QUESTION ONE:

a) 1) GENDER:

Gender refers to the sex of a person being male or female. In the classroom arena we find
both boys and girls that are different from each other in many ways. At the same time, they
are also similar in certain ways based on their human qualities and share similar ideologies
too. Therefore, the planning and teaching of the curriculum should cater for the differences
and similarities of both type of learners as they will respond differently.

2) LANGUAGE:

In the classroom situation there are different learners coming from different backgrounds.
Due to learner diversity, the teacher will find learners speaking a different home language in
comparison to the language of learning and teaching (LOLT) that occurs in the class. As a
result, the different learners will find that their competence level of understanding the
language of learning and teaching will be different from each other. Some might be more
equipped than others. The educator needs to adapt the teaching taking place to cater for
those learners experiencing difficulties.

3) SOCIO ECONOMIC CLASS:

The class of a person plays a significant role in determining how a person acts, thinks and
relates to other people. A teacher belonging to a higher social class does not understanding
the problems associated with learners hailing from poor background or social class. The
teacher assumes that all learners are receptive in class undermining the learners who are
helpless and cannot ‘fit in’.

b) IMPORTANCE OF MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION IN S.A. WITH FOCUS ON DIVERSITY AND

EMPOWERMENT IN CLASSROOM…

South Africa is a rainbow nation whose people comprises of all race groups experiencing a
diversity of cultures that come together to function as an entity.

Learners hail from different backgrounds and enter an education system that caters for all
and the same. As a result, it is vital that a multi-cultural education system exists so that it
addresses all the needs of the learners. No learner should be compromised.

The initial step is to acknowledge the need for diversity and see the importance of diversity
as a solution. The aim of multicultural education is to attend to the needs of learners from
different cultures as well as different social standing. Every learner is unique in their way and
just as important in their uniqueness. All learners come to school set in own ways of
tradition, belief system, ideology which in fact influences their attitudes and behavior in the
classroom. The teacher on the hand needs to understand their learners’ background as well
as their cultural issues and social standing in society. In this way he will be able to teach
efficiently as he will be able to cater for individual needs of the learner. In this way the
teacher can tailor make his lessons so that they become meaningful to the learner and not
something abstract. This will result in active participation of learners.

The main aim of the teacher is to empower the learner for the school is a learning
workstation. Once the teacher is able, to bridge the gap amongst learners and presents his
 lesson so that learners can liberate themselves into thinking creatively, the learner becomes
empowered. Empowerment for the learner means that they can now think logically and
critically, making decisions whether to just accept the new social order that is in front of
them or to be able to justify their actions.

Thus, learners that are empowered through their interaction and experience at school are
able to do things effectively, motivated to achieve and experiment and build their self-
confidence.

Empowerment can be accomplished by the inclusion of the minority group leaders’ cultural
and heritage in school, having non-discriminatory evaluation processes, extra tuition based
on the learners’ world of experience and the active involvement of the parent community.

c) Heritage Day is a national holiday in the South African calendar. This can be used as a
starting point to celebrate Heritage Day at school by implementing a cultural day program in
the Assembly. Learners can enact their cultural beliefs in the form of plays, songs, speeches,
etc. A demonstration of the foods they eat and the things they do can also be done in the
classroom. Learners also come to school in their cultural attire. Learners also share with
others in the class. This creates the ‘marrying of cultures’. Amongst teachers and learners.

QUESTION TWO:

a) 1) Equity Pedagogy:

The teacher teaches or facilitates the lesson in such a way that it considers the needs of

of all the learners. In this way all the learners are able to achieve. The lesson is tailor

made to satisfy the different needs of the different learners in the class. Thus different

methods and teaching styles are used in the lesson complemented by visuals and

resources.

2) Prejudice reduction:

The teacher removes all forms of biasness and treats all learners equally and make them

accept each other. Learners are made to show equal respect to all irrespective of their

diverse backgrounds. In this way learners understand each other better and
acknowledge the differences that exist. This results in the development of a positive

environment.

b) The teacher is a role model to many children and in some cases a mentor to most children.

Thus, the teacher can relate to the past history of South Africa and other countries that had to
live with apartheid and prejudice. The past history can be incorporated into history lessons as
they do form part of the syllabus. Lessons on Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela as role
models and Great personalities can be a way of overcoming prejudice in the class. English
lessons can also be used with Nelson Mandela as a comprehension passage. Learners once
exposed to this biasness will understand its negativity and the need to do away with such forms
of biasness.

c) Assimilation:

Assimilation is where there is an integration of all learners with the dominant group
reinforcing their ideologies on the minority group. Thus, the minority groups join forces with
the dominant group by adopting the ideologies of that group and adapting to their way.

