Grade 9 South African Sign Language (SASL) Home Language is a critical year for refining fluency, mastering visual literature, and understanding the linguistic structures of sign language. The curriculum places strong emphasis on “observing” (listening) and “recording” (speaking/writing) skills, ensuring learners can critically analyze visual texts and produce their own signed content. To ensure you stay on track with your signed presentations, literature studies, and recording tasks, it is essential to consult the full Grade 9 Annual Teaching Plans (ATPs).
This article outlines the 2026 SASL HL Grade 9 ATP, breaking down the weekly focus areas for teachers and learners, covering everything from Visual Analysis and The Creative Recording Project to the final End-of-Year Examinations.
Download ATP Here in pdf format
Download ATP HereSASL HL Grade 9 ATP 2026
The Annual Teaching Plan is divided into four terms, balancing observing, signing, visual reading, and recording skills with a deep focus on SASL linguistics.
Term 1: Visual Analysis and Narrative Recording
Focus: The first term introduces the critical analysis of advertisements and develops narrative skills through storytelling and essays.
- Observing and Signing:
- Advertisements: Analyzing target markets, positioning, and manipulative language in visual texts.
- Strategies: Using “Pre-observing,” “During observing,” and “Post-observing” techniques to infer meaning.
- Recording:
- Essays: Recording Narrative, Descriptive, Reflective, or Argumentative essays.
- Transactional Texts: Creating Advertisements or Posters with appropriate conventions (attention-grabbing techniques).
- Language Structures:
- Morphology: Noun-verb pairs (e.g., BROOM vs. SWEEP), compounds, and classifiers.
- Syntax: Nouns, adjectives, and indicating verbs.
Term 2: Journalism and Formal Reporting
Focus: Term 2 shifts to journalistic skills, requiring learners to observe news reports and produce formal reports and diary entries (vlogs).
- Observing and Signing:
- News Reports: Identifying the signer’s purpose, main message, and emotive language.
- Speeches: Analyzing prepared speeches for language use and features.
- Recording:
- Transactional: Recording a Diary Entry (Vlog) or a Formal Report using semi-formal/formal register.
- Essays: Continued practice with narrative and discursive essays.
- Literature:
- Visual Reading: Analyzing short stories and poetry for plot, characterization, and theme.
- Assessment:
- June Controlled Test: Response to Text (Literary/Non-literary, Visual, Summary, Language).
Term 3: The Creative Recording Project
Focus: Term 3 centers on the Creative Recording Project, where learners conduct research and produce a creative signed text based on a literature genre.
- Creative Recording Project:
- Research: Investigating a topic related to the literature studied (Poetry, Drama, or Folklore).
- Process: Planning, drafting, and recording a creative text based on the research.
- Presentation: Signed presentation of the project findings.
- Observing and Signing:
- Negotiation: Observing a negotiation scene and discussing conflict resolution.
- Interview: Recording an interview, using role shift to represent both the interviewer and interviewee.
- Language Structures:
- Morphology: Derivational and inflectional morphology.
- Verbs: Plain, indicating, and classifying verbs.
Term 4: Instructional Texts and Revision
Focus: The final term prepares learners for practical communication with instructional texts (directions) and revises all content for the final examinations.
- Recording:
- Instructions: Recording directions or instructions in chronological order using clear, concise signing.
- Meeting Procedures: Recording a meeting, assigning roles, and following correct meeting conventions.
- Language Structures:
- Adverbs: Time, manner, location, and intensification.
- Revision: Comprehensive review of phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics.
- Assessment:
- End-of-Year Examination:
- Paper 1: Observing and Signing (Project Presentation).
- Paper 2: Response to Text (Comprehension, Summary, Language).
- Paper 3: Recording (Transactional Texts).
- End-of-Year Examination:
FAQ: SASL HL Grade 9
Q: What is the Creative Recording Project in Term 3? A: This is a formal assessment task (Task 6) where learners research and record a creative signed text based on one of the literature genres studied. It counts 50 marks.
Q: How is “Reading” different in SASL HL? A: In SASL, “Reading” refers to Visual Reading and Viewing. Learners analyze signed texts (videos) or visual texts (cartoons/ads) rather than written English text.
Q: What are Noun-Verb pairs in Term 1? A: These are signs that are related in meaning and form but differ in movement. For example, the sign for BROOM (noun) might have a smaller, repeated movement, while SWEEP (verb) has a larger, single movement.