Abstract
M.Ed. (Psychology of Education)
As the South African education system is moving towards complete reorganisation and fundamental
restructuring, teachers have been forced to take a look at the language being used in their now multilingual
classrooms and also at their own teaching of language, as opposed to the teaching of school-based literature.
Some teachers see this as a challenge, and with the attention now being paid in the school curriculum to the
communicative use of English, are attempting to change their beliefs and conceptions about instruction,
language and learning. For many teachers of English second language pupils, the answers lie in the whole
language philosophy, as it stands for justice, democracy, and empowerment and against injustice and a
stratified society.
However, the whole language movement grew from an original focus on the reading, writing and learning
processes of native speakers of English, and is only beginning to affect second language learners. The focus
of this study is therefore on the implementation of whole language with English second language pupils, with
the aim of improving the instruction and education of these learners as well as enhancing the support systems
and training for whole language teachers. The whole language philosophy is it different way of thinking about
teaching and learning, and thus teachers need to be continually encouraged to examine their own assumptions
about learning and teaching.
The theory framework for this study includes readings in the origins of whole language, the whole language
belief system, English second language learning and connections between whole language and English second
language pedagogy. The theoretical framework is constructed with the aim of supporting the construct and
approaching the research question from different angles.
The nature of the research question presupposes a monographic study as research format, which in tum directs
the research to observations, an individual interview and document analysis. The discussion of the monographic
study takes place against the background of the qualitative research paradigm. The teacher and Grade One
English second language pupils of a Language Assistant Programme, characterised by whole language
principles, are the target group of this study.
The findings of the inquiry indicate that the whole language philosophy can be applied to English second
language learners, but needs to be complemented with an understanding of second language acquisition and
English second language teaching methods. It was also found that teachers need continual support in
transforming the whole language philosophy into practice and in examining their own beliefs and assumptions
about learning and instruction.