Whether loved or loathed, William Shakespeare's works have long been a staple in South Africa’s education system - first introduced in colonial classrooms and still central to high school English lessons today. Debates continue over their relevance in African classrooms and whether they should take precedence over indigenous literature and language texts.

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A new study by Nikiwe Nondabula, a Foundation and Senior Phase Language Education Lecturer at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), is entitled An Investigation of Grade 12 English Home Language Learners’ Reading of Shakespeare’s Plays for Writing Development. In April, Nondabula will graduate with her Doctor of Philosophy in Language Education from UWC. The study employed a qualitative research methodology - through an interpretivist and constructivist lens - using classroom observations, interviews, and document analysis to explore how Grade 12 English Home Language students engage with Shakespeare’s plays.

Data was collected from multiple schools in the Western Cape, with participants including teachers, students, and English Heads of Department. The study sampled three schools. The selection of schools was based on their use of Shakespeare’s plays as a linguistic resource in English Home Language classrooms. Every year from Grade 10 till Grade 12, a Shakespearean literature play is part of the prescribed works for learners.

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The research involved:

• Five teachers participated in the study overall to provide insights into their experiences teaching Shakespeare.
• Eight learners who took part in focus group discussions to share their perspectives on studying Shakespeare.
• Four classrooms were observed to examine teaching methods and student engagement.

Nondabula concluded that learners still have an appetite for Shakespearean works. “One thing that was emphasised during the interviews is that these literature plays are actually meant to be watched. So it's better for learners to interpret, to analyse and to respond to when they get a visual idea of what is happening. The learners also emphasise that it's great because they really have good teachers who become very dramatic in classrooms. So it's almost like a drama class - it's not just a reading activity that happens in the classroom. It's like classroom engagement, where the learners also give their own interpretations and their own assumptions of the play.”

Teachers' Views of Literature Plays

• Teachers acknowledged that Shakespeare’s plays contributed to the development of critical thinking skills and introduced students to complex language structures.?
• Some teachers argued that the themes in Shakespeare’s plays - such as love, power, betrayal, and societal expectations - remain relevant today and help students connect historical literature to modern-day social issues?.
• Teachers noted that many students struggled with Early Modern English, making it difficult to fully grasp Shakespeare’s work without significant assistance.?
• Educators use videos, role-playing, and translated summaries to help students engage with the texts, but time constraints often limit deep exploration.?

Students' Views of Literature Plays

• Many students found Shakespeare’s language outdated and challenging to understand, which affected their ability to engage with the plays?.
• Learners had Shakespearean preferences. Plays like Romeo and Juliet and Othello tend to be more relatable due to their themes of love, jealousy, and betrayal, while others, like King Lear and Hamlet are often seen as less engaging.?
• Some students appreciated Shakespeare’s influence on modern storytelling and recognised its impact on culture, while others felt it is outdated and not particularly relevant to their lives?.

Nondabula said: “When I got to the schools they were actually saying that as much as Shakespeare is very challenging to understand and that we should lean towards African literature, they do believe that the beauty of the language used in Shakespeare's Literature plays helps with writing development. Secondly, it also helps students understand different cultures because many of the themes that are explored in Shakespeare's plays are still very relevant in our lives today.”

Caption: Nikiwe Nondabula is a Foundation and Senior Phase Language Education Lecturer at UWC and her PHD thesis is entitled An Investigation of Grade 12 English Home Language Learners’ Reading of Shakespeare’s Plays for Writing Development. Image supplied.