Title:
Towards an affective pedagogical model for teaching English language and literacy to migrant learners
Author:
Mafandala, Mbembi Joel
Published:
University of Cape Town, PhD/Doctoral Thesis, 2020
Abstract:
Therefore, teachers felt they were required to go above and beyond what would be considered normal classroom activities to create a holistic learning environment that caters to a learner's emotional challenges, which was not always possible in the context of a prescriptive CAPs curriculum and resources. In this study, I argue that when children learn in a language that is different from their first language, this poses an emotional challenge, which often impacts the learning process. This emotional challenge is likely to be compounded by the circumstances that migrant learners often find themselves in. Therefore, I argue that for children to learn effectively (successfully) in a language that is different from their mother tongue, their emotional needs must be met first. This implies that for literacy learning to be most effective (successful), teachers may take into consideration the emotional aspects of each learner and develop their teaching styles according to the diverse needs of the learners. This study will benefit teachers in multilingual contexts as it takes into consideration the emotional difficulties that come with learning in a language that is not one's primary language, to understand learners' learning styles, and consequently to inform and adjust teaching strategies to fit their needs. The findings suggest a need for teacher training that takes into consideration the affective and cognitive needs of learners from diverse backgrounds, such as migrant learners, for more effective literacy and language education.