English
FIRST ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE [F.A.L]
LANGUAGE - GUIDE
1 English First Additional Language [Language) l © 2026 Noted™ www.notedsummaries.co.za
, VOWELS CONSONANTS
= Consonants are sounds where the airflow is partially o
A - E - I - O - U completely blocked🙊
[ You close or block the airway
Awful Ed is Old & Ugly slightly when you say them]
= Vowels are sounds where the airflow is not Plosives
blocked- the mouth is open, the sound flows (explosive Air is stoppedand then releasedp, b, t,
sounds) suddenly (like a small explosion)d, k, g
freely.
Tongue high / mid / low; i, e, a, o, u Fricatives Air flows through a narrow f, v, s,
position front / back (friction sounds) passage with friction z, h
Lip rounding Whether your lips o, u (rounded);, ie Nasals Air flows out through the nose m, n
are rounded or not (unrounded)
Vowel length Vowels can be short long: aa, oo- Laterals Air flows over the sides of the l
or long short: a, o tongue
Phonetics
Monophthong A single, pure vowel cat, pot, bone Rapid vibrations of the tongue r
sound Trills or uvula
SYLLABLES
Diphthong Two vowel sounds house, boy, coin
blended in one
syllable
= Syllable is a sound group that you can say in one breat
diphthongs - each syllablehas at least one vowel
= Diphthongs aretwo vowel soundsthat blend together house
.
OPEN= ends in vowel ; CLOSED = ending in consonant
house 1
into one smooth sound withinsingle a syllable
. learner learn + er 2
Sometimes ay" " can also act as part of a diphthong. impolite im + po + lite 3
my, light, sky [a] → [ɪ] (as in sky) accountability ac + count + a + bil + i + ty 6
say, day, game [e] → [ɪ] BUT!Syllables≠ letters ≠ sounds!
boy, toy, coin [ɔ] → [ɪ] • "Letters" = number of written symbols
now, house, shout [a] → [ʊ] • "Sounds" = actual phonemes (e.g. "sh" = 1 sound, 2 letters)
• "Syllables" = rhythm units of pronunciation
go, home, show [ə] → [ʊ] Word Letters Sounds 👏 Syllables
here, idea, theatre [ɪ] → [ə] (semi-diphthong) Book 4 3 1
air, hair, care [e] → [ə] (semi-diphthong) Traveler 8 7 3
pure, tour, endure [ʊ] → [ə] (semi-diphthong) School 6 4 1
2 English First Additional Language [Language) l © 2026 Noted™ www.notedsummaries.co.za
,Writing Conventions CAPITALI
RULE
sATION
First word of a
DESCRIPTION
Always start with a
EXAMPLES
We read the
Compound words
Golden rule: If itforms one idea,write it as one (or hyphen if
sentence capital letter. book. necessary).
Proper nouns Names of people, Cape Town,
places, languages, English, May ❗How do compound words work?
months, etc.
✅ Makes a new meaning 🚫 Not just any two words
Language names Always capitalised English is my
when standing home tooth + brush→ green + door≠ greendoor (no such word!)
alone or part of a language. toothbrush
sentence. book + shelf→ bookshelf yellow + book = yellow book (just a
Titles of books, Capitalise the first The Big description)
movies, etc. word and all Adventure,
important words My Dad is a
(nouns, verbs,
adjectives).
