Background: Apart from being a knowledge-gaining commodity, critical literacy is believed to be a practice that exists between people, groups and communities in a sociopolitical and cultural context. It is assumed that without strong literacy skills, post-secondary education and employment options are limited. It is thus against this background that this investigation focused on the critical reading perceptions and practices of Grade 8 English First Additional Language (FAL) learners from two high schools in Gauteng, Tshwane South district. Objective: The study investigated Grade 8 learners’ critical reading self-perceptions and practices in the English FAL classroom. Method: A quantitative research approach based on a non-experimental descriptive design was used. The purposively selected research sample consisted of 166 Grade 8 English FAL learners from two high schools in Gauteng, Tshwane South district. Data were collected through the use of a survey questionnaire, as well as a critical reading comprehension activity measurement and evaluation instrument. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25 was used to analyse data solicited through the survey questionnaire and reading comprehension activity. Specifically, the Spearman’s correlation coefficient of variables was used to indicate if there was any relationship between the learners’ reading perceptions and their reading practices. Results: The results showed that although learners’ self-perceptions indicated that they could critically analyse texts, the critical reading comprehension activity measurement and evaluation instrument revealed that learners were unable to apply most of the critical reading strategies they claimed to be using. Thus, learners’ perception about their critical reading ability was not automatically an accurate indicator of their actual reading practice ability. Conclusion: The findings from this study re-emphasise the reading crisis that is prevalent within the South African reading literacy landscape. A devastating conclusion that was arrived at, was that because learners did not engage critically in classroom reading, the Grade 8 English FAL learners from the participating schools contributed to the existing reading crisis in South Africa.

中文翻译：

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Tshwane南区豪登省的英语母语额外学习者的批判性阅读理解和实践

背景：除了作为一种获取知识的商品外，批判性扫盲被认为是在社会政治和文化背景下人们，群体和社区之间存在的一种习俗。假设没有很强的读写能力，大专教育和就业机会是有限的。因此，在这种背景下，本调查着重于茨瓦内南区豪登省两所中学的8年级英语第一外语（FAL）学习者的批判性阅读理解和练习。目的：本研究调查了英语FAL课堂中8年级学习者的批判性阅读自我认知和实践。方法：采用基于非实验描述性设计的定量研究方法。目的选择的研究样本包括来自茨瓦尼南部地区豪登省的两所中学的166名8年级英语FAL学习者。通过使用调查问卷以及批判性阅读理解活动测量和评估工具来收集数据。社会科学统计软件包（SPSS）版本25用于分析通过调查问卷和阅读理解活动收集的数据。具体而言，使用Spearman变量的相关系数来表明学习者的阅读观念与他们的阅读习惯之间是否存在任何关系。结果：结果表明，尽管学习者的自我感知表明他们可以批判性地分析课文，批判性阅读理解活动测量和评估工具显示，学习者无法应用他们声称使用的大多数批判性阅读策略。因此，学习者对其批判性阅读能力的感知并不能自动地成为他们实际阅读练习能力的准确指标。结论：这项研究的结果再次强调了南非阅读素养领域普遍存在的阅读危机。得出的一个毁灭性结论是，由于学习者没有严格参与课堂阅读，参与学校的8年级英语FAL学习者加剧了南非目前的阅读危机。学习者对其批判性阅读能力的感知并不能自动地指示其实际阅读练习能力。结论：这项研究的结果再次强调了南非阅读素养领域普遍存在的阅读危机。得出的一个毁灭性结论是，由于学习者没有严格参与课堂阅读，参与学校的8年级英语FAL学习者加剧了南非目前的阅读危机。学习者对其批判性阅读能力的感知并不能自动地指示其实际阅读练习能力。结论：这项研究的结果再次强调了南非阅读素养领域普遍存在的阅读危机。得出的一个毁灭性结论是，由于学习者没有严格参与课堂阅读，参与学校的8年级英语FAL学习者加剧了南非目前的阅读危机。