English Home Language

English Home Language

HOD: Ms Sharon Doubell

Compulsory: Yes

Does it count for APS: Yes, full points awarded. (At some institutions bonus points are awarded for a mark above 60%.)

Required for further studying: Yes, all universities, colleges and technikons will require English.

Useful for: All learners who wish to study at a univeristy, as it is the basis for the study for all subjects and fields. More specifically, it is useful for the field of Humanities: Psychology, Law, Drama, Arts, Journalism, Teaching, Sociology, International Relations, Politics, Media Studies, etc.

Practical component: No

Special requirements/recommendations: Read novels/magazines/graphic novel/etc to improve grammar and comprehension skills.

More details:

Language is a tool for thought and communication. It is also a cultural and aesthetic means commonly shared among a people to make better sense of the world they live in. Learning to use language effectively enables learners to acquire knowledge, to express their identity, feelings and ideas, to interact with others, and to manage their world. It also provides learners with a rich, powerful and deeply rooted set of images and ideas that can be used to make their world other than it is; better and clearer than it is. It is through language that cultural diversity and social relations are expressed and constructed, and it is through language that such constructions can be altered, broadened and refined.

The Home Language level provides for language proficiency that reflects the mastery of basic interpersonal communication skills required in social situations and the cognitive academic skills essential for learning across the curriculum. Emphasis is placed on the teaching of the listening, speaking, reading and writing skills at this language level. This level also provides learners with a literary, aesthetic and imaginative ability that will provide them with the ability to recreate, imagine, and empower their understandings of the world they live in. (from the National Curriculum Statement for Languages)

The aim of the English Department at Jeppe High School for Boys is to provide learners with the skills and insights needed to engage with and interpret a wide variety of texts; to introduce learners to the rich diversity of literature written in English, both locally and globally; to develop an awareness of, and sensitivity to, the English language (appropriate grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation) and its uses; to promote discussion and debate, stimulate intellectual curiosity; to be accessible to boys from all cultural backgrounds; and to equip learners with the tools to participate as critical and articulate citizens in a cosmopolitan South Africa.

Reading underpins every academic success. Boys at Jeppe are required to complete a number of set works over the course of an academic year which cover the classics as well as more contemporary titles. The boys are also encouraged to read for pleasure. This not only contributes to their fluency and comprehension of the language, but assists them in becoming well-rounded individuals.