GETC: AET/ABET NQF 1 [SAQA] language, literacy and communication (LLC) studies is one of the fundamental learning areas of GETC: AET/ABET NQF 1. Therefore, it counts 23 credits towards this qualification.
Again, the focus of this subject is to impart skills that are required in all aspects of life. In this way, the learnership transcends merely teaching important workplace literacy skills. It develops all the proficiencies that individuals need to make a substantial contribution to their communities and our larger society.
Participants who attended LLC classes can engage in a range of speaking and listening interactions for a variety of purposes. They can also use their LLC skills to explore and use a myriad of strategies to learn. Moreover, they can read and respond appropriately to a range of writings. They have also learnt how to write for a variety of different purposes.
The importance of literacy is best explained by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization [https://www.unesco.org/en]. It notes that modern literacy transcends merely the ability to read, write and count. Rather, literacy includes the ability to identify, understand, interpret and create in an increasingly digital and information-rich environment. It also points out that this setting is rapidly changing. Thus, literacy is a continuum of learning and proficiency in reading, writing and number skills throughout life. Moreover, literacy is part of a larger skills set. These include digital skills; media literacy; education for sustainable development; global citizenship; and job-specific proficiencies. These are all further developed via the other fundamental, as well as core and elective learning areas that complement LLC.
GETC: AET/ABET empowers and liberates
By imparting critical life skills, GETC: AET/ABET NQF 1 LLC empowers and liberates learners.
The subject offers so much more than the right to education. This basic right is enshrined in our constitution [https://section27.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Chapter-1.pdf]. It is also one of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals [https://www.globalgoals.org/goals/4-quality-education/].
Importantly, literacy also improves lives by expanding capabilities. In turn, this reduces poverty; increases participation in the labour market; and impacts positively on health and sustainable development. Literate women, for example, have a positive ripple effect on the health and education of their families. Girl children, in particular, benefit from their mothers’ literacy.
High illiteracy levels cost South Africa US$6,66-billion in 2022, alone. This is according to the Economic and Social Cost of illiteracy report by the World Literacy Foundation. Refer to The-Economic-Social-Cost-of-Illiteracy-2022.pdf (worldliteracyfoundation.org). This high price is over-and-above the R324,5-billion that was allocated to basic education in the 2024/2025 financial year by government. Providing for 14,5-million South African school-going children accounts for 16,6% of government’s Medium Term Expenditure framework.
One of the costs associated with illiteracy is lost wealth creation opportunities. South African citizens with low literacy skills do not understand bank loans. They also enter into legally binding documents without understanding their contractual obligations. This can have dire impacts on lives of people who are already struggling to honour their financial commitments. Moreover, they are not capable of establishing personal financial plans. They are also unable to evaluate financial investments to provide a retirement income. This also increases the welfare burden. In addition, they do not know how to use equity or investment loas to acquire and manage income-producing assets. Complementing GETC: AET/ABET LLC is the financial literacy that is taught in Life Orientation (LO). LO is a core learning area of the learnership.
Learners with GETC: AET/ABET skills
Learners with GETC: AET/ABET NQF 1 LLC skills can understand and apply health-related information and messages.
Mothers with low literacy skills, in particular, are more likely to make poor nutritional and hygiene decisions for their families. In turn, this leads to a higher disease rate. If left unchecked, these issues can result in permanent disability or death. A child born to a mother who can read in developing countries is 50% more likely to survive past the age of five. This is considering that she can access knowledge of healthier lifestyles. Moreover, she knows how to access preventative health measures and acquire better nutritional knowledge for her family.
Individuals with poor literacy skills also tend to indulge in risky sexual practices. This is because of their lack of awareness of sexual and reproductive health. For example, literate women are three times more likely than illiterate females to know how HIV is contracted. Lack of awareness of contraceptive methods also increases the likelihood of unprepared pregnancy.
Notably, health literacy is also a focus of GETC: AET/ABET LO, again strengthening the skills taught by LLC.
People with low literacy levels are also more likely to become involved in crime. In various countries, the majority of prison inmates possess poor literacy skills. Also, among juvenile delinquents, up to 85% are functionally illiterate. In various nations, between 60% and 80% of prisoners have reading and writing skills below basic levels. Those who are still illiterate upon release have a high probability of re-offending.
Citizens with poor literacy skills are also more likely to be on welfare because they are unable to find well-paid jobs. High-school dropout rates are more than three times more likely than graduates to receive welfare.
GETC: AET/ABET produces lifelong learners
Importantly, GETC: AET/ABET NQF 1 LLC produces lifelong learners. This also has a positive impact on their families, in turn, uplifting their communities and larger society.
