This research study deals mainly with the influence of the medium of instruction on throughput at the Vaal University of Technology. The underlying hypothesis driving this research, is that learners at the Vaal University of Technology will tend to underachieve during their period of study, largely because the medium of instruction and assessment is not their first language, but a second or even a third language. The assertion is that learners on tertiary level can only perform academically well if they have gained a certain level of competency in their mother tongue, to ease the difficult process of acquiring the second language English, which is the main medium of instruction at the VUT. For most human beings language is the medium through which knowledge is transferred or negotiated. The success of this interaction is determined by the effectiveness of communication. Thus it would be fair to say, that if the means of communication is inappropriate, there will be little or no language transfer. Further, it seems logical that before any other considerations are made with regard to teaching and learning, the instrument which enables this interaction should first be in place. The research aims are: to determine the influence of a second language as medium of instruction on academic performance, to establish the nature of the support system which might facilitate the advancement of learners not prepared for the academic demands of university, to determine what can be done to address the problem and provide possible recommendations for improved academic performance. In order to attain the abovementioned research aims, a literature review and an empirical investigation were undertaken. The literature study discussed the role which the medium of instruction has played in the history of South African Education. The South African Language Policy, before and after 1994, was then reviewed. Parent and learner choice in respect of the choice of medium of instruction was then considered. The findings of the empirical study have shown that the medium of instruction has a remarkable influence on learners' proficiency and eventual performance in their content subjects. The empirical research was conducted by using a questionnaire in order to obtain data on relevant variables as indicated by the literature study, as well as identify barriers perceived by students that hamper their academic progress. Descriptive statistics, such as frequencies, were used to summarize the data. Marks from the compulsory language test at the institution were also taken into account in order to establish learners' English language proficiency. This data, together with students' marks, were interpreted in the empirical analysis. The target population for this study consisted of L1 and L2 students who registered in 2004 and will have completed their studies in 2006, as well as students having completed in 2007. The population consisted of both female and male students from the Faculty of Visual Arts and Design. In the last chapter, Chapter 6, conclusions from the literature review and empirical investigation were drawn. Recommendations for further research were provided which stressed the need for developing an appropriate training course for L2MI (Second Language Medium of Instruction) content subject teachers. Effective training in L2MI is one of the most important factors in improving the level of academic literacy in South African learners. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2009.

This research study deals mainly with the influence of the medium of instruction on throughput at the Vaal University of Technology. The underlying hypothesis driving this research, is that learners at the Vaal University of Technology will tend to underachieve during their period of study, largely because the medium of instruction and assessment is not their first language, but a second or even a third language. The assertion is that learners on tertiary level can only perform academically well if they have gained a certain level of competency in their mother tongue, to ease the difficult process of acquiring the second language English, which is the main medium of instruction at the VUT. For most human beings language is the medium through which knowledge is transferred or negotiated. The success of this interaction is determined by the effectiveness of communication. Thus it would be fair to say, that if the means of communication is inappropriate, there will be little or no language transfer. Further, it seems logical that before any other considerations are made with regard to teaching and learning, the instrument which enables this interaction should first be in place. The research aims are: to determine the influence of a second language as medium of instruction on academic performance, to establish the nature of the support system which might facilitate the advancement of learners not prepared for the academic demands of university, to determine what can be done to address the problem and provide possible recommendations for improved academic performance. In order to attain the abovementioned research aims, a literature review and an empirical investigation were undertaken. The literature study discussed the role which the medium of instruction has played in the history of South African Education. The South African Language Policy, before and after 1994, was then reviewed. Parent and learner choice in respect of the choice of medium of instruction was then considered. The findings of the empirical study have shown that the medium of instruction has a remarkable influence on learners' proficiency and eventual performance in their content subjects. The empirical research was conducted by using a questionnaire in order to obtain data on relevant variables as indicated by the literature study, as well as identify barriers perceived by students that hamper their academic progress. Descriptive statistics, such as frequencies, were used to summarize the data. Marks from the compulsory language test at the institution were also taken into account in order to establish learners' English language proficiency. This data, together with students' marks, were interpreted in the empirical analysis. The target population for this study consisted of L1 and L2 students who registered in 2004 and will have completed their studies in 2006, as well as students having completed in 2007. The population consisted of both female and male students from the Faculty of Visual Arts and Design. In the last chapter, Chapter 6, conclusions from the literature review and empirical investigation were drawn. Recommendations for further research were provided which stressed the need for developing an appropriate training course for L2MI (Second Language Medium of Instruction) content subject teachers. Effective training in L2MI is one of the most important factors in improving the level of academic literacy in South African learners. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2009.

