Teachers’ and elders’ perceptions of using folktale storysinging when teaching Setswana to young children

Abstract

The education system in South Africa encourages the use of indigenous languages through policies that require full participation of teachers and elders. This case study explored the perceptions of teachers and elders of the use of folktale storysinging when teaching Setswana to young learners in the selected four provincial rural schools and villages. The aim was to investigate what folktale story songs they know and how they use them to communicate cultural customs and traditions embedded in them for young children’s future actualisation. The framework of the study was based on structuralism, functional-linguistic and ethnography of communication theories. A qualitative approach was undertaken in the form of group interviews, observations, field notes and documentation, including photo-voice. These instruments were analysed and grouped in themes and subthemes. The study assumed that teachers are professionals and are able to present Setswana folktale story lessons. The findings revealed that teachers, though being passionate and willing, were challenged by the folktale story books containing songs that they could not sing and contained grammatical errors as well as English words and sentences. They called on the parents (elders) with their totem understanding, for assistance, as the government seemed to be failing them through the implementation of language policies. However, it was found that elders sing folktale story songs to young children and even have the opportunity to give performances at the gatherings at the chief’s kraal but they did not regard themselves to be acknowledged by the teachers as responsible to give assistance to them. In the complex linguistic context in South Africa, speakers of a minority language need to understand that language and culture can be retained and transmitted but this understanding needs commitment from the speakers; in this case Setswana.

Tsamaiso ya thuto mo Aferika Borwa e rotloetsa tiriso ya dipuo tsa bantsho tsa setso ka go latela melaotheo e e gwetlhang barutabana le bagolo go tsaya karolo. Dipatlisiso tse di begwang mo, di tsenelela sebopego se barutabana le bagolo ba dirisang molodi-dinaaneng go ruta bana ba bannye Setswana mo dikolong tse dipotlana le metse-magaeng e e mabapi go tswa mo dikgaolopusong tse nne. Maikaelelomagolo ke go lekola gore ke melodi efe ya dinaane e ba e itseng le gore ba e dirisa jang go goroseng molaetsa wa ngwao ya setso o o leng mo dinaaneng, go ruta bana ba bannye gore ba tshele ka tsona fa ba gola. Tshekatsheko e, e theilwe godimo ga diteori tsa molebokagego, molebobodirisego le molebo wa setso wa tlhaeletsano. Leano la go kokoanya kitso ya go dira dipatlisiso le go fitlhela batsayakarolo go ntsha maikutlo a bona, e nnile ka mokgwa wa dipuisano ka setlhopha, go lebelela, go kwala le go buisa dikwalwa. Didiriswa tse tsa dipatlisiso, di dirisitswe go sekaseka kitso e e tswang go batsayakarolo, moo go neng ga runya dikarolo le dikarolwana tsa melaetsa maleba le kgang e ya go batlisisa ka ga molodi-naaneng. Tshekasheko e e dirilwe ka kgopolo ya gore barutabana ke bomaitseanape mo tirong ya bona, ba kgona le go ruta molodi wa dinaane tsa Setswana. Tshenolo ya dipatlisiso e supile gore le fa barutabana ba rata e bile ba na le tlhoafalo mo tirong ya bona, ba ne ba sitiswa ke dibuka tse ba di dirisang go ruta dinaane ka di ne di na le dipina tse ba sa kgoneng go di opela, gape di ne di na le diphoso tsa mokwalo le tiriso ya mafoko a sekgowa. Ka la ntlheng, go tsweletse gore bagolo bona ba opelela bana dipina tsa dinaane e bile ba kgona go bona tšhono ya go di tsweletsa mo dikopanong kwa kgosing. Le gale, ba ne ba bona gore barutabana ga ba lemoge mosola wa bona wa go ka tsaya karolo mo go ruteng bana dipina tsa dinaane. Fela jaaka go na le dipuo tse di farologaneng mo Aferika Borwa, bengdipuo-potlana ba tshwanetse go tlhaloganya loleme lwaabo gore ba kgone go somarela setso sa bona le go fetisetsa loleme loo tshikatshikeng. Foo go batlega itapiso go tswa go bengpuo ya Setswana mo kgannyeng e.