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Reg. No.: 2011/011959/07
English First Additional Language
Facilitatorʼs Guide 1/2
Grade 4
LESSON ELEMENTS
Introduction
Introduces new concepts or background information required to understand the lesson content.
Vocabulary
The meaning of new words to fully understand the text/content.
Tips
A useful hint to help improve skills.
Language structures and conventions
Key language elements that must be studied, understood and applied to the content of the lesson.
Activity
Core content and questions to test the learner’s knowledge.
For the curious
Encouragement to do in-depth research about the content. Expand the activity and exercise to such an extent that learners are encouraged to explore.
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Important
Important aspects to take note of.
Revision
Revise work from previous grades or lessons until learners have mastered the knowledge. This helps with preparation for tests, projects, and exams.
PREFACE
PLEASE NOTE
The study guide and facilitator’s guide cover all the work for Grade 4 First Additional Language. The book has been compiled according to the CAPS requirements as set out by the Department of Basic Education with additional activities to practise certain concepts
All the content can be covered according to the activities set out in the book, or only certain activities can be done. Use your discretion about the level the learners are on and adapt the content and time allocation accordingly.
CAPS provides a breakdown of the minimum work that must be covered. In some instances, the study guide and facilitator’s guide contain more information than required by CAPS.
The study guide is divided into four units and 18 lessons. Each lesson is discussed over two weeks (10 hours) and each unit extends over a term.
At the end of units 2 and 4 (terms 2 and 4), the learners write exams (refer to the portfolio book and assessment plan).
Unit 1 consists of five lessons
Lesson 1: You’ve got a friend in me
Lesson 2: Fast and curious
Lesson 3: Jungle night
Lesson 4: When the curtain goes up …
Lesson 5: Fables, fairy tales, and legends
Unit 2 consists of four lessons
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Lesson 6: Dreamland
Lesson 7: Ocean snow
Lesson 8: Historic horses
Lesson 9: Under our feet
Unit 3 consists of five lessons
Lesson 10: Destination: Africa
Lesson 11: Been there, dune that Lesson 12: See you at the movies!
Lesson 13: A treasure trove of stories
Lesson 14: Watch me now!
Unit 4 consists of four lessons
Lesson 15: When giants walked the earth … Lesson 16: It came from outer space!
Lesson 17: Through my lens
Lesson 18: Hello, holidays!
The lessons are divided into activities that contain the lesson content as well as questions on it.
Each lesson consists of:
• Listening and speaking
• Reading and viewing
• Writing and presenting
• 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 writing and delivering orals, the easier it becomes to do tasks and exams. It will also improve their self-confidence 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
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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, and use grammar correctly. Write the final draft including the 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 5 hours per week studying English First Additional Language, so 10 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.
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Two hours must be spent on listening and speaking, 5 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 10hour 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, present 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 can decide on how to complete these lessons.
Planning
The 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, asking 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 (days 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 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.
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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 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.
Extract from the CAPS document on the approach to teaching languages
The approaches to teaching language are text-based, communicative, and process orientated. The text-based and communicative approaches depend on the continuous use and production of texts.
The text-based approach explores how texts work. This approach aims to enable learners to become competent, confident, and critical readers, writers, and viewers of texts It includes listening to, reading, viewing, and analysing texts to understand how they are produced and what their effects are. Through this critical interaction, learners develop the ability to evaluate texts. The text-based approach also involves producing different types of texts for particular purposes and audiences.
A communicative approach suggests that when learning a language, a learner should have a great deal of exposure to the target language and many opportunities to practise or produce the language by communicating for social or practical purposes. Language learning should be a natural, informal process carried over into the classroom where the literacy skills of reading/viewing and writing/presenting are learnt in a ‘natural’ way – learners learn to read by doing a lot of reading and learn to write by doing a wide range of writing.
General
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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.
• 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 is 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).
Facilitatorʼs Guide 1/2
G04 ~ English First Additional Language
• 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.
Some recommended books for Grade 4 English First Additional Language level:
1. Island of the Blue Dolphins (Scott O’Dell)
2. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (E.L. Konigsburg)
3. Hatchet (Gary Paulsen)
4. Wonder (R. J. Palacio)
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5. James & the Giant Peach (Roald Dahl)
6. Sideways Stories from Wayside School (Louis Sachar)
7. Frindle (Andrew Clements)
8. Snow Treasure (Marie McSwigan)
9. Save Me a Seat (Gina Weeks & Gita Varadarajan)
10. Mr. Popper’s Penguins (Richard & Florance Atwater)
11. Pippi Longstocking (Astrid Lindgren)
12. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (Kate DiCamillo)
13. The Wild Robot (Peter Brown)
14. Charlie & the Chocolate Factory (Roald Dahl)
15. Sarah, Plain & Tall (Patricia MacLachlan)
16. Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White)
17. The Lemonade War (Jacqueline Davies)
18. Shiloh (Phyllis Reynolds Naylor)
19. Tales of a Fourth-Grade Nothing (Judy Blume)
20. The One and Only Ivan (K.A. Applegate)
G04 ~ English First Additional Language
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 4 – the June and November exams. In both exams, learners write two papers.