Multi-cultural is different to assimilation in that it embraces the importance of all cultures

and respects the need for diversity in all cultures. In other words, multicultural accepts the
different ideologies from different groups too. Thus, the need for diversity in the multicultural
classroom is important. Changing once attitude is not needed but accepting, understanding and
respecting all under one body is what the multicultural classroom is all about.

d) 1. Mono-ethnic school:

This is whereby more courses that deal with ethnic minority are introduced in the curriculum
of the schools that focuses on the ethnic minority learners. Textbooks were rewritten to
accommodate the ethnic minority and cultural teachers are brought in to create a balance.

More black teachers are brought to the schools catering for the black learners at the school.
Only mono ethnic learners went to these teachers for subjects such as Xhosa, isiZulu, etc.

2. Why is Multi-cultural education still necessary in Mono-ethnic schools?

Multiculturalism allows us to examine biasness. It gives individuals the opportunity to

examine their own social and cultural biases and change their perspective. The teacher is
prepared to include differing viewpoints and philosophy in the curriculum and the students
can experience a broader view of the world. They include the way students view people
with disabilities as well. Educators want to also be prepared to "counter negative perception
of disability in the classroom”.

As colonialism becomes a part of the past, there is a great need to recognize, understand
and integrate indigenous knowledge, practices and values into the classroom. Programs that
offer educators the opportunity to study and teach from their own and others’ viewpoints
are crucial as we transition to a post-colonial world.

We must teach our learners the importance of diversity. Banks further defines one of the
most important goals of multicultural education as “helping all students to acquire the
knowledge, attitudes, and skills needed to function effectively in a pluralistic democratic
society and to interact, negotiate, and communicate with peoples from diverse groups in
order to create a civic and moral community that works for the common good." Teacher
training programs can prepare educators to deliver curriculum that supports the cause of
peace through the tolerance and understanding from a cultural perspective.
Multicultural education can be a practical means of promoting peace and the acceptance of
diversity at the classroom level today.

QUESTION THREE:

a) 1) Lingua franca is a new language that is adopted by the speaker as a common

language to communicate, whose native language or home language is different from
the new language.
2) The lingua franca used in my community is English. This is the language of
communication and language of teaching and learning in all schools in my area. Our
schools are predominantly ex-house of delegates schools. The learners hail from
different backgrounds with majority speaking their native language which is isiZulu,
Xhosa and some speak English. The educators comprise of mostly Indian teachers with a
few African teachers.

c) Barriers to Communication:

Physical Barriers: This refers to the loud noises of vehicles on the street nearby school.
Workers creating loud noise or loud music playing, even the scraping of the table against
the floor can affect the concentration of the learners. Teaching can also be affected as
the learners cannot hear the educator. This can be seen as a barrier as it interferes with
the lesson. For example, a school that is situated next to the sugar mill in a remote
village will be disturbed continuously. The noise made by the Mill through the use of its
machines that go on at regular intervals will disturb both teacher and learners suddenly
and repetitively.

Psychological Barriers: This refers to having a negative attitude such as dislike of the
subject or the teacher. This could also lead to emotional disruption if the learner fears
the educator for some peculiar reason. A typical example is whereby the leaner might in
fear of the teacher and starts to truant or feel sick. The learner’s lessons are affected
because the learner cannot concentrate. This hampers the progress.

Perceptual Barriers:

Differences existing between learners and the teacher such as age, social background,
education, gender and culture may cause disruption in lessons. For example, a shy
female coming from an overprotective background may find it difficult to vocalize or
concentrate if her teacher is a strict male. She might feel overwhelmed due to her
overprotective background. The educator might see her as an underperforming learner.

D) 1) The basic components of the communication process are:

The sender who is the teacher in the classroom that instructs and informs the learner
through the passing of information to the learner who receives this information. The
 teacher uses a code by selecting pictures, words or symbols to cascade information to
the learners. Each of these learners accept the information received according to their
own specific need.

2) The communication process is complex because sometimes the teacher does not get
the desired result that he expects from the learners because of the existing barriers
amongst the learners. The information could be misinterpreted, learners could have a
hearing defect, or the message received could have become distorted.

QUESTION FOUR:

A) 1) ELLS refer to English language learners. This is to indicate children whose home
language is not English and who are in the process of learning the language. The
term ELL can cover a wide range of proficiencies in English from basic skill to fluency.

2) ESL refer to English as a second language. In the past this referred to learners
with Afrikaans as a home language and presently it refers to those whose home
language is their native language. Thus, ESL refers to those children who have
adopted English has their First additional language (FAL).

