They do not know much, but then, you have to cover the syllabus : the quality imperative – a dilemma for teachers in early grade multilingual classrooms in Kenyan primary schools
Date
2015
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch University, Department of Linguistics
Abstract
The centrality of language in any education system cannot be overemphasised. Wolff (2006: 50) sums this up by stating that “language is not everything in education, but without language everything is nothing in education”. As such, language mediates knowledge acquisition even when the content of education is not language. The question then arises as to which language is best to use in education. There are no straight answers to this, as education in most countries of the world takes place in multilingual contexts. In Kenya, the language-in-education policy supports the use of the learner’s first language as the language of instruction in the first three years of school. The policy, however, remains largely unimplemented for various reasons, among them the multiplicity of first languages that may be represented in one classroom. This article reports on some outcomes of a recently completed doctoral study that investigated teachers’ attitudes, skills and strategies in their management of linguistic diversity in multilingual classrooms. Specifically, the article reports on what informs teachers’ language choices and prioritisations beyond the policy rhetoric. The study disclosed that the language of examinations and textbooks, the pressure to cover the syllabus, and individual teachers’ language repertoires primarily determine which languages are prioritised and how they are used. The findings suggest that quality education for all may remain elusive in multilingual contexts until the language question has been adequately addressed.
Description
CITATION: Nyaga, S. K. 2015. They do not know much, but then, you have to cover the syllabus : the quality imperative – a dilemma for teachers in early grade multilingual classrooms in Kenyan primary schools. Stellenbosch Papers in Linguistics, 44:175-187, doi:10.5774/44-0-172.
The original publication is available at http://spil.journals.ac.za
The original publication is available at http://spil.journals.ac.za
Keywords
Language and education, Language and languages -- Variation, Language and languages -- Study and teaching, Language policy
Citation
Nyaga, S. K. 2015. They do not know much, but then, you have to cover the syllabus : the quality imperative – a dilemma for teachers in early grade multilingual classrooms in Kenyan primary schools. Stellenbosch Papers in Linguistics, 44:175-187, doi:10.5774/44-0-172