Izingane zithanda izindaba. Eqinisweni, kunjalo nakubantu abadala. Uma utshela othile ngento eyenzeke kuwe, umxoxela indaba – enye yezindaba zakho.

Sicabanga ngezindaba futhi sithokozele izindaba ezithinta imicabango yethu futhi izindaba zisisiza ukuthi sihlole umhlaba. Uma sicabanga ngolimi esilukhuluma kalula, kanjalo-ke sakha izindaba ngolimi lwethu lwaseKhaya. Lesi ngesinye sezizathu zokuthi kungani izingane kufanele zithuthukise amakhono azo okufunda nokubhala (ukwazi ukufunda nokubhala) ngolimi lwazo lwaseKhaya.

Ucwaningo lukhombise ukuthi ulimi lwengane lwaseKhaya luwulimi oluhle kakhulu lokwazi ukufunda nokubhala kanye nokufunda esikoleni samabanga aphansi (UNESCO, 2008a). Izingane ezifunda ukufunda ngolimi lwazo lwaseKhaya zisemathubeni amaningi okuthi zihlale futhi ziphumelele esikoleni (Kosonen, 2005). Maningi amathuba okuthi umzali axhumane nothisha wengane yakhe ngoba lezi zingxoxo zenzeka ngolimi lwazo lwaseKhaya (Benson, 2002). Amakhono engane okucabanga azothuthuka ngokushesha futhi abe namandla uma iqala ngokufundiswa ngolimi elukhuluma ekhaya (Nishanthi, 2020); futhi ingane izoba nokuzazi ukuthi ingubani uqobo namasiko ayo uqobo, ibe nokuxhumana ngamandla nesiko layo (Nishanthi, 2020).

Ukwazi ukuthi ingane ifunda kanjani kuzosiza ukuchaza ukuthi kungani kubalulekile ukuthi ifunde ukufunda ngolimi lwayo lwasekhaya.

“Ingane iqale iqonde ukuthi yini eyizungezile uma izwa ulimi olusetshenziswa ngumama wayo ngesikhathi ekhuluma, ngaphambi kokuba izalwe nasempilweni yayo yonke.”

Izingane zizalwa zikwazi ukuzwa noma yimuphi umsindo ovela kunoma yiluphi ulimi. Lapho sezikwazi, zenza umsindo ukuze zisho izidingo zazo. Njengoba abazali bekhuluma nengane yabo ngolimi lwabo lwaseKhaya (lwebele), ingane iqala ukukhohlwa imisindo engayizwa ngoba ayidingekile ngokuphathelene nokuxhumana. Ngokushesha, iqala ukukopela imisindo eyizwayo futhi ngonyaka wobudala owodwa, izingane ziqala ukufaka incazelo emagameni ezingawaqonda futhi ziqale ukusho amagama. Izingane ziqala ngamagama eziwezwa kaningi, ngakho-ke ingane iya esikoleni iphethe nesilulumagama sangokomlomo ngolimi lwayo lwaseKhaya.

Esikoleni, izingane zizofundiswa ukuthi amagama esiwashoyo nesiwezwayo akhiwa imisindo edinga ukubhalwa. Isibonelo, igama elithi inja lakhiwa izinhlamvu zamagama ezithi “i”, “n”, “j” nelithi “a” kanye nemisindo yalezo zinhlamvu zamagama. Lokhu kuhlanganiswa kwezinhlamvu zamagama kanye nemisindo yilokho esikwenzayo uma sifunda. Sibona izinhlamvu zamagama bese sifaka umsindo kuzo. Sibe sesihlanganisa le misindo ukuze senze igama, bese sihlanganisa wonke amagama ukuze senze umusho. Kwakha umqondo-ke ukuthi:

• ingane izofunda le misindo kalula kakhulu uma ifana ncimishi naleyo yasolimini esuke ivele ilukhuluma
• ingane izofunda ngendlela eyakha umqondo uma amagama ewafundayo (isilulumagama) efana nolimi esivele inalo olimini elikhulumayo.

