South Africa Grade 7 First Additional Language

This course aims to develop learners' proficiency in a language learned in addition to their home language. The curriculum focuses on developing listening, speaking, reading, writing, and viewing skills, as well as an understanding of language structures and conventions. The curriculum is text-based, communicative, integrated, and process-oriented. Learners are exposed to a variety of literary and non-literary texts, including visual and multimedia texts.

Listening and Speaking

• Listening Comprehension: Learners develop skills in understanding and interpreting spoken language, including identifying main and supporting ideas, making inferences, and evaluating messages. Activities include listening to stories, interviews, news reports, and announcements. Learners are also taught critical listening skills to identify bias, prejudice, and manipulative language.
• Speaking: Learners develop skills in communicating effectively in various situations, including prepared and unprepared speeches, dialogues, debates, interviews, and giving directions. Emphasis is placed on using appropriate language, register, tone, and non-verbal communication.

Reading and Viewing

• Reading Comprehension: Learners develop skills in understanding and interpreting written texts, including identifying main ideas, making inferences, summarizing, and evaluating texts. Activities include reading short stories, novels, poems, newspaper articles, and magazine articles. Learners are also taught critical reading skills to identify bias, prejudice, and manipulative language.
• Viewing: Learners develop skills in understanding and interpreting visual texts, including advertisements, cartoons, graphs, tables, and films. Emphasis is placed on analyzing visual elements, identifying messages, and evaluating effectiveness.

Writing and Presenting

• Writing: Learners develop skills in writing for various purposes and audiences, including narrative essays, descriptive essays, argumentative essays, letters, reports, and reviews. Emphasis is placed on using appropriate language, register, style, and conventions. Learners are also taught the writing process, including planning, drafting, revising, editing, and proofreading.
• Presenting: Learners develop skills in presenting written work effectively, including using appropriate visual aids, tone, and body language.

Language Structures and Conventions

Learners develop an understanding of and ability to use language structures and conventions, including punctuation, spelling, grammar, and vocabulary. These skills are integrated into the teaching of listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

Curriculum

The curriculum is aligned with the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS). It covers a range of topics and themes, including personal experiences, social issues, and cultural diversity. Learners are encouraged to engage in extended independent reading and viewing.