English Home Language (HL) and English First Additional Language (FAL) are different English language levels in the DBE’s CAPS documents for the Intermediate Phase (Grades 4–6). They are not a simple way of sorting learners into “English mother-tongue” and “non-English mother-tongue” groups.
In these CAPS documents, Home Language and First Additional Language describe the proficiency level at which a language is offered. A school may offer one or two languages at Home Language level even when they are not the home languages of every learner enrolled there.
Quick answer: HL and FAL at a glance
| English HL | English FAL |
|---|---|
| English taught at the Home Language proficiency level. | English taught at the First Additional Language proficiency level. |
| Builds interpersonal and cognitive academic language skills, alongside literary, aesthetic and imaginative development. | Builds learners’ ability to use English for communication, learning, thinking and reasoning; it can also be used as a language of learning and teaching. |
| Includes Listening and Speaking, Reading and Viewing, Writing and Presenting, and Language Structures and Conventions. | Includes Listening and Speaking, Reading and Viewing, Writing and Presenting, and Language Structures and Conventions. |
| In the Intermediate Phase, the CAPS time-allocation table lists 6 hours a week. | In the Intermediate Phase, the CAPS time-allocation table lists 5 hours a week. |
What the labels mean
“Home Language” often connects to the language first acquired by a learner. But that is not the whole story in a school timetable. The CAPS documents say that Home Language and First Additional Language are labels for the level at which a language is offered, rather than a fixed statement about every learner’s native or acquired language.
That matters in multilingual schools. A learner can use one language at home and study English at First Additional Language level. In many South African schools, English is also used as a language of learning and teaching from Grade 4, so English FAL is designed to support communication and learning across the curriculum.
What learners do in both subjects
Both English HL and English FAL develop Listening and Speaking, Reading and Viewing, Writing and Presenting, and Language Structures and Conventions. The difference is the language level, the progression expected in the CAPS document and the way the programme supports learners’ use of English in school.
It is therefore misleading to describe FAL as only “basic communication” or to assume that it does not include literary texts. The FAL CAPS document includes reading, writing, thinking and reasoning in English, as well as engagement with literary texts in the Intermediate Phase.
Which English level applies at a school?
This is a school and learner-pathway question, not a career-choice quiz. The right starting point is the language subjects the school offers, the learner’s phase and the school’s language policy. Parents and learners should ask the school which English level is offered and how it is used in teaching and assessment before making a subject decision.
A school can explain its own language offering, subject choices and assessment arrangements. This CAPS123 page is a guide to the terms; it does not replace the school’s policy or the official DBE curriculum documents.
Official DBE documents
- DBE CAPS: English Home Language, Grades 4–6 (PDF)
- DBE CAPS: English First Additional Language, Grades 4–6 (PDF)
- DBE CAPS documents for the Intermediate Phase
CAPS123 explanation based on the DBE CAPS documents linked above. It is not an official DBE publication.