Teachers' views on the change in the LOLT from grade three to grade four in urban township schools in South Africa

According to the South African language policy the LOLT (language of learning and teaching) in the foundation phase (grades 1-3) is the learners’ home language, while there is a sudden shift in the LoLT from their home language to English from grade 4 onwards. With this background in mind, this study aimed to explore teachers’ views on the change in the LOLT (Language of Learning and Teaching) from isiXhosa, in grades 1-3, to English in grade 4 in South African township schools. This study used a qualitative research approach against the backdrop of a phenomenological design and an interpretivist paradigm. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with six teachers from two urban township schools, where the learners’ home language was isiXhosa, but the LOLT was English. The interviews were transcribed, and the data was analysed and categorized into themes. The findings of the study indicated that teachers experienced challenges teaching learners through the medium of English in grade 4. Although some of them explored the use of code switching and translanguaging to support the learners, they felt that these strategies did not work, because the main problem was the actual change in the LOLT. While some teachers expressed the view that the LOLT should remain isiXhosa as in in grade 3, others felt that English should be the medium of instruction from grade 1.