Parents with poor literacy skills tend to have lower expectations regarding education for themselves and their families. Often living “hand-to-mouth”, they will also prioritise work before education. The children of parents who have failed to complete basic education tend to do the same.
Young students are more likely to perform poorly at school when their parents are not involved in their education.
Parents with poor literacy skills also cannot read to their children. Conversely, literate mothers and fathers can help their children with their homework, as well as read messages from their teachers. In this way, they can understand the school system in which their children engage, and guide and encourage them.
Notably, children from the poorest homes are almost a year behind their middle-class counterparts by the time they start school. In addition, children with parents who hold professional jobs had heard over 33 million words when they started school. Compare this to the 10 million words already learnt by children from disadvantaged groups. This has a significant influence on vocabulary growth and standardised test scores during children’s tentative years. It is not surprising then that we have such a poor school performance track record in the country. Bear in mind our already-high levels of unemployment, poverty and inequality. Many school learners come from these vulnerable households.
GETC: AET/ABET LLC (workplace literacy)
GETC: AET/ABET NQF 1 LLC teaches workplace literacy. These include reading, writing, speaking, active listening and learning. LLC skills also equip learners with two more important workplace literacy skills. These include communicating for work and connecting and working with others. GETC: AET/ABET LO also further develops these proficiencies. Meanwhile, mathematical literacy, the other fundamental GETC: AET/ABET NQF 1 learning area, teaches number skills. This is yet another important component of modern workplace literacy.
Poor workplace literacy skills cost companies significantly in lost productivity and profitability. This is due to time spent on correcting incorrect orders or processing refunds and lost customers due to poor communication. Valuable time and resources are also expended resolving internal problems and issues arising from miscommunication or misunderstandings. These very often lead to downtime; waste of company resources; and accidents.
Companies that invest in quality ABET programmes, the basis of this learnership, see noticeable direct cost saving through LLC training. This is in addition to other benefits – some of them more tangible than others. These include higher morale and loyalty among staff and improved participation in teams and meetings.
GETC: AET/ABET just the start
GETC: AET/ABET NQF 1 LLC and the other learning areas are just the start of a long learning journey.
Individuals have been equipped with foundational skills to continue gaining knowledge. This is especially important in today’s workplaces which are constantly changing. The EdEx 2023 survey corroborates this. The 800 executives surveyed estimated that 49% of existing skills will not be relevant in 2025. Moreover, 47% of leaders surveyed believed that their workforces were unprepared for the future workplace. The surveyed executives also estimate that within the next five years, their organisations would eliminate 50% of entry-level knowledge workers. These will be replaced with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. 79% of executives predict that entry-level knowledge work will no longer exist. This is considering that AI creates an entirely new suite of roles for employees entering the workforce. Furthermore, 56% of these executives believe that their own roles will be completely or partially replaced by AI. Refer to edX_Workplace_Intelligence_AI_Report.pdf.
GETC: AET/ABET for today’s workforce
GETC: AET/ABET NQF 1 LLC is for today’s workers who have to create, edit and read many documents on computers. The more literate individuals, the greater the chance that they perform jobs that require the use of computers.
As UNESCO notes, education improves understanding of new technologies and facilitates their diffusion and implementation. Without literacy, technological literacy is difficult to achieve. People who have strong basic literacy and numeracy skills, combined with advanced functional literacy, are valuable human capital. This is as industries further undergo the Fourth Industrial Revolution by harnessing digital technologies. These enhance their competitive edge by boosting productivity, efficiency, accuracy and safety. However, they are very reliant on a skilled workforce. As a country, we are struggling to adopt new systems and methods due to our low skills base.
A low skill base also impacts the economy in another way. The earning potential of individuals with poor literacy skills is limited. They can earn between 30% and 42% less than those individual with good literacy skills. In addition, there is very little scope for them to improve their dire situation. This is considering that they do not have the skills needed to undertake further vocational, occupational or academic training. Oftentimes, the income of a person with poor literacy skills stagnates ant throughout their working life. Individuals with these skills can expect their starting incomes to increase at least two to three times in their career.
Important GETC: AET/ABET LLC skills
Four important GETC: AET/ABET NQF 1 LLC skills are taught by this learnership.
The first is the ability to engage in a range of speaking and listening interactions for a variety of purposes. This study area contributes six credits towards the qualification. Refer to SAQA.
Verbal communication is important because it is the primary means of communicating with others. It is essential in many contexts. These include personal relationships; social interactions; and professional settings. In personal relationships, it helps to build trust; foster intimacy; and resolve conflicts.
