South Africa Grade 7 Home Language

This course focuses on developing learners' proficiency in their home language across four key learning areas: Listening and Speaking, Reading and Viewing, Writing and Presenting, and Language Structures and Conventions. The curriculum emphasizes an integrated approach, where these skills are interwoven and practiced in context through various activities and texts.

Listening and Speaking

This learning area aims to enhance learners' ability to understand and communicate effectively in diverse situations. Learners are exposed to different listening strategies, such as identifying main and supporting ideas, note-taking, and critical analysis of messages, including persuasive and manipulative techniques. Speaking skills are developed through activities like storytelling, prepared and unprepared speeches, dialogues, debates, discussions, giving directions, and presenting oral reports. Learners are encouraged to use appropriate register, style, and vocabulary, along with non-verbal communication techniques, to express themselves clearly and confidently. They also learn to analyze and evaluate oral texts critically.

Reading and Viewing

This learning area focuses on developing learners' ability to comprehend and interpret various texts, including literary and non-literary works, as well as visual texts. Learners practice reading strategies such as skimming, scanning, intensive reading, summarizing, and inferring meaning. They also learn to identify different genres and text features, and to analyze the author's purpose, audience, and point of view. Critical language awareness is fostered through discussions on topics such as bias, prejudice, and stereotyping. Visual literacy skills are developed through analyzing images, advertisements, cartoons, and other visual media.

Writing and Presenting

This learning area aims to develop learners' writing skills across various text types, including narrative and descriptive essays, transactional texts (letters, reports, notices, minutes, etc.), and creative writing pieces like poems and dialogues. Learners practice the writing process, from planning and drafting to revising, editing, and presenting their final work. They learn to use appropriate vocabulary, grammar, punctuation, and style, adapting their language to suit different audiences and purposes. The curriculum also emphasizes developing an individual writing voice and style.

Language Structures and Conventions

This learning area focuses on developing learners' understanding and application of grammatical rules and conventions. Learners revise parts of speech, sentence construction, paragraphing, punctuation, spelling, and vocabulary development. They learn to use dictionaries and other reference materials effectively. The curriculum emphasizes teaching language structures in context, integrated with the other learning areas, to enhance learners' overall language proficiency.

Recommended Reading List (Examples from the Western Cape Education Department)

Poetry: Creative Links by Eliza Varga, Drama workshop 1 by C.P. Lloyd, Five one-act plays by Donn Byrne, Join the action: six plays to read or record edited by Paul Groves & Nigel Grimshaw, Playing with more ideas: short practical plays for junior secondary students by Hazel Edwards, Reflections by Bennie Buys & Blanche Scheffler, Saturday in Africa by Patricia Pinnock, The Pelican Collection.

Novels: A Christmas carol by Charles Dickens, A Horse called Hero by Sam Angus, Babes, boys and deep deep trouble by Judy Norton, Begotten of the gods by Osita Okoroafor, Belle Teal by Ann M. Martin, Chandra by Frances Mary Hendry, Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate, Fat boy swim by Catherine Forde, Fighting back by Catherine MacPhail, Freefalling by Shelley Davidow, Goodbye, Chicken Little by Betsy Byars, Hana's suitcase by Karen Levine, Hoot by Carl Hiaasen, Hope in a Ballet Shoe by Michaela De Prince & Elaine De Prince, III Colleen Court by M. Davids, Inkheart by Cornelia Funke, Island of the blue dolphins by Scott O'Dell, Jesse's Story by Fiona Macgregor, Joe Cassidy and the red hot cha cha by Janet Smith, Journey to Jo'Burg by Beverley Naidoo, Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson, Kingdom by the sea by Robert Westall, Millions by Frank Cottrell Boyce, Mud City by Deborah Ellis, My name is Parvana by Deborah Ellis, No turning back by Beverley Naidoo, Parvana's journey by Deborah Ellis, Shadow of the wild hare by Marguerite Poland, Snitch by Edyth Bulbring, Spilled water by Sally Grindley, Stop the Train by Geraldine McCaughrean, Stronger than the storm by Lutz Van Dijk, The billion dollar soccer ball by Michael Williams, The Boy at the Top of the Mountain by John Boyne, The boy who was afraid by Armstrong Sperry, The children of Greene Knowe by L.M. Boston, The Indian in the cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks, The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton, The second worst thing by Lauri Kubuitsile, The secret garden by Frances Hodgson-Burnett, The Silver Sword by Ian Serraillier, The strollers by Lesley Beake, The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke, The World Beneath by J. Warman, Themba; a boy called Hope by Lutz Van Dijk, Tolly, hero of Hanover Park by M. Cassiem D'Arcy, Trash by Andy Mulligan, Tribes by Catherine McPhail, Tuck everlasting by Natalie Babbit, Unhooking the Moon by G. Hughes, Vivid Voices by B. Scheffler, Whitney's kiss by Onne Vegter, Wild Fire by Sean Callery, Wolf Bother by Michelle Paver, Wonder by R. J. Palacio, Yasmin's journey by Miriam Halahmy.

Short Stories: At the Fireside (True SA Stories) by Roger Webster, Encounters by H Maloney & R. Picozzi, Life is a hard but beautiful thing by Sindiwe M., Rebel Baby by Elizabeth Best, Scrap by Judy Waite, Sea Wolf by Kathryn White, Sky Hawk by Gill Lewis, Thato Lekoko: Super Hero by Lauri Kubuitsile, The journey and other stories by Bonnie Kneen, Whispers from the Bushveld by David Anderson.