Kaleidoprax Goes BIG/Ons gaan GROOT!

8/19/2017

We're visiting GROOTfm 90.5 and kykNET's 'Die GROOT ontbyt' on set
Kaleidoprax kuier saam GROOTfm 90.5 en kykNET se Die GROOT ontbyt.

Kaleidoprax is visiting GROOTfm 90.5 and KykNET ddie GROOT ontbyt in studio to discus English as the Language of commerce - 2017

English as the Language of commerce in South Africa

Tune in to GROOTfm 90.5 or watch kykNET's 'Die GROOT ontbyt' on Wednesday 23 Augustus 2017, between 06h30 and 07h15. Zerelde will be discussing English as the language of commerce in South Africa and how this impacts us as a society. The interview will take place in Afrikaans. Keep an eye on our blog for a breakdown of the interview questions in English. These will include:

How important is English language competence when it comes to workplace readiness?
How skilled are South Africans in English?
Do business owners expect a certain level of English competence from their employees?

Skakel Woensdag, 23 Augustus 2017, tussen 06h30 en 07h15, by GROOTfm 90.5 en kykNET se Die GROOT ontbyt in. Kom kuier saam met ons rondom Suid-Afrika se brandende taal kwessie. Ons gesels oor vrae soos:

Is dit regtig belangrik dat iemand in die werkplek Engels magtig is?
Hoe vaardig is Suid-Afrikaners in Engels?
Ons is nou al meer as 20 jaar in ons demokrasie, is daar ‘n verwagting by besigheidseienaars dat enige persoon ten minste Engels magtig MOET wees?

The interview - Zerelde Uys
Engelse as 'n Tweede Taal - 23 Aug 2017

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Zerelde link

8/25/2017 09:57:18 am

The English version: Die Groot Ontbyt 23 August 2017
Interview with Zerelde Uys about the importance of learning English as a second language with specific reference to the workplace.

Zerelde opened the discussion with the opinion that it is inevitable that English is the language of the workplace, but that mother tongue does not have to be minimised. Pro-English does not constitute anti-mother tongue or vice versa. It is all about finding the balance.

Q. How proficient are South Africans in English?
We measure with ELSA, a standardised English Literacy Skills Assessment and we find the average South African to perform at a grade 7 level of proficiency. The benchmark is the English mother tongue user at each milestone of development expected.

Q. Is there an expectation by business owners that all employees have mastered English?
Yes, by all means. Perceptions and assumptions have employers expect prospective employees with a secondary and tertiary qualification to be proficient in English, but this is not necessarily true. My mission is to create awareness of these gaps.

Q. What is measured in a language skill assessment?
We measure the ability to integrate the four basic skills - listen, speak, read and write. Your ability in the language is not about what you know about the language – the grammatical rules, spelling etc. This alone does not mean fluency in the use of the language. It is about how you can operate in the language.

Q. If you are not fluent, can you improve this?
Yes, the good news Is that we can prescribe solutions. This is a diagnosis that can be treated!

Q. In which way is this ideal? The four skills?
We have fascinating theories about development of language – about the developing child and how and when this should be done. How language is learnt and why some people stay behind.
The first thing for an individual is to take ownership of your development and not expect anyone else to make it happen for you – as should be the case in all learning. Awareness of language development is the start, and then there is a range of things to do and resources to use.

Q. It is almost like going to gym, you have to exercise to become fit?
Exactly, reading is a good example – you have to drill & practice to get better at it. You have to use every opportunity to practice language.

Q. Is there a crisis in SA regarding English? On a scale from 1 to 10, what would you rate this at?
I think it rates at 12. There are so many people robbed of their potential just for the fact that they do not have a good command of the language. We should distinguish between social and professional proficiency in the stages of learning. Gr 7 is almost the divide between someone just able to speak the language and the professional proficiency where one needs to use higher order skills to interact with information, integrate and think in the language. Too many people operate with just a social proficiency – they sound great, but when it comes to the problem-solving skills, they don’t have the skill and this is when the wheels start coming off.

Q. Is the communication crises just about language, or are there other issues?
I think language is a main aspect – of course I am language biased, but I often see that language is a key impact. It often leads to assumptions based on behaviour observed. When we measure, we can often see where the problem lies, such as a poorly developed sound system will result in not understanding instructions, not listening to clients.

Q. Does the lack of English skills have an impact on the economy?
We did a study about three years ago with the help of an economist in which we used research by the Bureau of Economic Studies at Stellenbosch University. In this we projected the loss in GDP at R873 billion in the 2014 fiscal year just because the average South African performs at grade 7 level rather than the two-year shift at grade 9 – or Functional Literacy level - where the 9 year of training barrier can be broken. It is astronomical to think about the loss of not enabling people to get jobs, be better at it and keep their jobs.

Q. Does this second language demand make Afrikaans speakers less proud of their language?
I don’t think so – again the statement that pro-mother tongue shouldn’t be anti-English. If we make sure that the young child has a deep and solid development of the first language in the early years – and is introduced to the second language at the right time and using correct methodology, there is no reason that the second language should be a barrier later in life. Listening skills needs to develop well for speaking to develop, thereafter reading and writing skills.

Q. What about solutions – should we enrol our children in dual-medium schools to learn the second language?
I am cautious to say yes or no to this statement. I think we should focus on enough exposure to the language, but this s

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Kaleidoprax Goes BIG/Ons gaan GROOT!

The interview - Zerelde Uys
Engelse as 'n Tweede Taal - 23 Aug 2017

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Kaleidoprax Goes BIG/Ons gaan GROOT!

The interview - Zerelde Uys Engelse as 'n Tweede Taal - 23 Aug 2017

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The interview - Zerelde Uys
Engelse as 'n Tweede Taal - 23 Aug 2017