Sample
• Language structures and conventions
Section 1: Listening and speaking
Listening and speaking are integral to all subjects. Each lesson begins with a discussion about the topic which serves as an introduction. Other discussions in lessons can be viewed as orals instead of only formal conversations/discussions. The more learners practise to write and deliver orals, the easier it becomes to do tasks and exams. It will also improve their selfconfidence if they speak to an audience more often.
It is important to pronounce words clearly and correctly when reading aloud. Help learners when they use incorrect sentence structure or vocabulary when they speak.
Pay attention to the listening process as it is very important in the higher grades and used during listening tests. The listening process is discussed below. Make sure you know when learners can take notes.
Listening process and strategies
The listening process is a three-phase activity and not every step of the process will be used every time. For example, if learners are listening to a recording, they will need to do a pre-listening activity which allows them to focus their listening and helps them to make associations with their own experiences. Listening activities help learners to recall details and evaluate the message. Post-listening may include learners responding to what they have heard through discussion.
Pre-listening
This introduces learners to the listening situation. It allows them to access their existing knowledge of the topic and prepare for listening.
• Talk about background knowledge before listening.
• Predict what the text may be about from the title.
• Deal with any unfamiliar vocabulary.
• Set a pre-listening question/s to focus learners’ attention.
• Prepare learners with, for example, pen and paper for taking notes.
During listening
Learners:
• Analyse the message, the speaker, and the speaker’s evidence
• Make mental connections
• Find meaning
• Ask questions
• Make inferences and confirm predictions
• Reflect and evaluate
Post-listening
Learners:
• Ask questions and talk about what the speaker said
• Review notes
• Summarise the presentation orally
• Analyse and evaluate critically what they have heard
• Combine new knowledge with prior knowledge
• Draw conclusions, evaluate, give an opinion, and respond critically.
Follow the listening process for the first few weeks and see how the learners progress. If it becomes clear that they do not have to listen to a text three times, you do not have to read it three times. The process must, however, be followed for tasks/exams.
Section 2: Reading and viewing
The more learners read, the easier it will be for them to understand language use and pick up on things such as spelling patterns. Learners must read as much as possible on their own. Always help with pronunciation and meaning when learners read on their own.
Learners must read at least one book per term. Encourage them to read more than one book per term and from as many genres as possible.
If there is not enough time to do all the language activities in the lesson, make sure new work is covered before going back to previous work.
Section 3: Writing and presenting
The more learners write, the better. When you write, you are more inclined to use grammar and spelling correctly. Take note of the writing process set out below. Learners are also introduced to various types of texts, each with its own format (e.g. stories, dialogues, news reports, posters, and poems).
Writing process
Not every step of the writing process will be used each time. Make sure learners know where the focus is for each task, e.g. structure, sentence construction, or paragraph writing. The writing process includes:
• Planning/Pre-writing
• Drafting
• Revising
• Editing
• Proofreading
• Presenting
Planning
Analyse the structure and features of the text. What is the purpose of the text? Decide on the requirements for the format and brainstorm ideas using, for example, mind maps, idea trees, flow charts, or lists.
Drafting
Write a first draft from the planning process. Read the draft critically and get feedback from others. Make sure all the requirements for the text have been met.
Revising, editing, proofreading and presenting
Read through the draft, correct spelling errors, refine word choice, evaluate style and register, use grammar correctly. Write the final draft including correct layout/format, heading, and fonts. Present the final version.
Section 4: Language structures and conventions
By interacting with language in written and spoken format, the foundation for grammar is laid. Although all the work required by CAPS is covered in the study guide, we do, however, recommend that facilitators provide learners with additional language exercises. It does not necessarily have to be an activity; it can simply be a revision of the previous day’s work or an informal quiz about synonyms or a spelling test.
Language aspects must be entrenched early on – it forms the basis for all language work up to Grade 12 (the level only gets higher each year). The more learners practise these language aspects, the better they get at using them correctly.
Time allocation
According to CAPS, learners must spend 4 hours per week studying English First Additional Language, so 8 hours per lesson (runs over two weeks). This means that homework is not included in this time. If learners cannot complete the activities during school time, they must do it for homework.