Hero Closed compound
Days and Months Always written with Monday,
1 word
a capital letter in December RULE EXAMPLES
English. Noun + Noun = One idea schoolchild, doormat, fireproof,
Nationalities and Capital letters for German, jackrabbit
languages nationalities and French, Zulu Noun + Verb horseback, haircut, brainwash,
languages. headache
Religious Use a capital letter He will guide Noun + Adjective germfree, homesick, waterproof
references for God, He, Lord, you. The Lord Adjective + Adjective darkblue, bittersweet, redhot
Bible, etc. is my (sometimes hyphenated)
shepherd. Pronoun + Noun myself, himself, herself
Political parties Full name with Democratic Adverb +"ward(s)"/"to" forward, backward, upward, onward
capital letters. Alliance, ANC Standardised language names Standard English, South African
Institutions & Names of schools, Eldoraigne English
organisations companies, etc. use High School, Animal/Plant names bluejay, goldfish, whiteoak
capital letters. Woolworths Words ending in
"one"/"some " someone, anyone, everyone,
People's titles + Titles and names Uncle John, handsome
name both take capital Dr. Smith, Number/abbreviation + word → R100-donation, 2010 -WorldCup,-B
letters. Mrs. Brown hyphen team
Let's keep it simple: Proper name with 4x4-Toyota, New York -hospital
• Only capitalize when necessary number/abbr. → hyphen
• Avoid ALL CAPS in writing unless for acronyms Ordinal number as prefix Thirdworldcountry,
3 like USAor BBC
English First Additional Language [Language) l © 2026 Noted™ www.notedsummaries.co.za Secondrateplayer
, OPEN compound HYPHENATED
2 words
RULE EXAMPLES
Word groups that are not one on a large scale, take
single unit captive, without doubt
compounds
Golden rule: Hyphens
-) (are used to join words when:
Adjective + noun (descriptive a green dress, a bright idea • the meaning would be unclear without them
only) • a new word is being formed
Ordinal numbers used as names 3rd Avenue, 33rd Street • we want to avoid confusion
Number + "all" as quantifier all ten children, all fifty
guests RULE EXAMPLES
Place references with "to" go to school, back to town, ✅ When it would be confusing R100-donation, anti-
home to Cape Town apartheid movement
Adjective describing type of South African English, without it
language or music (origin) Flemish music ✅ When it becomes one clear idea mother- in-law, long-
Proper names with multiple The Green Mamba, term solution, part-
words or titles Waterkloof High School time job
✅ When numbers come before a twenty-one-year-old
student, fifty-page
NUMBERS : open or closed ? noun
essay
EXAMPLES WRITING STYLE ✅ When writing numbers in words forty-two, one
Numbers < 20→ with or twenty-two or twentytwo (optional in informal writing, but hundred and twenty -
withouthyphenated recommended for clarity) three
Thousands→ both possible two thousand one hundred, ✅ With prefixes before proper nounsex-president, re-
two-thousand-one-hundred entry, co-operate
In formal writing: preferably forty-four, three thousand
- or vowels
use fixed or hyphen form for four hundred and ten 🚫 Not used when words are clearly blue car, large scale,
clarity separate or commonly used together birthday party
4 English First Additional Language [Language) l © 2026 Noted™ www.notedsummaries.co.za
FIRST ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE [F.A.L]
LANGUAGE - GUIDE
1 English First Additional Language [Language) l © 2026 Noted™ www.notedsummaries.co.za
, VOWELS CONSONANTS
= Consonants are sounds where the airflow is partially o
A - E - I - O - U completely blocked🙊
[ You close or block the airway
Awful Ed is Old & Ugly slightly when you say them]
= Vowels are sounds where the airflow is not Plosives
blocked- the mouth is open, the sound flows (explosive Air is stoppedand then releasedp, b, t,
sounds) suddenly (like a small explosion)d, k, g
freely.
Tongue high / mid / low; i, e, a, o, u Fricatives Air flows through a narrow f, v, s,
position front / back (friction sounds) passage with friction z, h
Lip rounding Whether your lips o, u (rounded);, ie Nasals Air flows out through the nose m, n
are rounded or not (unrounded)
Vowel length Vowels can be short long: aa, oo- Laterals Air flows over the sides of the l
or long short: a, o tongue
Phonetics
Monophthong A single, pure vowel cat, pot, bone Rapid vibrations of the tongue r
sound Trills or uvula
SYLLABLES
Diphthong Two vowel sounds house, boy, coin
blended in one
syllable
= Syllable is a sound group that you can say in one breat
diphthongs - each syllablehas at least one vowel
= Diphthongs aretwo vowel soundsthat blend together house
.
OPEN= ends in vowel ; CLOSED = ending in consonant
house 1
into one smooth sound withinsingle a syllable
. learner learn + er 2
Sometimes ay" " can also act as part of a diphthong. impolite im + po + lite 3
my, light, sky [a] → [ɪ] (as in sky) accountability ac + count + a + bil + i + ty 6
say, day, game [e] → [ɪ] BUT!Syllables≠ letters ≠ sounds!
boy, toy, coin [ɔ] → [ɪ] • "Letters" = number of written symbols
now, house, shout [a] → [ʊ] • "Sounds" = actual phonemes (e.g. "sh" = 1 sound, 2 letters)
• "Syllables" = rhythm units of pronunciation
go, home, show [ə] → [ʊ] Word Letters Sounds 👏 Syllables
here, idea, theatre [ɪ] → [ə] (semi-diphthong) Book 4 3 1
air, hair, care [e] → [ə] (semi-diphthong) Traveler 8 7 3
pure, tour, endure [ʊ] → [ə] (semi-diphthong) School 6 4 1
2 English First Additional Language [Language) l © 2026 Noted™ www.notedsummaries.co.za
,Writing Conventions CAPITALI
RULE
sATION
First word of a
DESCRIPTION
Always start with a
EXAMPLES
We read the
Compound words
Golden rule: If itforms one idea,write it as one (or hyphen if
sentence capital letter. book. necessary).
