Reading ability and academic performance in South Africa: Are we fiddling while Rome is burning?

Pretorius, Elizabeth J.

doi:10.1080/10228190208566183

Cited by 105 publications

(95 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…This allows them to tune into the rhythms and structures of language and broadens their conceptual worlds and their vocabulary to express themselves. (2012:11) Additionally, studies have long supported the connection between reading and academic performance (Aitchison & Harley 2006;Caskey 2008;Falk-Ross 2002;Livingston et al 2015;Nel, Dreyer & Kopper 2004;Pretorius 2002). Nel et al (2004:95) argue unequivocally that 'Reading is the skill upon which success in every academic area is based'.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Promoting literacy through reading programmes for first-year university students

Shober

2016

Read. writ.

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University lecturers share a concern for incoming varsity students who lack the literacy competence to succeed in their courses. Given the strong correlation between reading and literacy, the English Department commenced an innovative and effective reading programme which witnessed positive and enthusiastic results. By engaging students in reading select works of fiction, we were able to increase their comprehension, build their vocabulary and inculcate an individual interest in reading literature. This paper discusses the resultant voluntary reading programme that was organised for first-year students enrolled in English language classes, the theoretical methodology of the programme, its implementation and positive results, especially in the students’ improved English course marks. It also explores ways to configure this programme to extend beyond university boundaries into effective community engagement.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Promoting literacy through reading programmes for first-year university students

Shober

2016

Read. writ.

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“…Tsui and Tollefson (2006) label proficiency in the English language as the "global literacy skill" (p. 1), which has become a commodity for communication (Crystal, 2003;Phillipson & Skutnabb-Kangas, 1999) and a vehicle for knowledge transfer (Welch & Welch, 2007). As such, reading skill has been argued to be the most critical skill for academic success (e.g., Weideman & Van, 2002) because it facilitates access to information, which enables learners to use and mediate the information that they have acquired (Pretorius, 2002). Considering the importance of literacy skills, students need to be prepared to handle reading tasks that they will face later in their educational careers (Grabe, 2001).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

EFL Textbook Analysis: A Case Study

Sidek

2012

L & L

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The purpose of the present study was to determine how well a nationally mandated Malaysian EFL Upper Secondary textbook prepares upper secondary students for tertiary reading in English. The data were in the form of comprehension reading passages in the selected EFL textbook. In this study, reading instructional design in the EFL textbook was analyzed in terms of types and the grade-level length of passages. Using the data acquired from an analysis of this mandated textbook, the author argues that the ESL reading instructional design in the national Malaysian EFL Upper Secondary curriculum significantly under prepares students because of its overemphasis on narrative passages that are below grade-level texts.

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“…A central component of this concern relates to the extent to which these entry-level students are able to cope with the typical academic reading demands that will be placed on them in the context of their studies. There has been much debate in the sector relating to the extent to which secondary schooling adequately prepares students to read and in an academic manner (see, for example, Pretorius 2002). This debate has also been extended to include considerations of the extent to which Higher Education curricula might be said to be responsive to the reading needs of incoming students and the extent to which these curricula enable students to develop -sometimes both acquire and develop -the necessary reading abilities that will enable them to successfully negotiate their studies (Griesel 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Entry-level students’ reading abilities and what these abilities might mean for academic readiness

Cliff

2014

Language Matters

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The National Benchmark Tests Project (NBTP) was commissioned by Higher Education South Africa and became operational in 2009. One of the main aims of the NBTP is to assess the extent to which entry-level students might be said to be ready to cope with the conventional demands of academic study in three key areas: academic literacy; quantitative literacy; and mathematics. This paper presents an analysis of the academic literacy readiness of a sample of registered students as reflected in their performance on the NBT in Academic Literacy, a standardised assessment developed in the context of the wider project. The paper presents a theoretical analysis of the construct of academic literacy as operationalised in the test. This is followed by a categorised empirical analysis of test-takers' performance on the test, in which the levels of academic readiness of these test-takers are presented and discussed. The argument presented highlights the diverse range of academic literacy levels of entry-level students, as well as implying the teaching and learning interventions that might be necessary to improve readiness. Concluding comments argue that some groups of students may be unable to cope with conventional academic literacy demands in the absence of explicit intervention.

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Reading ability and academic performance in South Africa: Are we fiddling while Rome is burning?

Cited by 105 publications

References 5 publications

Promoting literacy through reading programmes for first-year university students

Promoting literacy through reading programmes for first-year university students

EFL Textbook Analysis: A Case Study

Entry-level students’ reading abilities and what these abilities might mean for academic readiness

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