What are the Language choices for Bachelor of Education in Foundation & Intermediate Phase Teaching? 


Language Choices Explained:

  

The IIE Bachelor of Education degrees (Foundation Phase and Intermediate Phase Teaching) offer a suite of language choices at First Additional or Communicative Language levels (see Table 1 below). 

 

NOTE:  Each student (campus) does three languages: 

  •     English First and First Additional Language 
  •     First Additional Language (FAL) (region specific) 
  •     Communicative Language (COL) (region specific).  

 

 

Table 1: B.Ed Language choices 

 

 

 

PLEASE NOTE:  FALs and Communicative Languages offered by The IIE are campus specific, and not all FALs and Communicative Languages can be accommodated at each campus.  

 

COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE 

The Communicative Language must be selected from the languages listed in Table 1 above, but it must not be the same as the First Additional Language.  Please note that the Communicative language is only offered in the first year of your studies and does not require any previous study of the language. 

 

 

FIRST ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE 

  • All applicants to the BEd programmes must have obtained at least a Level 3 (40%) at the NSC or equivalent level, as a HL or FAL, in the language they are seeking to study as a FAL in the BEd  

OR 

  • Must demonstrate language proficiency (LP) in the selected FAL BEd language/s. To be admitted via this option, candidates are required to pass a language proficiency test in the relevant language. 

 

Special note: 

We would strongly encourage Indigenous African Language Mother Tongue speakers who do not have their Mother Tongue (MT) as either HL or FAL in Grade 12, to consider writing the language proficiency test in their MT (or related language).  Should the student pass this proficiency test they would select their MT (or related language) as their FAL in the degree.  There is a great need for Indigenous African Language teachers in South Africa. 


Please refer to the different options below: 

 

OPTION 1 (NGUNI LANGUAGES) 

If a student has SiSwati, isiNdebele or isiZulu as a mother tongue but did not study isiZulu up to Grade 12 level and wishes to study isiZulu as an FAL on the degree, the student will be required to write an isiZulu language proficiency assessment. The student must obtain a minimum of 50% for this assessment in order to study isiZulu as an FAL on the degree.   

 

OPTION 2 (NGUNI LANGUAGES) 

If a student has SiSwati, isiNdebele or isiXhosa as a mother tongue but did not study isiXhosa up to Grade 12 level and wants to study isiXhosa as an FAL on the degree, this student will be required to write an isiXhosa language proficiency assessment. The student must obtain a minimum of 50% for this assessment in order to study isiXhosa as an FAL on the degree.   

 

OPTION 3 (SOTHO LANGUAGES) 

If a student has Sesotho, Northern Sotho (Sepedi) or Setswana as a mother tongue but did not study Northern Sotho(Sepedi)  up to Grade 12 level, and wishes to study Northern Sotho (Sepedi) as an  FAL on the degree, the student will be required to write a Northern Sotho (Sepedi) language proficiency assessment.  The student must obtain a minimum of 50% for this assessment in order to study Northern Sotho as an FAL on the degree.