This literature review explores the global trend towards implementing English as a medium of instruction in the form of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) and English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) in countries where English is not an official language. Additionally, the essay analyses stakeholders’ perspectives on English language instruction and Extramural English (EE).This is done in a European and Swedish context to explore CLIL, EMI and EE possible effects on proficiency on English and mother tongue from a language hierarchy, second language motivational and egalitarian perspective. The results of the review indicate that further research regarding CLIL, EMI and EE is essential to improve CLIL and EMI education in a European and Swedish context.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / The question as to which language should be used as a medium of instruction in schools in multilingual societies is a controversial one. In South Africa, the question is often posed in binary terms: Should the medium of instruction be a familiar local language such as Xhosa or a language of wider communication like English? This study is an attempt to answer the above question. The study profiled the writing abilities of Grade 4 and Grade 7 pupils at Themba Primary, a school located in Khayelitsha in the Western Cape, in both their mother tongue, Xhosa, and in English, their official medium of instruction at school since Grade 4. Three written tasks, which consisted of a narrative piece of writing, a reading comprehension exercise, and an expository piece of writing, were administered to the pupils in English and Xhosa. The purpose of the exercise was to examine some of the implications for educational language policy of the differences in performance in the two languages. All the tasks were authentic, in that they were based on aspects of the pupils' curriculum and written in the formal academic language pupils were expected to be exposed to in their respective grades. All the tasks were graded systematically under controlled conditions. / South Africa

This PhD thesis, which is presented in the mode of published articles, explores the differentiating factors of a High Academic Achievement Program at a public technological university in Spain and how they can affect the definition of the university strategies. The Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), launched in the 2010-11 academic year the High Academic Achievement Groups ("Grupos de Alto Rendimiento Académico", from now on ARA Groups), characterized by a good number of courses taught using English as a medium of instruction, a small number of students in the class, and highly qualified teachers. English taught courses are a global phenomenon, associated to improved English language and internationalization skills, but it raises concerns about learning outcomes and equity (Dearden, 2014). The purpose of this study was to assess the first promotion (2010-2014) of this program at the five university bachelor degrees of the UPV that offered it. We wanted to analyze if this action has had any impact on a set of variables related to academic outcomes, international exchange programs, and business internships of the participating students in comparison with the rest of students of these degrees and hence, on their employability upon graduation. The sample consisted in the total of 3,543 students of the five degrees offering this innovation, of which 560 belonged to the ARA Groups. The first article "Effects of business internships on students, employers, and higher education institutions: a systematic review" (Sanahuja Vélez, G., and Ribes Giner, G., 2015) was published by the Journal of Employment Counselling on September 2015. The second publication consists of a Book Chapter published by Springer International Publishing on January 2017: "Intrapreneuring within a higher education institution: Introducing virtual business internships" (Sanahuja Vélez, G., Ribes Giner, G., Moya Clemente, I., 2017) in Entrepreneurial Universities (Peris-Ortiz, M., Alonso Gómez, J., Merigó Lindahl, J. M., and Rueda-Armengot, C., Eds.). The third publication is a "Systematic review of English Medium of Instruction (EMI) in higher education institutions. The case of a Business School", presented as a conference at the 2nd Seminar on Learning Internationalization: English Medium of Instruction (EMI) of the Centro de Lenguas of the Universitat Politècnica de València (March 30 and 31st, 2017) and which is currently being reviewed for its publication in its international journal. The fourth research work is the article "Enhancing student internationalization and employability in a Business School", which is presently been given full consideration for publication at the Journal of Business Management and Business Economics. The fifth article presents the core results of the empirical part of this research work and it is entitled: "Introducing a High Academic Achievement Program in a Technological University as a Social Innovation Mechanism to Enhance Graduates' Employability". This paper is