ENG2613
Assignment 3
Unique No: 172594
Due 4 August 2025
, ENG2613
Assignment 3
Unique No: 172594
DUE 4 August 2025
Evaluating the Appropriateness of Two Texts for an Intermediate Phase FAL
South African Classroom
Introduction
In South African Intermediate Phase classrooms—catering to learners aged 9 to 12
years—the careful selection of literary texts holds profound pedagogical significance.
This developmental window is characterised by a shift from foundational literacy
towards more structured, abstract, and inferential thinking (Cherry, 2025).
Learners at this stage exhibit increasing capacities for moral reflection, empathy, and
critical engagement with texts, alongside developing linguistic skills necessary for
academic advancement.
Consequently, the choice of reading materials must be deliberate and strategic,
ensuring that texts promote linguistic development, socio-emotional growth, moral
reasoning, and inclusive worldviews. The English First Additional Language (FAL)
curriculum for this phase emphasises texts that are not only linguistically accessible
but also developmentally resonant and contextually meaningful, enabling learners
to see themselves and others reflected within literary narratives.
This essay undertakes a critical evaluation of the appropriateness of two texts: Why
the Bat Flies at Night by Kgosi Kgosi and The Robin’s Lament by Amy Gozelski.
Assignment 3
Unique No: 172594
Due 4 August 2025
, ENG2613
Assignment 3
Unique No: 172594
DUE 4 August 2025
Evaluating the Appropriateness of Two Texts for an Intermediate Phase FAL
South African Classroom
Introduction
In South African Intermediate Phase classrooms—catering to learners aged 9 to 12
years—the careful selection of literary texts holds profound pedagogical significance.
This developmental window is characterised by a shift from foundational literacy
towards more structured, abstract, and inferential thinking (Cherry, 2025).
Learners at this stage exhibit increasing capacities for moral reflection, empathy, and
critical engagement with texts, alongside developing linguistic skills necessary for
academic advancement.
Consequently, the choice of reading materials must be deliberate and strategic,
ensuring that texts promote linguistic development, socio-emotional growth, moral
reasoning, and inclusive worldviews. The English First Additional Language (FAL)
curriculum for this phase emphasises texts that are not only linguistically accessible
but also developmentally resonant and contextually meaningful, enabling learners
to see themselves and others reflected within literary narratives.
This essay undertakes a critical evaluation of the appropriateness of two texts: Why
the Bat Flies at Night by Kgosi Kgosi and The Robin’s Lament by Amy Gozelski.