• June exams
ל Paper 1: Oral (reading aloud, listening, and speaking, prepared speech/ unprepared speech/conversation/interview/debate/dramatisation/roleplay/discussions/listening comprehension/mime)
ל Paper 2: Reaction to written texts (reading comprehension, language in context, writing narrative/descriptive texts, and transactional texts)
• November exams
ל Paper 1: Oral (reading aloud, listening, and speaking, prepared speech/ unprepared speech/conversation/interview/debate/dramatisation/roleplay/discussions/listening comprehension/mime)
ל Paper 2: Reaction to written texts (reading comprehension, language in context, writing narrative/descriptive texts, and transactional texts)
Always refer to the assessment plan as the content of the exams may change.
The *Optimi Online Learning Portal (OLP) contains additional material to assist Grade 4 English First Additional Language learners including language exercises, explanations of concepts, mind maps, flash cards, and quizzes. Scan the QR code to visit the Optimi Online Learning Portal.
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* Please note that the OLP facility is only available to subscribers.
1
YEAR PLAN
1: You’ve got a friend in me
2: Fast and curious
3: Jungle night
LESSON 4: When the curtain goes up …
10: Destination: Africa
11: Been there, dune that
12: See you at the movies!
13: A treasure trove of stories
Unit 1 (term 1) and unit 2 (term 2) are in this facilitator’s guide, unit 3 (term 3) and unit 4 (term 4) are in facilitator’s guide 2/2.
LESSONS:
1. Y ou’ve got a friend in me 2. F ast and curious 3. Jungle night 4. When the curtain goes up … 5. F ables, fairy tales, and legends
Language structures and conventions
Writing and presenting
• Spelling and punctuation
• W orking with words and sentences
• A djectives
• Simple past tense
• Connecting w ords
• Ant onyms
• S ynonyms
• A bbreviations
• A dverbs of frequency
• Pr epositions
• Connecting w ords
• Compound words
• Plur als
• Pr esent perfect tense
• Pr esent continuous tense
• P ersonal pronouns
• W ords from the same lexical field
• Spelling test
• Language test
• W rite about a story
• W rite a recount using a frame
• Cr eate a personal dictionary
• W rite a factual recount
• Label a map
• W rite a description of characters using a frame
• W rite simple instructions using a frame
• W rite a list with headings
• W rite sentences that rhyme or simple poem with a frame
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Reading and viewing
• R ead a story
• R ead an information text
• Compr ehension activity
• Independent r eading
• R ead a simple map
• R ead procedural texts
• R ead a simple poem
• Sol ve a word puzzle
Listening and speaking
• List en to a story
• Gi ve a personal recount
• List en to an information text
• List en to and respond to simple directions
• Describe characters from the story
• List en to and carry out instructions
• List en to a poem
UNIT 1: Weeks 1 – 2
LESSON 1:
You’ve got a friend in me
Listening and speaking
Listen to an extract from a story: The Boy at the Back of the Class (Onjali Q. Raúf)
Answer questions about the story
Retell the story in the correct order
Give a personal recount
Practise listening and speaking
Reading and viewing
Predict the story from the title and pictures
Use reading strategies
Answer questions about the story
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Retell the story in sequence
Discuss new vocabulary
Use a dictionary to revise alphabetical order
Independent reading: retell the story
Writing and presenting
Write your own ending to the story
Write sentences to express opinions
Write your own recount
Activity 130 min.
Activity 230 min.
Activity 330 min.
Activity 430 min.
Activity 530 min.
Activity 630 min.
Activity 730 min.
Activity 830 min.
Activity 930 min.
Activity 1030 min.
Activity 1130 min.
Activity 1230 min.
Activity 1330 min.
Activity 1430 min.
Activity 1530 min.
Create a personal dictionary
Language structures and conventions
Identify countable and uncountable nouns
Punctuation and simple past tense
Synonyms word search
Spelling test
Activity 1630 min.
Activity 1730 min.
Activity 1830 min.
Activity 1930 min.
