Challenges experienced by grade 11 learners in Xitsonga home language essay writing in Mafarana Circuit, Limpopo Province, South Africa

Abstract

The study investigated the Challenges experienced by Grade 11 Learners in Xitsonga Home Language Essay Writing in Mafarana Circuit, Limpopo Province, South Africa. The focus of the study was to explore challenges that learners experience when writing argumentative essays, with significant focus on meaningful sentence construction, correct spelling, grammar, and punctuations, as these are important components of writing. This study applied qualitative methodology and used a case study design to generate data. Semi-structured interviews, classroom observations and documents (text) analysis was used in collecting data used to gain different perspectives regarding different factors that affect learners’ essay writing skills in Xitsonga. The collected data was analyzed using thematic data analysis to develop the necessary writing process when writing argumentative essays. The results revealed that learners from both selected schools faced challenges of not being able to form sound sentences in Xitsonga argumentative essays. Their background and lack of knowledge regarding writing argumentative essays were found to be the main factors influencing their writing skills. The findings also revealed that learners experience challenges regarding essay structure, words choice in sentences, sentence formation, punctuation, word order within sentences and good writing. Furthermore, the results of this study indicated that teachers when teaching these learners essay-writing skills follow not all process-writing steps. Therefore, the study recommends that teachers create conducive learning environment in which learners will learn to follow steps when writing argumentative essays. It is also recommended that teachers should use sociocultural writing strategies to advocate knowledge that is experimentally and socially based, wherein learners can reflect and share their experiences of writing.