currently given full consideration for publication at the journal Technovation. The overall conclusions of our research allow us to conclude that, from the academic point of view, the objectives of the High Academic Achievement Groups of the UPV were met, as results show that academic performance was enhanced. Our results also show that participation into exchange programs, at the School of Business Administration and Management and in the UPV as a whole, was almost four times higher in the ARA groups. Having in mind that better grades and international experience are directly linked to future employability and mobility of graduates, it is expected that these graduates will have a superior reception in the labor market. / Esta tesis doctoral, que se presenta en el formato de artículos publicados, explora los factores diferenciadores de un Programa de Alto Rendimiento Académico en una universidad politécnica pública en España y cómo pueden afectar al diseño de estrategias universitarias. La Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) implementó en el curso 2010-11 los Grupos de Alto Rendimiento Académico (Grupos ARA), caracterizados por un alto número de asignaturas impartidas en inglés, un número pequeño de estudiantes por clase y profesores altamente calificados. El uso del inglés como medio de instrucción (EMI) es un fenómeno global, asociado a la mejora de los conocimientos del idioma inglés y de las habilidades interculturales, pero plantea algunas preocupaciones sobre los resultados sobre el aprendizaje y la equidad (Dearden, 2014). El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la primera promoción (2010-2014) de este programa en los cinco títulos de grado universitario de la UPV en los que se ofertaron los Grupos ARA. Queríamos analizar si está acción ha tenido algún impacto en distintas variables relacionadas con los resultados académicos, los programas de intercambio internacional y las prácticas en empresas en los alumnos participantes, en comparación con el resto de alumnos y en consecuencia, en su empleabilidad al graduarse. La muestra consistió en un total de 3.543 estudiantes, de los cuales 560 estaban matriculados en los grupos ARA y el resto, 2.983, en los grupos regulares. El primer artículo, titulado "Efectos de las prácticas en empresas en estudiantes, empresas e instituciones de educación superior: una revisión sistemática" (Sanahuja Vélez, G., Ribes Giner, G.), fue publicado por el Journal of Employment Counseling en septiembre de 2015. La segunda publicación consta de un capítulo de libro publicado por Springer International Publishing en enero de 2017: "Intraentreprendedurismo dentro de una institución de educación superior: las prácticas en empresa virtuales" en "Entrepreneurial Universities" (Peris-Ortiz, M., Alonso Gómez, J., Merigó Lindahl, J. M., and Rueda-Armengot, C., Eds.). La tercera publicación es una "Revisión sistemática del inglés como medio de instrucción (EMI) en instituciones de educación superior. El caso de una Facultad de Administración y Dirección de Empresas", presentada como Conferencia en el 2º Seminario de Internacionalización del Aprendizaje: Inglés como Medio de Instrucción (EMI) del Centro de Lenguas de la Universitat Politècnica de València (30 y 31 de marzo de 2017) y actualmente en revisión para su publicación en la correspondiente revista internacional. El cuarto trabajo de investigación es el artículo "Promocionar la internacionalización de los estudiantes y la empleabilidad en una escuela de negocios" (Sanahuja Vélez, G., Ribes Giner, G., Moya Clemente, I.), que actualmente se considera plenamente para su publicación en el Journal of Business Management y Business Economics. El quinto artículo presenta los principales resultados de la parte empírica de este trabajo de investigación y se titula: "Introducción de un Programa de Alto Rendimiento Académico en una Universidad Tecnológica como Mecanismo de Innovación Social para Mejorar la Empleabilidad de los Graduados" (Sanahuja Vélez, G., Ribes Giner, G., Moya Clemente, I.). Este artículo ha sido enviado a la revista internacional Technovation y en la actualidad está siendo revisado para su publicación. Como resultado de nuestra investigación empírica podemos destacar los factores diferenciadores de los Grupos ARA, que son: un mayor rendimiento académico de los estudiantes, una mayor participación en programas internacionales, además de una participación en prácticas en empresas sin diferencias significativas respecto a los demás grupos, todo lo cual conduce a una mayor empleabilidad y movilidad. / Esta tesi doctoral, que es presenta en la forma d'articles publicats, explora els factors diferenciadors d'un Programa d'Alt Rendiment Acadèmic en una universitat politècnica pública a Espanya i com poden afectar la definició de les estratègies universitàries. La Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), va implementar en l'any acadèmic 2010-11 els "Grups d'Alt Rendiment Acadèmic" (Grups ARA), que es caracteritzen per un bon nombre de cursos que s'imparteixen utilitzant l'anglès com a mitjà d'instrucció (EMI), un petit nombre d'estudiants a la