Orthography and spelling challenges faced by Xitsonga home language learners in essay writing

This qualitative study investigated the orthographic and spelling challenges experienced by Grade 11 learners when writing essays in Xitsonga Home Language in the Mafarana Circuit, Limpopo Province, South Africa. While acknowledging broader pedagogical factors, the primary focus was to identify and analyse specific linguistic difficulties related to spelling, word formation and sentence construction in argumentative essays. Using a qualitative research approach and an exploratory case study design, the study employed non-probability purposive sampling to select two schools, six Grade 11 leaners and four educators. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, classroom observations and textual analyses of learner scripts. The findings reveal profound challenges in orthographic competence, including systematic spelling errors, confusion between spoken and written registers and resultant grammatical incoherence. These challenges are situated in a context of limited instructional resources and pedagogical practices that inadequately address foundational writing mechanics. The study concludes by recommending targeted interventions to strengthen orthographic instruction and align pedagogical strategies with sociocultural and process-oriented writing approaches to improve foundational writing skills in Xitsonga.