Department of Modern Foreign Languages

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Browsing Department of Modern Foreign Languages by Author "Bezuidenhout, Marianne M."

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    An investigation into the effect of mobile poetry-based instruction on the literacy levels of Grade 8 English first additional language learners within the South African rural context : a case study
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2013-03) Bezuidenhout, Marianne M.; Bergman, E. K.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Modern Foreign Languages.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study is an addition to the growing body of research on the relevance of mobile assisted learning (MALL) or m-learning. Grounded in a sound theoretical framework and informed by practice, it identifies the importance of literacy as a liberating skill, as well as the groundbreaking impact and potential of mobile technologies to enhance literacy levels in developing countries. The ubiquity of mobile devices worldwide, and specifically in South Africa, coupled with the educational needs arising from overcrowded classrooms, and a dearth of resources and textbooks in rural South Africa, led to the conception of this study. The objective was to ascertain the viability of incorporating web- and mobile technology based instruction to enhance the English literacy levels of Grade 8 (Senior Phase) students within the South African rural context. The study showed that there was a significant improvement in the participants’ reading comprehension, visual comprehension and writing skills. The encouraging results of this study indicate that web-based mobile instruction can indeed improve the literacy levels of learners from remote and disadvantaged communities. The implications of these findings for literacy development and emerging literacy development in rural communities are discussed in the final chapter of this thesis.