Social interactions assist in establishing common ground; building rapport; and creating a sense of community. For example, discussions help people with different needs better understand one another and ensure that each person achieves their goals. Again, GETC: AET/ABET NQF 1 LO builds on this skill, complementing LLC studies. This is considering the subject’s focus on diversity appreciation especially in the South African context.
GETC: AET/ABET LLC verbal communication
GETC: AET/ABET NQF 1 LLC teaches all four verbal communication skill types.
This includes intrapersonal communication, the process of talking to oneself – either out loud or internally. Intrapersonal communication is often used for self-reflection; problem-solving; and decision-making. It helps us to better understand our own thoughts and feelings. This is in addition to being a valuable tool for personal growth and development.
LLC also teaches interpersonal communication skills. This is the process of communicating with one or more people. It is often used for social interaction; relationship-building; and collaboration. This type of verbal communication can be done in person or via telephone or the various video conferencing platforms. In today’s digitally connected world, all employees need to be able to navigate modern methods of communication. The COVID-19 pandemic drastically altered workplace collaboration. Rapid growth of various communication technologies was achieved in only 18 months. This would have otherwise taken a decade. Workplace messaging apps will continue to grow. Moreover, the number of apps – not just those that facilitate collaboration – will also grow within businesses. This makes integration and interoperability more important than any stage prior. Refer to The State Of Workplace Messaging 2024: Microsoft Teams, Google Chat, and More.
GETC: AET/ABET teaches effective communication
Moreover, GETC: AET/ABET NQF 1 LLC teaches effective communication in small groups. These comprise between three to 10 people. This type of verbal communication is often done to make decisions, problem solve and brainstorm. Notably, group communication also requires effective listening skills and the ability to collaborate with others.
Certainly, this learning area also covers public communication. This often involves preparing a speech or presentation to address a large audience. In many instances, its goal is to persuade an audience by advocating for a cause or presenting information. This type of verbal communication requires strong public speaking skills. Presenters must be able to engage and connect with the audience and communicate ideas clearly and convincingly. They also need to know how to use visual aids to make their presentations more engaging.
GETC: AET/ABET LLC active listening
GETC: AET/ABET NQF 1 LLC develops active listening skills, which are notoriously difficult to master.
An active listener makes a conscious effort to understand a speaker’s entire message. Thus, the listener resists the impulse to interject with comments or questions every time a speaker pauses. Moreover, active listeners provide clear signals that they are listening to what is being said. This involves the use of a range of verbal and non-verbal cues, such as nods, eye contact and simple utterances.
Active listening is important as it builds relationships and trust.
It also helps to solve conflicts. This is by encouraging us to see issues from different perspectives; recognise others’ feelings; and, generally, appreciate them. Active listening enables us to hear other people’s messages and progress towards a resolution. It also fosters a culture of respect.
Active listening also prevents us from missing important information that is being conveyed to us in the spoken word. By focusing on hearing the entire message, we are engaged at a higher level with speakers. This enables us to absorb more specific details from the interaction and recall them efficiently at a later stage.
Equipped with this communication skill, we can identify and anticipate problems. By seeking clarification on what is being communicated, we have an opportunity to gauge whether a problem exists. We also have a chance to verify that what is being communicated is, indeed, a warning of potential issues. In this way, we can develop a strategy to mitigate or even completely eliminate anticipated risk.
Importantly, active listeners develop their knowledge. Focusing more intensely to what is being said, enables them to assimilate information and better understand different topics. They can also remember more details about what was conveyed to them.
GETC: AET/ABET LLC reading comprehension
GETC: AET/ABET NQF 1 LLC teaches reading comprehension skills. This learning area counts six credits towards the qualification. Refer to SAQA.
Reading comprehension is the ability to read, internalise, understand and interact with text. To understand what we are reading, we must think critically and logically, while also using deductive reasoning skills.
Reading comprehension is not just about phonological awareness and reading words aloud. It also encompasses language skills, such as grammar, vocabulary and semantics to understand written messages. We also make inferences and form an opinion about the text that we read.
Good reading comprehension entails visualising images of the words that we just read. Individuals with good reading comprehension skills can make connections to previous knowledge as they read. In addition, they can comfortably answer comprehension questions and summarise parts of writing or entire text. Reading comprehension skills also enable opinions to be formed about certain occurrences in the text and group events in themes. Using these skills also allows us to provide a descriptive analysis without rereading the text.
Studying GETC: AET/ABET reading comprehension
Studying GETC: AET/ABET NQF 1 LLC reading comprehension provides many benefits.
Reading comprehension helps to improve writing skills. It exposes us to different writing styles. Insights into ways of communicating ideas in various genres builds vocabulary. This is in addition to improving knowledge of grammar and punctuation rules.
