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Abstract

The Foundation Phase Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement’s (CAPS) objective is to equip children from Grade R to Grade 3 with the necessary and relevant knowledge, skills and values that will enable them to become productive, as well as functional participants in the Intermediate and Senior Phases of formal schooling as well as in global societies. However, literacy surveys at both national and international levels continue to demonstrate results that position South Africa at the least achieving levels. This signals that CAPS does not achieve its desired goals regarding learners’ performance and educational development. There is, therefore, a need for research to explore better strategies of equipping learners with rich vocabulary for ease of language learning. This study investigated the development of oral skills (listening and speaking) in two receptive grades in rural Foundation Phases. The study was a phenomenological case-study which adopted a qualitative methodology to collect and analyse data. Data collection procedures included classroom observations and semi-structured interviews. This investigation found that listening and speaking skills are not sufficiently developed in the investigated schools, and an intensive exploration of the processes, activities, approaches and resources used for developing listening and speaking skills in both schools demonstrated that teachers lack knowledge and skills for administering activities, applying appropriate approaches and using the available literacy resources to develop listening and speaking skills. The study discussed the contributory factors to the above findings and, therefore, recommends that the Department of Education should provide Grade R teachers with in-service training and support programs. The programs should be intended to acquaint teachers with skills to use materials and to apply strategies in different ways to help all learners develop listening and speaking skills through understandable oral participation.