Abstract

This article examines the lecturers’ insights about their understanding of the curriculum of subject English offered in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges in South Africa. The article examines how lecturers interpret the subject English curriculum; what their understanding of the curriculum is; and what they regard as important knowledge to be selected, taught, and assessed in their classrooms. The study is guided by the pedagogic device to explain how the intended curriculum for English is designed and re-interpreted at various points of the recontextualization and reproduction process. The research is located within an exploratory interpretive paradigm, which utilizes a qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews to collect data. Findings indicate that the design structure of the curriculum failed to guide the lecturers in terms of unpacking approaches to the teaching of English and how to use them in teaching. The curriculum design failed to clarify the progression process and ways of aligning lesson planning with students’ occupational fields. The study provides guidance on realistic policy alternatives for the TVET sector, curriculum design, and teacher training.