Abstract
M.Ed.
The teaching of writing skills applicable to the content subjects in the English
second language classroom is a recent concern. The concern is raised by the
emphasis which the communicative approach places on the integration of skills
(Kilfoil and Van der Walt, 1997:263), which many teachers seem to ignore. This
neglect is seen in the leaners' poor essays which they write both in the English
second language classroom and in their content subjects. It should be emphasised
that teaching writing skills does not only mean teaching learners how to write
compositions and letters, as is usually done in the language classroom, but also
implies teaching them how to write expository texts in other subjects.
The focus of this research is a group of learners from historically black secondary
schools in this Province who had failed matric several times and were admitted to
various Colleges of Education in the Northern Province to be offered a Finishing
Programme. These learners seem to be `underprepared' in as far as expository
writing is concerned. Miller (1989:158) defines the concept of
`underpreparedness' in educational terms as the gaps that the learners have in
their knowledge which require help in filling in blank spaces. The finishing
learners at the Colleges in the Province constitute a small group among thousands
of matric pupils who are underprepared for matric.