Uma ingane ikhuluma ulimi lwayo lwebele ekhaya, kubaluleke nakakhulu ukuthi ifunde ukufunda ngolimi lwayo lwaseKhaya. Kuzo zonke izilimi zezwe lethu ngaphandle kwesiNgisi, ukuqondana kwezinhlamvu zamagama nomsindo ophinyiswayo kuhlale kufana ngo-100%. Isibonelo; lokhu kusho ukuthi uhlamvu lwegama u-“p” luhlala lunomsindo ofanayo. Lokhu akulona iqiniso esiNgisini. IsiNgisi sinohlelo oluyinkimbinkimbi lokuqondana kwezinhlamvu zamagama nemisindo ephinyiswayo olungadida isikhulumi solimi lwesibili. Isibonelo, bheka uhlamvu lwegama u-“c”. Egameni elithi ikati ngesiNgisi lithi “cat”, uhlamvu lwegama elithi “c” linomsindo ophinyiswayo ongu-/kh/. Kodwa egameni elithi umakhalekhukhwini ngesiNgisi elithi “cell phone”, uhlamvu lwegama elithi “c” linomsindo ophinyiswayo ongu/s/. Manje bheka amagama athi ukukhwehlela kanye nobunzima ngesiNgisi athi “cough” kanye no-“tough”. U-“cough” kanye no-“though” womabili agcina ngezinhlamvu zamagama ezithi “ough”, kodwa abizwa ngendlela ehlukile kakhulu. Isibonelo: My meat was so tough I started to cough. I got through it though when I drank water.

Uma ingane ekhuluma ulimi lwaseKhaya noma olwebele olungasisosiNgisi, iqala ukufunda ngesiNgisi esikoleni, ukufunda kwayo kuyibuyisela emuva cishe iminyaka eyisithupha njengoba izokuthola kunzima ukufunda ukuqondana kwezinhlamvu zamagama namagama aphinyiswayo kanye nesilulumagama sesiNgisi (Cummins, 1981). Lokhu kungasho ukuthi umfundi weBanga lesi-6 ofundiswa ngolimi lwakhe lwesibili (isiNgisi) uzoba sezingeni lomfundi weBanga loku-1 ofundiswa ngolimi lwakhe lwaseKhaya (lwebele).

Ucwaningo lukhombisile ukuthi izingane zithola amakhono okufunda nokubhala ngokushesha nangokuphumelelayo uma zifundiswa ngolimi lwazo lwaseKhaya. Abacwaningi abaningi futhi bafakazele ukuthi amakhono okufunda nokuqonda ingane ewafunda ngolimi lwayo angadluliselwa ngo-100% kunoma yiluphi olunye ulimi elufunda ngokuhamba kwesikhathi. Yingakho izifundo ze-CAPS zicela ukuthi izikole zilandele indlela yokwengeza ulimi lwesibili. Ukwengeza ulimi lwesibili yilapho ulimi olwengeziwe lwengezwa olimini lokuqala lwengane (ulimi lwaseKhaya/lwebele) kunokuba lungene esikhundleni solimi lwayo lwaseKhaya. Uma ingane ifundiswa ngolimi olwengeziwe (ngokuvamile isiNgisi) kusukela eBangeni loku-1, ayithuthukisi amakhono okufunda noma yiluphi ulimi futhi isiNgisi kancane kancane siba namandla kakhulu kunolimi lwebele. Uma lokhu kwenzeka, umphumela ukuthi ingane ayikwazi ukufunda nokubhala ngempumelelo nganoma yiluphi ulimi kulezi ezimbili.

Ukufunda okwakha umqondo kuyisango elivulela ukufunda konke. Ngakho, ukuze ingane ithole isiqalo esihle kakhulu emfundweni yayo, kumele ifunde ukufunda nokubhala okwakha umqondo ngolimi lwayo lwaseKhaya/lwebele. Ukuthuthukisa isiNgisi njengolimi olwengeziwe kuzokwenzeka kalula kakhulu uma ingane inamakhono okufunda nokubhala ulimi lwayo lwaseKhaya.

Izingane zifanele ukuthanda izindaba ezingazifunda, kuhlanganise izindaba ezivela esikweni nasendaweni yazo ukuze zikwazi ukuzibona zona kanye nomhlaba wazo ezindabeni futhi zikhulise imicabango yazo. Lesi yisipho esikhulu kunazo zonke ongasinika ingane – ikhono lokufunda ngokuqondisisa, uthando lwesiko nolimi lwayo, nesiqalo esiqinile semfundo yayo.

Benson, C., & Kosonen, K. (Eds.) 2013. Language issues in comparative education: Inclusive teaching and learning in non-dominant languages and cultures. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers

Benson, C. 2002. Real and potential benefits of bilingual progammes in developing countries. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 5 (6): 303–317.

Nishanthi, R. 2020. “Understanding of the Importance of Mother Tongue Learning” Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (IJTSRD). ISSN: 2456–6470, Volume 5, Issue 1, December 2020: 77–80,

The Common Underlying Proficiency model (Cummins, 1980a, 1981a, as cited in Baker, 2011)