The learners indicated that learning does not happen only at school, although some learners had indicated that they were more exposed to reading and writing activities mostly at school. Some learners were able to identify spaces where they could allow themselves to use English for their own benefit and to explore those spaces within their social structures, for example by using Lingua Franca English (LFE), although they live in a multilingual society. These spaces are created by the learners themselves in having confidence in manipulating the language and using English around their contextual environment. Canagarajah (2007:925) points out that the use of English as a lingua franca facilitates communication while further developing language awareness, which could result in developing language proficiency. This comes through the use of cell-phones, and interaction amongst other people who do not necessarily speak IsiXhosa. At the same time the issue of lack of self confidence, the limited access to resources within their communities, could be due to the socio-economic status that limits their ability to be able to use the language in various forms. The school itself does not provide learners with resources or opportunities to use English in various social activities that could assist learners in acquiring the language.
Preferred practices were identified in the data; learners preferred writing poetry, and choosing their own literacy material, mostly magazines for reading rather than books. Some of the learners identified magazines that were freely available from their communities, which talked
about relevant issues like HIV/AIDS and a soccer magazine which was popular amongst the boys. We could then conclude that the practices that are chosen by the learners or that are popular are significant in engaging learners in socio-economic issues that they experience. This could in turn shape their language acquisition as they would engage in issues that are closely relevant to their contextual environment and that they are interested in. This form of engagement could be taken to the classroom environment, were it could assist learners in forming relevant discussions and debates. Guiterez & Orrellana (2006:119) comment that learners must be understood in relation to the practices of which they are part, the available resources and specific demands of the context. The point that is made here is that the use of available resources is supposed to be integrated in classroom practice and be understood so that it comes from the context that is also understood by the learners themselves. It is then going to be easy to use learning resources that are available in their immediate environment.
The literacy materials that were most popular from the findings also give an indication that learners are not exposed to enough learning material like books, because of the communities that they live in. For instance facilities like libraries are not available within their reach as most of them come from squatter camps; the school’s library which could be their reachable place for resources is not fully resourced and made available to them. In order for learners to access resources it depends where they are situated.
The use of multimedia also proved to be popular amongst those who could afford cell phones. It plays a major role in using English to communicate with peers, for example using text messaging and chatting sites like Facebook or Mxit. Although some were not exposed to these forms of multimedia, the most popular one was watching DVDs and TV. These resources form an important framework for transforming and creating suitable spaces in our schools for learning by not limiting learning to certain literacy genres that we consider acceptable in the learning environment.
From the findings, the school becomes an important fragment of the learners’ social interaction. As some have indicated that they use English language mostly at school, and given the environment they come from, accessibility of resources such as the library that is far from the squatter camps, could be limited Cell phones are not affordable to all of them and the
lack of proper infrastructure to access information, for instance in the whole of Langa township there are only two internet cafés.
Therefore it becomes essential for the school to provide facilities that could help learners to use the resources that are available to learn. There is infrastructure but learners do not have access to the computer labs and the libraries are not fully resourced. With the kind of socio economic challenges that they have, where there is limited access to libraries and internet cafés outside school, the school has the responsibility of providing these resources that are popular amongst the learners and those that are preferred both for leisure and learning.
In this study, the data show that there is a range of practices that emerge outside school, but they are not valued to be used at the classroom level. This results in learners not considering them as a part of learning, because schools do not incorporate them in everyday learning. The important question that might be asked is: How can schools connect the everyday multiliteracies, make them productive for better development of social, linguistic and cognitive skills of learner and be a benefit to them (Guiterez & Orrellana, 2006: 120)?