Developing Grade R learners’ oral language proficiency for Afrikaans through play: teachers' perceptions in Mangaung Metropolitan Education District (MMED)

Abstract

Play-based pedagogy serves as a vital tool for developing oral language in early childhood education, laying the groundwork for further literacy development. However, implementing this approach remains challenging, particularly in under-resourced contexts. This study explored how Afrikaans oral language developed through play in Grade R classrooms. Guided by Froebel’s theory of learning and Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, the study was situated within an interpretivist paradigm and employed a qualitative case study design. Data were collected through classroom observations and semi-structured interviews with three Grade R teachers at an Afrikaans-medium school in the Mangaung Metropolitan Education District (MMED), in Free State, selected through convenience and purposive sampling. The interpretivist lens enabled a deeper understanding of teachers’ lived experiences and the meanings they attached to play-based oral language instructions. The findings revealed that play offers valuable opportunities for teachers to engage learners through various strategies, including visual aids, songs, drawings, role play, and collaborative group work. These playful approaches create a meaningful, enjoyable context for oral language development, especially in linguistically diverse classrooms. Teachers adapted their strategies to accommodate multilingual learners by using code-switching, repetition, and scaffolded support, in line with the Zone of Proximal Development. Despite these strengths, the study found that limited parental involvement hindered learner progress in developing oral proficiency. Teachers expressed concern that without support from home, learners, particularly those who do not speak Afrikaans as a first language, face significant barriers in achieving oral milestones. The study therefore recommends stronger collaboration between teachers and parents to reinforce language acquisition in multilingual settings and highlight the importance of play, teacher scaffolding, and home-school partnerships in promoting oral language proficiency in Afrikaans or any first language.