Resource 2: Lesson transcript
Background information / subject knowledge for teacher
Teacher (T) teaching Grade 7 English (reading lesson) to pupils (Ps)
T: What I want you to do now, I will read first, and I will ask you to follow me at some times. Ne?
Ps: Yes.
T: Long ago, the King of Egypt wanted to know how his people lived. Where is Egypt? Yes?
P: Egypt is in the North of Africa.
T: (Repeats) You agree? Do you agree?
Ps: Yes (Chorus)
T: Right. One night he dressed like a poor man and went into the city. What is a city?
P: A town…
T: He listened to his people grumbling. His people were grumbling. When you grumble is when you…seem to be unhappy…
P: Grumblisha.
T: Jaaaa, gramblisha, siyagramblisha andithi?
Ps: Yes.
T: Now They said that they were poor and the food was expensive… They were grumbling….No one laughed in this town. No one sang, and no one was happy. Everybody was unhappy. Wonk’umntu wayequmbile kuledolophu. Kungeko nomnye ohlekayo.
When the king was walking back to his palace. You walk back to…you walk to…you walk to… the palace What is a palace? Siphokazi.
P: A palace is where a king lives.
T: Yes, good. (Repeats) Libhodwe, andithi.
Inside he heard someone singing. Inside a little shop. He went inside the shop. A young man was sitting on the floor, making shoes, and as he worked, he sang.
When the shoemaker saw that there was a visitor, he stood up and greeted him. Molo, mfondini. Then he gave the king some bread and water. Only what?
Ps: Bread and water.
T: Was the shoemaker aware that this was the king? In reality. He was not aware. Ne? He just said Oooh! Poor soul! Because why was he not aware? Why?
P: He dressed like a poor man.
T: (Repeats) Andithi. Just have a picture of Madiba wearing the old clothes. Ezikrazukileyo, ezinikiniki eme pha phandle Ela xesha akumazi ukuba uMadiba uqabe ipeyinti emnyama apha ebusweni okanye ipolishi emnyama. Do you have a picture of what I am saying?
Ps: Yes.
T: Now do you know Madiba when he comes to that door like that?
Ps: No.
The teacher continued to read the story with the pupils, asking them questions about it. Most questions were of a similar kind to those recorded above. The pupils answered them briefly, in English. The lesson then proceeded as described in Case Study 2.
Resource 1: Poem