Learners' experiences on writing skills in Sepedi home language in selected secondary schools in Koloti circuit in Limpopo province

Abstract

Despite Sepedi home language being widely used as a language of communication, reading and writing in most secondary schools, Limpopo province, many learners struggle to achieve the required level of proficiency in writing. This study investigated Grade 11 learners’ experiences on writing skills in Sepedi Home Language in selected secondary schools in the Koloti Circuit, Limpopo Province. Although majority of learners uses Sepedi as a home language, they continue to experience challenges in writing, particularly in essays and transactional texts. The study was guided by socio-cultural theory, which highlights the role of social interaction and context in learning, and focused on learners’ personal, primary, and secondary experiences of writing. An interpretivist qualitative approach was adopted, using a case study design. The sample consisted of 20 Grade 11 learners selected through purposive and convenience sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and document analysis of learners’ written essays and analysed thematically. The findings showed that learners’ writing skills were influenced by several factors, including dialectal interference, code-switching, limited vocabulary, grammatical and spelling errors, large class sizes, and lack of teacher feedback. Learners relied mainly on personal and primary experiences, while secondary experiences such as explicit instruction and guided feedback were limited. These challenges negatively affected learners’ confidence and attitudes towards writing in Sepedi. The study concludes that improving writing skills in Sepedi Home Language requires effective teaching of the writing process, regular formative feedback, and greater teacher support. The findings contribute to improving the teaching and learning of African Home Languages and support the goal of quality education in South Africa. Moreover, the study recommends that both teachers and learners should draw on secondary experiences (CAPS, ATPS, language policies) to facilitate the proper acquisition of writing skills.