Literacy difficulties in fourth grades transitioning to English language from Otjiherero in the Otjozondjupa region
This study investigated the specific literacy difficulties experienced by fourth graders who previously received instruction in the mother tongue (Otjiherero) at the lower primary phase and at the time of the study, had transitioned to the upper primary phase where they receive instruction in English. The mixed method design was used to collect data. Teachers’ data were collected through open-ended questionnaires, establishing the kinds of reading instructional methods they are familiar with, which ones they use when teaching literacy, and their experience teaching children transitioning from mother tongue instruction to the English medium of instruction at the upper primary phase. The learners’ decoding, reading, spelling, and comprehension abilities were assessed to determine the level of literacy and comprehension skills acquired at the lower primary phase in preparation for the upper primary phase of schooling. Results showed that most of the learners experience difficulty with decoding, reading, spelling, listening, and reading comprehension skills at the upper primary phase. Furthermore, the results showed that teachers were familiar with three different kinds of reading instructional methods, all of which they used in literacy instruction. The teachers viewed teaching transitioning learners as a challenge in that these learners lacked the English alphabet knowledge and English letter sound knowledge, resulting in always having to revisit the lower primary phase English curriculum in order to bring these learners up to standard. The study concluded that the literacy difficulties the learners experience stem from a lack of thorough grounding in the basics of literacy learning at the preprimary and lower primary phases of schooling.
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