Two hours must be spent on listening and speaking, 3 hours on reading and viewing, 2 hours on writing and presenting, and one hour on language structures and conventions.
Take note that the time allocation for each activity does not necessarily add up to the 8-hour two-week cycle. This is because the time spent on an activity will be determined by the number of learners in the class. Some activities also take longer, where the facilitator must assess learners’ work, presenting a poem, orals, etc. In these cases, the activity could be done over a few days to allow each learner the opportunity to complete the activity.
Use your discretion to make sure learners cover all the work. In some instances, the work extends over a few periods, you may decide how to complete these lessons.
Planning
SampleThe books have been compiled in such a way that the facilitator has to do the minimum planning. However, it is still necessary to prepare for the lesson (especially since the time allocated for the activities is determined by the number of learners). Go through the lesson and see what you must prepare (for example, a text for reading aloud, decorating the class to suit the theme of the lesson, the necessary preparation for a language quiz/game, to ask learners to bring an item to class the following day, etc.). Also, plan which activities you will do on which days during the two-week cycle (day 1 to 10).
The activities can be done in the order they appear in the book, but it is not necessary to do all the listening and speaking activities only at the beginning of the lesson. If time does not allow, you may decide to not do some of the listening and speaking activities such as performing a poem. If learners have mastered some language aspects, they do not have to complete all the activities in class. If, for example, they understand abbreviations, they may complete the activity on abbreviations as revision at home (you can mark it in class).
Vocabulary and spelling
Encourage learners to use their dictionaries from day one and throughout the year. If possible, write a spelling test at the end of each lesson, or they can write a spelling test at the end of the day or week.
Where possible, we have included lists of words that learners may find difficult or to help them broaden their vocabulary to make essays and transactional texts easier to write.
About the texts
The texts, poems, and stories used in the books have the necessary permissions or are freely available in the public domain. Where there is no accreditation the author of the book wrote the poem/story.
IMPORTANT NOTE
The lengths and complexity of the texts in the study guide vary. There are easier texts and there are those that may pose more of a challenge to learners. They must learn to read and engage with texts of various lengths and levels of difficulty. Reading comprehension is not only a vital step in helping learners develop a better memory and vocabulary, they also acquire the soft skills needed to navigate social and professional situations in their adult lives.
The advantages of a longer attention span cannot be overstated. The better we can focus on one task at a time, the more productive we become. Reading for longer periods of time will help instil the discipline needed to remain committed to a task until it is done.
If you find that a learner/learners are having difficulty with a text, spend time with them and help them to read the text bit by bit. We want to remove the apprehension some learners may feel when they must read a longer text for comprehension. There is no need to rush through any text and you may provide as much assistance as necessary. However, do not shy away from longer texts as we are gradually building up to the skills expected of learners in the higher grades (and beyond). This will make the transition easier for them in the long-term and they will overcome any perceived obstacles to reading longer texts.
General
A few things to keep in mind:
• Each lesson has a theme. Try to make the theme as exciting as possible – the class could be decorated to suit the theme or learners could find interesting articles about it and share them with the class.
Facilitatorʼs Guide 2/2
G07 ~ English First Additional Language
• There is a table at the beginning of each lesson in the facilitator’s guide. This table contains the relevant activities and time allocation. Although other aspects may also be covered during the activity it is not the focus and not listed in the table.
• Many activities require more than one learner if there is only one learner the facilitator must take up the other role(s).
• As mentioned, some activities require learners to bring items to class – read ahead and give learners enough time to collect these items. For example, if they must bring along a magazine/newspaper or an item for role play, give them at least a week or two to get these together.
• In-between doing activities, learners can also write short, informal tests about language aspects, such as gender, degrees of comparison, etc.
• As far as possible, the headings in the study guide are according to CAPS, even though it might say ‘perform a poem’, it refers to the poem in the study guide, unless stated otherwise.
• More advanced learners can research the topic throughout the year, design and make a poster and tell the class about it. For example, they can research the information in the ‘Did you know?’ block or you can ask them to research a specific author or poet.