classe, i mestres altament qualificats. L'EMI és un fenomen global, associat a la millora dels coneixements d'anglès i de la internacionalització, però planteja preocupacions sobre els resultats de l'aprenentatge i l'equitat (Dearden, 2014). El propòsit d'aquest estudi va ser avaluar la primera promoció (2010-2014) d'aquest programa en els cinc graus universitaris de la UPV que en que s'hi va oferir. Vam voler analitzar si tenia algun impacte sobre diverses variables relacionades amb els resultats acadèmics, programes d'intercanvi internacionals i pràctiques en empreses dels 3.543 estudiants matriculats, dels quals 560 pertanyeren a eixos nous grups, i per tant en la seva futura ocupabilitat. El primer article "Efectes de les pràctiques en empreses en els estudiants, empresaris i institucions d'educació superior: una revisió sistemàtica" (Sanahuja Vélez, G., Ribes Giner, G.), va ser publicat per la revista Journal of Employment Counselling al setembre de 2015. La segona publicació consta d'un capítol de llibre publicat per Springer International Publishing, al gener 2017: "Intraentreprendurisme dins d'una institució d'educació superior: Presentació de les pràctiques virtuals en empreses" en "Entrepreneurial Universities" (Peris-Ortiz, M., Alonso Gómez, J., Merigó-Lindahl, J. M., Rueda-Armengot, C., Eds.). La tercera publicació és una "Revisió sistemàtica de l'Anglès com a mitjà d'instrucció (EMI) en les institucions d'educació superior. El cas d'una Escola de Negocis", presentada com conferència al 2ón Seminari sobre "Learning Internationalization: English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI)" del Centre de Llengües de la Universitat Politècnica de València (30 de març i el 31 de 2017) i actualment en revisió per a la seva publicació a la corresponent revista internacional. El quart treball d'investigació és l'article "Millora de la internacionalització i l'ocupabilitat dels estudiants a una Facultat de Negocis" (Sanahuja Vélez, G., Ribes Giner, G., Moya Clemente, I), que en l'actualitat ha rebut plena consideració per a la seva publicació al Journal of Business Management and Business Economics. El cinquè article presenta els principals resultats de la part empírica d'este treball d'investigació i es titula: "Introducció d'un Programa d'Alt Rendiment Acadèmic en una Universitat Tecnològica com a Mecanisme d'Innovació Social per Millorar l'Ocupabilitat dels Graduats" (Sanahuja Vélez, G., Ribes Giner, G., Moya Clemente, I.). Este article està en l'actualitat essent revisat per a la seva publicació a la revista internacional Technovation. En este article s'explora el paper d'un programa d'Alt Rendiment Acadèmic (Grups ARA) en una universitat tecnólogica pública espanyola, com a mecanisme d'innovació social, a fi de crear valor afegit en termes d'ocupabilitat. Les conclusions generals de la nostra investigació ens permeten afirmar que, des del punt de vista acadèmic, es van complir els objectius dels Grups d'Alt Rendiment Acadèmic de la UPV, ja que els resultats demostren que el rendiment acadèmic dels alumnes participants s'ha millorat. Els nostres resultats també demostren que la participació en programes d'intercanvi, a la Facultat d'Administració i Direcció d'Empreses i en la UPV en el seu conjunt, va ser gairebé quatre vegades més gran en els grups ARA. Tenint en compte que el rendiment acadèmic i l'exper / Sanahuja Velez, G. (2017). Differentiating factors in ARA Groups(groups of high academic achievement) and its effects on the definition of university strategies [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/86184 / TESIS

Thesis (M.A. (English Studies)) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / Sufficient English vocabulary in language learning is a fundamental tool for academic success in Further Education and Training (FET). In every school where English is the medium of instruction, learners are anticipated to be proficient and competent in English. This is a target language for content comprehension and content engagement for academic success. The aim of the study was to explore the vocabulary deficiencies of English First Additional Language (EFAL) learners at a selected public high school in Limpopo Province, South Africa. A mixed method approach was used to accumulate the qualitative data and quantify the results. The study used a purposive sampling for the population of twenty (20) EFAL learners and one (1) EFAL teacher. The data collection methods in the study incorporated criterion-referenced test, semi-interviews, and a focus group discussion. The data was analysed thematically. The findings show that EFAL Grade 10 learners have challenges with EFAL vocabulary deficiencies, which causes academic failure, delay, and school drop-out. The implication is that strategic interventions are required to eradicate the vocabulary deficiencies of EFAL Grade 10 learners in the selected school. The limitation of the study is that it sampled a small population which does not reflect the predicament of every EFAL Grade 10 learner. However, the findings have shown that vocabulary deficiencies is a challenge for EFAL Grade 10 learners.

