History reading comprehension in black secondary schools : a Ciskei study

Abstract

This thesis examines briefly the problems of learning and understanding history when the subject is taught through the medium of a second language. It assesses the difficulty levels (for first language speakers) of the history textbooks commonly used in Ciskei secondary schools and considers the implications of these levels for second language speakers. It assesses the ability of 400 pupils in standard 8 and standard 10 to comprehend an English text which is deliberately written at a lower level of difficulty than that of the current secondary school texts. Comparisons are made of the comprehension scores of those pupils whose answers are written in English with those who are allowed to answer in Xhosa on questions based on the simple text. Finally, it compares the quality of the pupils' answers in Xhosa and English. Tentative recommendations are made about the language implications of history teaching which emerge from the results of the research.