Recommended books
There are no prescribed books for English First Additional Language. Learners must, however, have a good bilingual dictionary or school dictionary from Oxford or Pharos. A thesaurus is also beneficial.
As mentioned, learners are expected to read at least one book per term. This may be any appropriate book of the learner’s choice. When learners read, they broaden their vocabulary and improve their spelling. We have included suggestions for further reading throughout the study guide.
SampleSome recommended books for Grade 7 English First Additional Language level:
• Holes – Louis Sachar
• Tales of Beedle the Bard – J.K. Rowling
• Stories of Africa – Gcina Mhlophe
• Eragon – Christopher Paolini
• The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (The Chronicles of Narnia series) – C.S. Lewis
• Ella Enchanted – Gail Carson Levine
• Danny the Champion of the World – Roald Dahl
• White Fang – Jack London
• The Borrowers – Mary Norton
• Harry Potter Series – J.K. Rowling
• Charlotte’s Web – E.B. White
Facilitatorʼs Guide 2/2
G07 ~ English First Additional Language
• The Tale of Despereaux – Kate Di Camillo
• How to Eat Fried Worms – Thomas Rockwell
• Wonder – R.J. Palacio.
• The Lightning Thief – Rick Riordan
• Lord of the Flies – William Golding
• The curious incident of the dog in the night – Mark Haddon
• Fantastic Mr Fox – Roald Dahl
• Little Women – Louisa May Alcott
Formal assessment
No activity in the study guide is done for formal assessment. Please refer to the portfolio book for all formal assessments.
Exams
There are two exams in Grade 7 – the June and November exams. In both exams, learners write three papers.
• June exams
ל Paper 1: Oral (listening comprehension/debate/conversation/prepared or unprepared speech/group discussion)
ל Paper 2: Reaction to written texts (reading comprehension of literary/nonliterary text, comprehension of visual text, summary, language structures and conventions)
ל Paper 3: (written before the exams) Writing (transactional text: 2 short or 1 long) (poster/advertisement/web page/review, descriptive or argumentative essay)
• November exams
ל Paper 1: Oral (listening comprehension/debate/conversation/prepared or unprepared speech/group discussion)
ל Paper 2: Reaction to written texts (reading comprehension of literary/nonliterary text, comprehension of visual text, summary, language structures and conventions)
ל Paper 3: (written before the exams) Writing (transactional text: 2 short or 1 long) (newspaper article/questionnaire/directions/instructions, descriptive, argumentative, or narrative essay)
Always refer to the assessment plan as the content of the exams may change.
1
LESSON 1: Digital citizen
YEAR PLAN
LESSON 2: Whodunnit?
LESSON 3: It was a dark and stormy night …
LESSON 4: Ancient Egypt
LESSON 5: The lighthouse
LESSON 6: The rabbit in the moon
LESSON 7: Be kind
2
3
LESSON 8: Unreality TV?
LESSON 9: How sweet it is!
LESSON 10: Snow animals
LESSON 11: The Age of Discovery
LESSON 12: Voices of Africa
LESSON 13: Our strange world
Sample
LESSON 14: No place like home
4 LESSON 15: Here be dragons …
LESSON 16: Telling the bees
LESSON 17: Shipwrecked!
LESSON 18: Easy, breezy …
Units 3 and 4 (terms 3 and 4) are in this facilitator’s guide, and units 1 and 2 (terms 1 and 2) are in facilitator’s guide 1/2.
