Background: In investigating the early reading literacy of a group of Setswana-speaking children who learnt to read in Afrikaans, cultural historical activity theory (CHAT) was chosen as a conceptual framework because of its proven utility value in helping researchers make sense of complex social systems. Aim: The application of this heuristic not only proved valuable as organising principle but also unexpectedly revealed the situation with a clarity that brought about a richer understanding of the intricate dynamics underlying reading literacy in a second language. Setting: The study was conducted at a small-town Afrikaans medium school. Methods: In this mixed method inquiry, qualitative data was collected through interviews with parents and educators, classroom observations and document analysis. The quantitative data was obtained through the administering of an early reading literacy assessment. Results: The overarching finding of this study was that the Setswana-speaking children developed early reading literacy skills at a rate and level commensurate with that of their Afrikaans-speaking peers. Where the application of CHAT as heuristic proved invaluable was in bringing to light a pattern revealing the agency which was exercised by parents and educators to support the children’s reading literacy learning. Conclusion: Despite various obstacles and tensions, parents and teachers exercise considerable agency in supporting the children’s early reading literacy. Although the empirical aspects of the study are described, it is a conceptual gaze of the situation, employing CHAT as a lens, which is the focus of this article.

中文翻译：

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第二语言阅读素养活动中的矛盾

背景：在调查一群学习过南非语的塞斯瓦纳语儿童的早期阅读素养时，选择了文化历史活动理论（CHAT）作为概念框架，因为它在帮助研究人员理解复杂的社会意义上具有公认的实用价值。系统。目的：这种启发式方法的应用不仅证明了其作为组织原则的价值，而且还出乎意料地揭示了这种情况，从而使人们对第二语言的阅读素养的复杂动态有了更深入的了解。地点：该研究是在南非荷兰语的一所中等中学中进行的。方法：在这种混合方法询问中，通过与父母和教育者的访谈，课堂观察和文献分析来收集定性数据。定量数据是通过进行早期阅读素养评估获得的。结果：这项研究的主要发现是，说Setswana的儿童发展了早期阅读读写能力，其水平和水平与讲南非语的同龄人相当。证明CHAT作为启发式方法的应用是无价的，它揭示了一种模式，揭示了由父母和教育者行使的，支持儿童阅读素养学习的机构。结论：尽管有种种障碍和紧张关系，但父母和老师在支持孩子的早期阅读素养方面发挥了很大的作用。尽管描述了研究的实证方面，但它是这种情况的概念凝视，采用CHAT作为镜头，这是本文的重点。