By actively engaging with text, we also improve our reading skills, including fluency and speed.
Reading comprehension also improves critical and logical thinking skills. This is by analysing and making sense of the information being read. Notably, reading comprehension entails habits of the mind (HOM). HOM is the disposition toward behaving intelligently when confronted with problems to which solutions are not immediately apparent. This helps us to reason and apply information to solve problems. Refer to (PDF) Habits of Mind in the ESL Classroom (researchgate.net).
Cognitive abilities also improve when we engage with complex literature and decipher the author’s intent. Refer to EJ1134476.pdf (ed.gov).
Reading comprehension also leads to increased empathy and understanding. As we read and comprehend texts, we develop our ability to see things from other people’s perspectives. In this way, we become more tolerant and understanding of others. This is also a skill that is further developed by GETC: AET/ABET NQF 1 LO and human sciences.
Active involvement in reading comprehension also helps us to remember better what we read. We embed information in our minds as we actively process it.
Reading comprehension also enhances concentration and focus. When we comprehend material that is being read, we better filter distractions and focus on the task at hand. Refer to the findings of this study EJ1134476.pdf (ed.gov). Studying a passage also compels us to read it very carefully.
GETC: AET/ABET LLC writing skills
GETC: AET/ABET NQF 1 LLC learners are also taught writing skills. This learning area counts six credits towards the qualification. Refer to SAQA.
Participants in the learnership learn how to write for professional development and personal growth.
Writing skills help learners to be more effective in daily life in various ways. This includes by developing their critical thinking skills as they learn to comprehend problems and communicate solutions.
Writing skills also develop organisational abilities. This is considering that writers have to arrange their thoughts in a chronological or coherent manner to convey messages. Again, GETC: AET/ABET NQF 1 LO further hones the organisational skills of learners.
Writing encourages us to explore our creativity and opens us to new possibilities.
It also the basis upon which meaningful relationships are started and maintained. This is via notes, letters and the plethora of social media platforms that involve written communication.
Writing also plays a critical role in career development. It starts at the hiring level. Cover letters remain an integral component of many hiring processes. Candidates who display excellent writing skills stand out in the application pool. Usually, candidates will already start communicating in writing with potential employers before they are asked to submit their resumes.
Good writing skills also enable us to maintain professionalism across email correspondences or other written exchanges. Responses riddled with mistakes or confusing and improper grammar do not portray professionalism or competence.
Sound writing skills enable us to communicate more effectively in the workplace. Using these skills, we can communicate updates, events and problems clearly and quickly.
GETC: AET/ABET LLC learning strategies
GETC: AET/ABET NQF 1 LLC learning strategies counts five credits towards the qualification. Refer to SAQA.
Learners are taught how to use language for problem-solving; decision-making; and creative, critical and evaluative thinking. This learning area promotes the role of language in cognitive and conceptual development.
Literacy is the foundation for all other academic, vocational or occupational knowledge and skills. Learning to read for meaning and write effectively facilitates shared knowledge, understanding, communication and critical thinking. This broader view influences our perception of the world and how it impacts us.
Literacy skills are critical to education. This is considering that they influence learners’ abilities to learn about challenging topics; communicate thoughtfully; and retain information.
GETC: AET/ABET NQF 1 learners
At the end of the course, learners must demonstrate that they have acquired GETC: AET/ABET NQF 1 LLC skills.
How speaking and listening strategies are used to communicate confidently for a variety of purposes and contexts will be evaluated. Learners will also have to demonstrate competence in the use of and response to language conventions and structures. This is to convey meaning and understanding in a variety of contexts.
They will also have to identify a variety of learning strategies and show how they are used to access and convey information.
Moreover, learners will be expected to read and respond to a variety of texts. In doing so, they must demonstrate critical awareness of their purpose, themes and contexts.
A range of texts will also be explored, planned and drafted. This is to reflect ideas, facts, opinions, different purposes, audiences and contexts in creative, expressive or imaginative ways.
Knowledge of language conventions and how they are used to organise texts in a logical and coherent manner will also be assessed. Learners will also have to explain and analyse them in terms of form and function.
Their verbal communication skills will also be assessed. This is by showing that they know how to use them to explain ideas. They will have to do this in a sequenced way and across a range of transactional situations. These include requests, apologies, role-players and by stating points of view.
Learners also need to identify non-verbal strategies and discuss their influence on listeners.
Moreover, they will have to demonstrate their proficiency in interaction skills. This is in addition to their critical awareness of the use of language style for various circumstances.
Learn more about Triple E Training and our GETC: AET/ABET NQF 1 learnership. www.eee.co.za