Thesis (M. A. (Translation Studies and Linguistics)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / This study provides the guidelines for the implementation of a mandatory African language course for first-year students at the University of Limpopo. The study utilised a phenomenological design to help participants to understand the need for a compulsory language course. Most importantly, the study aimed to understand the meanings that the participants ascribed to the importance of the course on campus at large. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews from 8 participants from the University of Limpopo. The sample size comprised of postgraduate students studying African language modules at the university, lecturers in African language modules, namely, Sepedi, lecturers in Tshivenḓa, and in Xitsonga. This study tested Language Management Theory (LMT) by Neustupny and Jernudd (1970). The study clarifies the meaning of section 4 (4.8) of the University of Limpopo’s language policy. Furthermore, this study brought the concept of ‘multilingualism’, as used in the setting of the University of Limpopo, into critical focus. This study recommended language module content needed at the University of Limpopo. Finally, the findings of the study show how students benefit from completing an African language course. The researcher suggested a compulsory African language module for all first-year students as a means to promote the use of African languages in academia. Furthermore, the study recommended that the language chosen by the students should not be their home tongue.

The current language policy in education in Malawi allows pupils to be taught through local languages form Standard 1 to 4 and through English from Standard 5 upwards. However, classroom observation suggets that teachers use Chichewa as the language of learning even in areas where Chichewa is not the home language of the majority of pupils. Surveys indicate that generally parents feel that their children would be learning better if they started learning through English earlier than in Standard 5. This study was conducted with a view to finding out whether English is the most appropriate language of learning for senior primary school children in Malawi. The study specifically addressed the question of whether or not the use of English as the language of learning in Social Studies resulted in better academic performance among Standard 7 pupils in Malawi. The study also addressed the question of whether the use of English as the language of learning increased pupil participation in the learning process and whether the use of Chichewa as the language of learning favoured Chichewa home language pupils more than Chiyao home language pupils. The findings suggest that primary school children in Malawi are not linguistically prepared for instruction through the medium of English. Standard 7 pupils, the target of the study, found it difficult to learn Social Studies through English although they had had three years of English as the language of learing. Their participation in academic work was hampered by their limited mastery of the language. Pre-test and post-test results show that Standard 7 pupils receiving instruction through Chichewa obtained higher scores than those who were taught in English. When Yao and Chewa children were taught together through the Chichewa medium, the Yao children scored as well as their counterparts whose home language was Chichewa. Thus the study suggests that the use of Chichewa benefited both groups while the use of English seemed to retard their performance. These results imply that the language policy in Malawi and the way teachers are currently trained to teach English in primary schools need to be re-examined and reviewed. / English Studies / D.Litt. et Phil. (English)

Previous studies have shown that teachers and students using English as the medium of instruction (EMI) in science classrooms encounter many language challenges with teaching and learning processes. Problems include the limited English communication skills of science teachers, the lack of EMI training for science teachers, the students' different language abilities and science teachers' beliefs that they are not responsible for addressing students' language needs in science. Teachers' lack of language awareness has led to poor teaching practices and limited interactions in the classrooms. This lack of language awareness, in turn, suggests that there are limited opportunities for students to learn English as a second language in the science classroom. This study extends the research on EMI classroom interactions in Hong Kong (Lo and Macaro, 2012) to the previously unexamined context of senior secondary science classrooms. A total of 19 teachers and 545 students from grades 10 and 11 EMI science class were recruited in Hong Kong from 'early-full EMI' schools (full EMI instruction from grades 7 to 12) and 'late-partial EMI' schools (Chinese medium from grades 7 to 9 and partial EMI instruction from grades 10 to 12). The project used multiple sources of qualitative data (i.e. semi-structured interviews and 33 videotaped classroom observations) to explore the similarities and differences in classroom interactions during the first and second years of the senior science curriculum (grades 10 and 11) in the two types of EMI schools. This project also investigated these science teachers' and students' perceptions of EMI teaching and learning processes, their preference of instructional language and their beliefs about teaching and learning