• Understands and uses the past perfect progressive tense (e.g. ‘He had been waiting for an hour by the time I arrived.’).
• Understands and uses direct and indirect speech.
• Expands use of modals:
  • function (e.g. ‘You should/ought to ...’);
  • form - common mistakes with modal verbs (e.g. ‘He can be able to do ...’);
  • uses the modal verb ‘used to’.
• Understands and uses the third conditional (e.g. ‘If I had not locked the gates, the car would have been stolen.’).
• Uses the passive voice in the future (e.g. 'An election will be held next month.).
• Uses complex sentences (e.g. relative clauses).
• Uses some language to talk about language (meta-language - terms such as paragraph).
• Expands vocabulary (e.g. prefixes to form new words: autobank, autobiography, automatic).
• Demonstrates an understanding of between 6000 and 8000 common spoken words in context by the end of Grade 9. Learners who will do some of their learning through their additional language should aim for 8000 words.