• Synonyms and antonyms
• Subject and predicate
• Personal, relative, and reflexive pronouns
• Rhetorical devices in language
• Bias, prejudice, and stereotypes
• Prepositions
• Personal, possessive, and demonstrative pronouns
• Give directions
• Prepared reading
• Listen to and discuss a newspaper article
• Role play a meeting
• Adapt an extract from a folk tale into a drama
• Listen to an interview
• Take part in a discussion
• Listening comprehension
Listening and speaking
• Read a short story
• Read visual texts
• Read about writing an agenda and minutes
• Read poems
• Discuss the screenplay and answer questions
• Read a movie screenplay
• Summarise the text
• Read an information text
Reading and viewing
• Write a narrative/descriptive essay
• Write a comprehension and language test
• Write an agenda and minutes
• Write an interview
• Follow prompts to complete a form
• Complete a comprehension activity
• Homographs, homonyms, and homophones
• Spelling test
• Singular and plural
• Common and proper nouns
• Complex sentences with relative clauses
• Comparative and superlative adjectives
• Abbreviations, initialisms, acronyms, clipped words, and truncation
• Noun clauses and adjectival and adverbial clauses
• Collective nouns
Writing and presenting
Language structures and conventions
Age of Discovery
LESSONS:
Sample
Design your own form
Language structures and conventions
Revise collective nouns
Identify noun and adjectival clauses
Complete the adverbial clauses
Revise abbreviations
Remedial activity: Write a story as a class
Extension activity: Learn new sound words
SECTION 1 Listening and speaking
‘Are we happy to suppose that our grandchildren may never see an elephant except in a picture book?’
—Sir David Attenborough
With global warming, this might soon be the only way to see these animals … Our world is not limitless, we all rely on the natural world around us.
1937
World population: 2.3 billion
Carbon in the atmosphere: 280 parts per million
Remaining wilderness: 66%
1997
World population: 5.9 billion
SampleCarbon in the atmosphere: 360 parts per million
Remaining wilderness: 46%
2020
World population: 7.8 billion
Carbon in the atmosphere: 415 parts per million
Remaining wilderness: 35%
How do you feel about these statistics? What is your opinion on how people treat the natural world? Do you think we will just keep using the earth until we have used it all up? Share your opinions with your facilitator or the class. Do not be afraid to say how you feel – you are entitled to your opinion and point of view. Make yourself heard!
Encourage learners to share their views – even if they think it is not the ‘popular opinion’. We must allow them to say how they feel and express their ideas. Nurture an environment of respect and tolerance.
Our country has some of the most beautiful and unique animals in the world. Majestic lions and our critically endangered rhinos that we fight to protect. But there are other animals in different parts of the globe that also need our help – they need everyone’s help.
Let’s read on about the animals on the opening page of the lesson. You may know something about them or perhaps they are unfamiliar to you. One thing remains the same, no matter where animals live, they deserve our care and protection.
STATUS
Vulnerable (At high risk of extinction in the wild.)
POPULATION
22,000–31,000
HABITATS
The Arctic Ocean, sea ice, and adjacent coastal areas.
SampleThe polar bear’s Latin name, Ursus maritimus, means ‘sea bear’ which suits them perfectly as they spend much of their lives in, around, or on the ocean – mostly on the sea ice. Polar bears rely on sea ice for travelling, hunting, resting, and raising their cubs. But the sea ice is melting due to climate change and polar bears are spending more time on land, where they are often attracted to areas where humans live. The survival and protection of the polar bear habitat are urgent issues that can no longer be ignored.
Polar bear
STATUS
Vulnerable (At high risk of extinction in the wild.)
POPULATION
Total estimated 4,080–6,590
HABITATS
Cold high mountains
SampleThe snow leopard’s powerful build allows it to climb very steep slopes with ease. Its hind legs give it the ability to leap six times the length of its body! A long tail provides balance and agility and wraps around the resting snow leopard to protect it from the cold. For thousands of years, this magnificent cat was the king of the mountains. The mountains provided everything they needed such as blue sheep, Argali wild sheep, ibex, marmots, pikas, and hares. Snow leopards are found in 12 countries including China, Bhutan, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Russia, and Mongolia, but their population is dropping.
We will read a story about a snow leopard later in the lesson.
snow leopard
• A complete guide with all the texts (contemporary and classic) for comprehension exercises, speeches, and reading included.
• Contains tips for better writing, critical reading and understanding.
• Various levels of questions and activities to develop language skills and critical thinking.
• Complete explanations on grammar and syntax
• Practical examples of writing tasks.
• Encourages independent reading and research and broadens vocabulary.
• Use in school or at home.
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