Crippling teaching and learning culture: The case of teaching English first additional language (EFAL) in rural schools in South Africa

The Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement’s (CAPS) idea of promoting English as the language of learning and teaching (LoLT) in South Africa remains a challenge, particularly in rural schools. Its implementation has caused communication challenges and social exclusion that cripple effective learning, especially in English First Additional classrooms. The enforcement of English as a LoLT in rural schools triggers unsupportive behavioural patterns that cripple pedagogical and epistemological potentials in the classroom. Guided by a sociocultural framework, this study employed observation, focus group discussions, and semi-structured interviews to gather qualitative data. The participants comprised 15 learners and 4 teachers, selected purposively to ensure their suitability from three high schools in Limpopo Province. The study found that a teaching and learning culture devoid of empathy hinders the development of learner autonomy and teacher agency, which are essential for advancing a communicative learning process that the CAPS curriculum aims to achieve.