Language of instruction in education in Africa: How new questions help generate new answers (original) (raw)
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Language of Instruction in Africa - the Most Important and Least Appreciated Issue
International Journal of Educational Development in Africa
This article deals with the language of instruction, also called ‘the least appreciated of all the major educational problems’. It shows how little attention is paid to this issue in donor policies as well as in the recent ‘World Bank education strategy 2020’. Donors to education in Africa seem to focus on learning outcomes but they do not see that in order to improve learning outcomes, a key focus must be on support to the development and use of the most appropriate language of instruction and literacy from the learner’s perspective. The article discusses the ‘quality’ of education and the point is made that quality of education cannot be separated from the important question of which language should be used for education. Retaining the former colonial languages as languages of instruction may serve a small elite but works to the disadvantage of the majority of Africans. The language of instruction is a powerful mechanism for social stratification, increasing inequalities. Towards ...
SAPIENTIA FOUNDATION JOURNAL OF EDUCATION, SCIENCES AND GENDER STUDIES, 2020
This paper explored some issues involved in the use of mother-tongue as a medium of instruction to boost the education of an African child. It provided conceptual and theoretical frameworks which showed that language choices are never made in a vacuum; rather they are influenced by a plethora of factors, including the purely educational and linguistic, which are often overwhelmed by political, social and economic expediencies. It also made reference to some relevant literature on the issues raised. The paper then examined the arguments for and against mother-tongue as a medium of instruction, especially at the early stages of education. The conclusion arrived at by the paper is that the use of mother-tongue as a medium of instruction is desirable and is a boost to the education of the African child. Based on the conclusion, it was recommended, among others, that Government should sponsor in-service training for pre-primary and primary school teachers on use of mother-tongue as a language of instruction; ensure that language policy is implemented in order to preserve the African culture; provide funds for the development and acquisition of culturally-relevant materials to promote culturally relevant teaching. Also, the Ministry of Education should ensure that schools comply with language of instruction policy (which states, in respect of Nigeria, that mother-tongue should be the medium of instruction in pre-primary and lower primary schools); organize workshops for writing and publication of culturally-relevant materials in all local languages; ensure that culturally-relevant learning materials are produced to promote culturally-relevant teaching-learning; and ensure that education policies are fully implemented.
Mother tongue and education in Africa: Publicising the reality
Multilingual Education, 2014
Varied realities surround the use of mother tongue education in Africa. These realities are entrenched in the attitudes and misconceptions that have gone unchallenged due to inadequate literature on the successful use of mother tongues in the classroom and beyond. The realities discussed in this paper include the frustrations of children introduced to education in a foreign language; misconceptions about the success of mother tongue education; educational benefits of mother tongue education; and mother tongues and enhanced economic opportunities. The foci of this paper are the success stories from Africa and the economic benefits in the use of the mother tongue in creative media or economies. These success stories are a way of getting to stakeholders to invest in mother tongue education for there are returns on such investment. The stories are also a way of challenging scholars to get out of the conference rooms and do something gainful with the mother tongues.
The language of education in Africa: The key issues
1997
As a result of their colonial past, African children are still educated predominantly through the medium of a foreign language. The author explores the historical, political and socio‐economic background to this situation, and examines its advantages and disadvantages. Since the foreign languages (mainly English, French and Portuguese) are major international languages, they help in the transfer of science and technology.
Language and Education in Africa: Answering the Questions
Language and Education in Africa: Answering the Questions
Many serious questions are being asked regarding language and education issues in Eastern Africa today. This document has been written in an effort to help provide answers to at least some of those questions. The issues addressed in this document are grouped around four themes: the pedagogical, the linguistic, the institutional and policy-related, and the sociopolitical.
Rethinking the place of African indigenous languages in African education
International Journal of Educational Development, 1999
Using Kenya as a case study, the paper demonstrates how indigenous African languages have suffered delegitimization and devaluation in education both in colonial and post-colonial Africa. Ethnographic data from Kenya are presented to show how the use of English as the medium of education contributes to differential educational treatments. It is argued that this leads to the perpetuation of social inequalities. The paper advances the argument that indigenous African languages should be given greater emphasis if education in Africa is to contribute to the much needed social, economic and political transformation. The paper makes suggestions as to how indigenous African languages in education can be introduced/strengthened.
The long spell of colonial rule in Africa, might have, temporarily, solved the problem of communication between African countries themselves, on the one hand, and these countries and the rest of the world, on the other. However, this created a complex linguistic situation on the ground that African governments have, since, been unable to solve. And as a result, national educational systems are constantly on the limp and need urgently to be revamped, but the burning question is: how? Africa is home to thousands of languages and idioms. These numerous languages can, tentatively, be classified in the following manner: 1- Tribal language: an autochthonous idiom spoken by the members of a given tribe only. Unfortunately such languages are in imminent danger of extinction. 2- Community language: a native language used by several tribes in a given geographical area. 3- National language: a native language or languages used within a given country for communication and cultural purposes. 4- Trans-national language: a native language or languages used in more than one country, such as Pular, Swahili, Wolof, etc. 5- Official language: a foreign language or languages imposed by colonial powers as a lingua-franca for use in administration, business circles, trade and schools: such as French, English, Portuguese, etc. It is a known fact that the issue of mother tongue in education in Africa is saddled with pitfalls and drawbacks, even if many African countries have, seemingly, devised waterproof strategies to promote the use of such native languages in school curriculum. And as if the actual situation of mother tongues is not complex and intricate enough, globalisation is adding more salt to injury by insidiously pressuring people, through the magic of ICT, to drop altogether their “useless” native languages as well as some colonial languages for the English language. The present paper will attempt to shed light on and discuss the situation of mother tongues in the African educational systems from such angles as: - Establishment of true national curricula; - Textbooks; - Teacher training; - Language policy; - Literacy, etc. and aim at painting the true picture of the situation both in some North African and Sub-Saharan countries that were colonised by France the last century, given, somewhat, that the colonial educational legacy is similar.