Proper nouns Names of people, Cape Town,
places, languages, English, May ❗How do compound words work?
months, etc.
✅ Makes a new meaning 🚫 Not just any two words
Language names Always capitalised English is my
when standing home tooth + brush→ green + door≠ greendoor (no such word!)
alone or part of a language. toothbrush
sentence. book + shelf→ bookshelf yellow + book = yellow book (just a
Titles of books, Capitalise the first The Big description)
movies, etc. word and all Adventure,
important words My Dad is a
(nouns, verbs,
adjectives).
Hero Closed compound
Days and Months Always written with Monday,
1 word
a capital letter in December RULE EXAMPLES
English. Noun + Noun = One idea schoolchild, doormat, fireproof,
Nationalities and Capital letters for German, jackrabbit
languages nationalities and French, Zulu Noun + Verb horseback, haircut, brainwash,
languages. headache
Religious Use a capital letter He will guide Noun + Adjective germfree, homesick, waterproof
references for God, He, Lord, you. The Lord Adjective + Adjective darkblue, bittersweet, redhot
Bible, etc. is my (sometimes hyphenated)
shepherd. Pronoun + Noun myself, himself, herself
Political parties Full name with Democratic Adverb +"ward(s)"/"to" forward, backward, upward, onward
capital letters. Alliance, ANC Standardised language names Standard English, South African
Institutions & Names of schools, Eldoraigne English
organisations companies, etc. use High School, Animal/Plant names bluejay, goldfish, whiteoak
capital letters. Woolworths Words ending in
"one"/"some " someone, anyone, everyone,
People's titles + Titles and names Uncle John, handsome
name both take capital Dr. Smith, Number/abbreviation + word → R100-donation, 2010 -WorldCup,-B
letters. Mrs. Brown hyphen team
Let's keep it simple: Proper name with 4x4-Toyota, New York -hospital
• Only capitalize when necessary number/abbr. → hyphen
• Avoid ALL CAPS in writing unless for acronyms Ordinal number as prefix Thirdworldcountry,
3 like USAor BBC
English First Additional Language [Language) l © 2026 Noted™ www.notedsummaries.co.za Secondrateplayer
, OPEN compound HYPHENATED
2 words
RULE EXAMPLES
Word groups that are not one on a large scale, take
single unit captive, without doubt
compounds
Golden rule: Hyphens
-) (are used to join words when:
Adjective + noun (descriptive a green dress, a bright idea • the meaning would be unclear without them
only) • a new word is being formed
Ordinal numbers used as names 3rd Avenue, 33rd Street • we want to avoid confusion
Number + "all" as quantifier all ten children, all fifty
guests RULE EXAMPLES
Place references with "to" go to school, back to town, ✅ When it would be confusing R100-donation, anti-
home to Cape Town apartheid movement
Adjective describing type of South African English, without it
language or music (origin) Flemish music ✅ When it becomes one clear idea mother- in-law, long-
Proper names with multiple The Green Mamba, term solution, part-
words or titles Waterkloof High School time job
✅ When numbers come before a twenty-one-year-old
student, fifty-page
NUMBERS : open or closed ? noun
essay
EXAMPLES WRITING STYLE ✅ When writing numbers in words forty-two, one
Numbers < 20→ with or twenty-two or twentytwo (optional in informal writing, but hundred and twenty -
withouthyphenated recommended for clarity) three
Thousands→ both possible two thousand one hundred, ✅ With prefixes before proper nounsex-president, re-
two-thousand-one-hundred entry, co-operate
In formal writing: preferably forty-four, three thousand
- or vowels
use fixed or hyphen form for four hundred and ten 🚫 Not used when words are clearly blue car, large scale,
clarity separate or commonly used together birthday party
4 English First Additional Language [Language) l © 2026 Noted™ www.notedsummaries.co.za