B) The teacher teaching the English language should be qualified in that field and
proficient in the language itself. The teaching of English should not be taught in the
native tongue but in English itself. No learner can learn the language of English through
the medium of another language. The teaching of English must be taught in English.

C) Language diversity refers to the different languages that are spoken in the classroom
through the interaction of learners and teachers that come from different cultural
backgrounds. The language used in the teaching and learning might be different
from the native language that the child speaks at home. In this case the language of
teaching and learning (LOLT) maybe English whereas the learner’s home language
might be Xhosa or Afrikaans. South Africa is a multilingual country with 11 official
languages thus indicating our cultural diversity. However, it is impractical to be
teaching in all 11 official languages. Thus, English is the main language spoken
throughout the country. Therefore, the LOLT in South Africa is English which is also
implemented at tertiary institutions. Learners who have a different language other
than English have adopted English as Lingua Franca as the language of LOLT.
Teachers respect the diversity of learners and understand their dilemma at grasping English
concepts. Thus, every endeavor is made to ensure that the learner is able to learn according
to his or her own level of understanding. Teachers also provide additional work and help for
those learners who are lagging behind. No learner is left behind in the quest for knowledge.
d)

Highlight difficult words in the text, discuss and explain their meanings together with
sounding the word aloud through repetition. Also practice the sounding of the word and
identifying the word through phonetics. This will help the learner to spell and recognize the
words which will improve reading. Also let learners do independent reading and let them
guide their reading.

QUESTION FIVE:

a) 1. The behaviorist/authoritarian approach:

The target is to achieve complete obedience from the learner whereby the learner is
punished for his misdeeds or rewarded for compliance. Thus, behavior can be controlled and
attained to positive and negative reinforcements. In this way teachers can shape their
learner’s behavior by providing the correct stimuli. However, it has been argued that the
reason for a learner’s bad behavior is not addressed so that it could be corrected. Learners
require monitoring at all times and surveillance to keep them in check. This could create
tensions in the multicultural class.

2. The humanistic approach:

This model is also known as permissive model and emphasizes individual freedom. It pays
attention to the dignity and worth of the individual learners. Its weakness is that it provides
few specific recommendations on how an educator should prevent or correct misbehavior.
It does not provide guidelines to acceptable behavior.

3. Democratic models of discipline:

Discipline should reflect respect for individuals and should be reasonable. It should also be
relevant to the behaviors giving rise to disciplinary action. Its weakness is that it emphasizes
set rules and regulations in a teacher-directed classroom and has few suggestions for solving
disciplinary matters. The critical constructivist approach however believes that the learners
achieve self- discipline by actually committing irrational acts.

The humanistic approach to discipline seems ideal in a multicultural classroom. The learner
is taught about respecting diversity and embracing diversity with no evidence of prejudices.

Likewise, the humanistic approach stresses on individual freedom and self-worth. It

reiterates the notion of dignity and self-worth of the learner. It advocates respect for the
learner. This is in keeping with the doctrines of the multi-cultural classroom and therefore
more suitable and apt. They complement one another.
b) Discuss classroom rules with learners explaining what you expect from them and write it
down on a chart and display it on the classroom wall. Ensure that they abide by the rules or
else they would be negatively sanctioned. The following are the rules to abide by:

-Treat your classmates with respect.

-Treat the teacher with respect.

-Respect others' personal belongings.

-Participate actively.

-Complete your assignments and tasks.

-Follow the directions and rules for each game or activity.

-Keep the classroom neat and tidy

c) Parental Involvement in schools help bridge the gap between teachers, learners and their
parents. Teachers should have an open- door policy to allow parents to discuss underlying
issues about their children and teachers too can call up the parents of learners who have
defaulted. Allow parents to express their viewpoints in parent meetings so that the school
can foster good relationships with the community at large. Invite parents over for school
functions that children participate in such as Heritage- day, arbor day, sports, etc. Ask
retired workers from the community to assist in the vegetable garden, maintenance of
school and fundraising. They will feel important. Ensure that regular parent meetings are
held to update parents on exam results, learner performance, school activities so that
parents feel a sense of belonging. Keep parents well informed about homework policy and
other school policies that are in check.

Enlist parents for assistance in relief teaching. This helps them understand what teachers go
through. This is also very beneficial in the multicultural classroom as they witness the
difficulties that are experienced with learners that experience a language barrier in the
inquisition of knowledge. They understand the difficulties that arise with ELLS learners.

Teachers should welcome parents that experience behavioral problems with learners at
home so that together they can solve the matter. A teacher is ‘loco parentis’