in the EMI environment. Interviews also probed teachers' language awareness, teachers' and students' belief about EMI, students' self-concepts in science (students' perceptions or beliefs about their ability to do well in science, see Wilkins, 2004)) and their perceptions of language challenges and coping strategies in EMI classrooms. The results from the observational data show similar interactional patterns in both early-full and late-partial EMI science classrooms when measured as percentages of interaction time, distribution of time between teacher and student talk and frequency of pedagogical functions. However, the nature of the interactions is different. In late-partial EMI schools, overall, there are more (but shorter) student initiations and responses, more use of higher-order questions from the teachers but less direct feedback to students. Both teachers and students tend to use their L1 more. In both types of schools, there was less interaction time and a lower maximum length of student turns and more L1 use in grade 11 than in grade 10. The discourse analysis of the four biology lesson transcripts also shows that both early-full and late-partial EMI students predominantly produced incomplete sentences consisting of short, technical nouns or noun phrases referring to scientific items. Science teachers rarely made any attempts to correct their students' language mistakes, nor did they encourage students to produce a complete sentence. This lack of teacher feedback on students' L2 language production perhaps reflects the fact that EMI science teachers rarely provide comprehensible input to facilitate students' L2 language learning. These findings suggest the important role of the teacher's modified input in teacher-student interaction in developing students' content knowledge and language skills. The adoption of EMI appears to lead to the development of students' comprehension of content knowledge more than development of their language production skills. As a result of their language shortfalls, the students' L2 productive skills remain under-developed despite English instruction. This lack of language support by teachers appears to indicate a gap between the aims of the EMI policy and its implementation. The interview and questionnaire data show that the science teachers from both the early-full and late-partial EMI schools held many of the same views about their EMI teaching experiences, but they differed in their attitudes towards the value of English language skills and their language awareness. The early-full EMI teachers believed English language skills were important and these early-full teachers have a higher language awareness than the late-partial EMI science teachers. Students from both types of schools also held similar views about their EMI learning, indicating that they welcome the adoption of EMI instruction. However, while the late-partial EMI students see EMI as an opportunity to improve their English, those in the early-full EMI schools believe that EMI discouraged them from learning. By providing an evidence-based, pedagogically focused analysis of teacher and student classroom interactions and their perceptions, this research sheds light on ways to improve the quality of instructional practices in different EMI classrooms in Hong Kong and in similar contexts around the world.

The current language policy in education in Malawi allows pupils to be taught through local languages form Standard 1 to 4 and through English from Standard 5 upwards. However, classroom observation suggets that teachers use Chichewa as the language of learning even in areas where Chichewa is not the home language of the majority of pupils. Surveys indicate that generally parents feel that their children would be learning better if they started learning through English earlier than in Standard 5. This study was conducted with a view to finding out whether English is the most appropriate language of learning for senior primary school children in Malawi. The study specifically addressed the question of whether or not the use of English as the language of learning in Social Studies resulted in better academic performance among Standard 7 pupils in Malawi. The study also addressed the question of whether the use of English as the language of learning increased pupil participation in the learning process and whether the use of Chichewa as the language of learning favoured Chichewa home language pupils more than Chiyao home language pupils. The findings suggest that primary school children in Malawi are not linguistically prepared for instruction through the medium of English. Standard 7 pupils, the target of the study, found it difficult to learn Social Studies through English although they had had three years of English as the language of learing. Their participation in academic work was hampered by their limited mastery of the language. Pre-test and post-test results show that Standard 7 pupils receiving instruction through Chichewa obtained higher scores than those who were taught in English. When Yao and Chewa children were taught together through the Chichewa medium, the Yao children scored as well as their counterparts whose home language was Chichewa. Thus the study suggests that the use of Chichewa benefited both groups while the use of English seemed to retard their performance. These results imply that the language policy in Malawi and the way teachers are currently trained to teach English in primary schools need to be re-examined and reviewed. / English Studies / D.Litt. et Phil. (English)