Activity 2030 min.
Remedial activity: Write five sentences about your first day.
Extension activity: Write a short poem.
SECTION 1 Listening and speaking
Learning English is fun!
We know that learning English can sometimes be difficult or not as ‘cool’ as playing games or being with friends. But try to have fun learning English by listening to music, watching a movie, or challenging yourself to play games in English. There are many ways to learn English and broaden your vocabulary while having fun.
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One of the best ways to improve your writing, speaking, and understanding of English is to READ. Read anything you can find: books, comics, or magazines, but make sure they are appropriate for your age. Make it one of your goals this year to read as much as you can.
You’ve got a friend in me
You’ve got a friend in me
You got troubles, I’ve got ’em too
There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you
We stick together and see it through ’Cause you’ve got a friend in me
You’ve got a friend in me …
Buzz and Woody from Toy Story are famous friends, and the song from the movie is just as well known. We all need friends – people we can talk to, spend time with, share how we feel, and know they will understand.
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English First Additional Language learners might sometimes be shy or lack the confidence to speak up in class or address an audience. A facilitator must create a safe and nurturing environment to help learners overcome such obstacles. Help them to understand that when they make a mistake or mispronounce a word, it is fine – it is all part of learning a language. They must never be afraid to speak their minds and say how they feel for fear of ‘getting it wrong’. Language is best learnt when we speak and listen to others speaking. No one is perfect, and even native English speakers make mistakes. The important thing is that we learn and grow.
Tell your facilitator or the class about your best friend(s). What are their names? How long have you been friends? Why are you such good friends? Don’t be afraid to speak up in class – we all want to hear what you have to say, and we all learn from one another.
Think about these questions for a moment: It is easy to be friends with people we like, but what about people we do not necessarily like? Is it easy to be friends with people who are ‘different’ from us?
Our lesson is about friendship, but more than that, it is also about being friends with people with whom others might not want to be friends.
You will listen to a story about a boy named Ahmet and his first day at his new school. You will also meet Ivan and Alexander and read about their adventure.
Let’s find out more about some other famous friendships in books.
If you are interested in reading any of the stories, try to find them in the library or online.
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Calvin and Hobbes
Calvin is an adventurous – sometimes naughty – sixyear-old boy, and Hobbes is his stuffed tiger. To Calvin, Hobbes is a living animal, while others see only the toy. While this friendship might be imaginary, it is an example of what a good friend should be – someone who is always there, a constant companion, someone you can spend long, lazy summer afternoons with or complain to about school and bad weather.
imaginary: Exists only in your imagination.
companion: A person or animal you spend a lot of time with.
Matilda and Miss Honey (Matilda by Roald Dahl)
Miss Honey is kind and encourages Matilda’s intelligence and love of learning, while Matilda helps Miss Honey free herself from Miss Trunchbull. They need one another to finally live the lives they want – the mark of true friendship.
Charlotte and Wilbur (Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White)
Wilbur blushed. “But I’m not terrific, Charlotte. I’m just about average for a pig.”
“You’re terrific as far as I’m concerned,” replied Charlotte sweetly, “and that’s what counts. You’re my best friend, and I think you’re sensational. Now stop arguing and go get some sleep!”
Who says a piglet and a spider cannot be friends? When Charlotte, the spider, notices that Wilbur, a piglet, is lonely, she becomes his best friend. For Charlotte, friendship means thinking the best of your friends and telling them so.
Sophie and the Big Friendly Giant (The BFG by Roald Dahl)
“You stay where you is in my pocket, huggybee,” he said. “We is doing this lovely bit of buckswashling together.”
Sophie is a 10-year-old orphan brought to Giant Country by the Big Friendly Giant, where they try to stop the man-eating giants who are invading the human world. Their friendship is about sharing adventures, but it also shows how important it is to care for one another.
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buckswashling: The correct word is ‘swashbuckling’, and it means a daring adventure. The Big Friendly Giant turns the word around.
Try to say ‘swashbuckling’ a few times – it’s a tongue-twister, isn’t it?
Winnie the Pooh and friends (The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne)
Have you read any stories about Winnie the Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, Tigger, and Roo? The bear has many friends, and they all look out for one another. They play games and have a lot of fun and adventures in Ashwood Forest. We learn that we can all be friends, even though we might be very different.
• A complete guide with all the texts and explanations included.
• Comprehensive explanations of language aspects.
• Step-by-step guidelines in plain language.
• Fun, engaging, and practical activities
• Interesting themes for Grade 4s to expand general knowledge and inspire curiosity.
• Encourages independent thinking and develops reasoning skills.
