Abstract

A constructivist multimodal learning environment is particularly significant for enhancing learners’ communicative competence in English First Additional Language (EFAL) in a time of austerity. Teachers have to serve the needs of the learners creatively in these times of social turbulence. This qualitative case study describes a grade 5 multimodal learning environment in one of the township public primary schools in Tembisa. This primary school was purposively selected as the author used to teach a grade 5 EFAL class some years ago. The researcher’s experiences were analysed and the classroom library as a learning centre, posters and flashcards for vocabulary development, the reading record as a motivating tool, the learning environment as additional language scaffolding, and efficacious EFAL teachers in the multimodal environment emerged as themes. The findings indicated that a teacher with high teacher self-efficacy brings transformation in the teaching and learning environment by skilfully facilitating or motivating the learners to participate in the interaction that achieves the communicative competence. It is recommended that the grade 5 EFAL teachers should be trained on how to employ EFAL teaching strategies and how to motivate learners in learning and reading the language.