The objectives of this study were to investigate existing theory regarding the conceptual learning of young learners and to determine what core concepts Grade 5 learners need to learn. An empirical investigation as to whether these learners were familiar with the mother tongue words for the identified core concepts in syllabuses and textbooks, and to investigate whether they could recede these concepts into English (the medium of instruction in their classrooms) was also undertaken. The role of conceptual awareness in learning was discussed based on Piaget's, Vygotsky's and Clark's theory. They explain how concepts and knowledge are acquired and also how language affects this process. Learners are required to know the concepts of what they learn and should recede the information or concepts into the language used for a specific learning task. In the case of this study it was English. The study revealed that many learners who were investigated in this study did not possess the knowledge to encode many of the core or broader concepts in Tshivenda, their mother tongue. Learners also seemed to learn some concepts and the English encoding for them simultaneously. The findings showed, however, that most learners in Grade 5 could not recede many of the concepts that they possessed in L1 into English the Mol. It was clear that many learners in this study were not ready to switch from mother tongue instruction to English Mol in Grade 5. Their lack of conceptual awareness coupled with the lack of adequate English proficiency to learn the subjects in English may have been influenced by a number of possible reasons. Some reasons that were suggested were the following: a lack of prior knowledge of concepts that occur in Grade 5 syllabuses and textbooks; poorly trained teachers who are unable to assist learners to create links between existing knowledge and new knowledge; poor socio-economic circumstances and illiteracy and teachers who may lack English proficiency and cannot teach all subjects confidently in English. Some implications for the findings were suggested such as the following: if teachers are aware of the demands made on the conceptual framework of learners and the possible limitations that• they have regarding their conceptual readiness to learn, intervention is possible. Much can be done regarding the strategies that teachers may employ to enrich, expand, reconstruct, revisit or adapt concepts for learning. Such strategies include visual scaffolding, an enriched conceptual and language programme and a planned and structured approach to teaching language across the curriculum. / Thesis (M.A. (Applied Language and Literary Studies))--Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, 2001

This study aims to investigate Namibian teachers’ attitudes towards English as a medium of instruction in Namibian classrooms. Regardless of the fact that English has no historical ties with Namibia, English still operates as the official language and the language of instruction in schools. This study briefly discusses the probable reasons for choosing English as an official language in Namibia, and as the medium of instruction in educational institutions. Furthermore, it discusses the attitudes that Namibian teachers have towards English as a medium of instruction in Namibian classrooms. A pilot electronic questionnaire, a revised questionnaire, and telephone interviews were used to acquire data for the study. The results indicate that English is a challenge for many learners and this poses a challenge to teachers as well. However, a majority of teachers from this study portray English as the language that is capable of uniting Namibian learners from different backgrounds, and a language that makes education possible in Namibia. In addition, teachers also reported that knowledge of English opens up educational opportunities for learners to study abroad.

Namibia is a country where the official language has been English since independence in 1990. There are different national languages in the country and a majority of the people do not have English as a mother tongue. Nevertheless, the language of instruction from fourth grade and onwards is indeed English. Consequently, for the majority of the population the education is in their second language. What this essay explores is the role English as a second language has as a medium of instruction and the implications it may have. It is a minor field study that was carried out with the help of a scholarship from SIDA (Swedish Agency for International Development Cooperation) and it took place in a school in Northern Namibia, April and May 2007. It is a qualitative study that explores the use of English among teachers and students as well as the transition from mother tongue instruction to English instruction and the implications that this can have for the quality of education. The reality of the Namibian students that have to study and perform in a second language is questioned and discussed from pedagogical and linguistic points of view. The results show that most pupils do not speak English before starting fourth grade. Furthermore, the sudden transition from mother tongue to English instruction creates some descent in the participation of the pupils and possibly in the learning, not only of the new language but also of the content subjects. As far as the teachers concern, there are positive but ambiguous opinions among them concerning English as a medium of instruction.

Masters of Art / Meaning in human relations has always been based on inferred similarities (Holyoak & Thagard,1995). We are quick to liken the new to an old type. In this study, South African bi- or multilingual citizens post-1994 are perceived to hold the same ethno-linguistic perceptions as their progenitors. This explains the growing amount of literature on bilingual language ideology which is dissected upon the language attitude and space table. Following the same line but from a different perspective, Rampton (1995, 1999, 2003) discusses the relativity involved in labelling a bi- or multilingual repertoire. He suggests that the performative act of a bilingual through his/her linguistic repertoire should be structured according to expertise (instrumental), affiliation(integration) or inheritance (ethnicity). Starting with a note on the attitudinal myth, and closing with possible implications for various educational strata, the research explores Rampton’s notions in a rapidly changing educational context and proposes a revised understanding of ‘appellation’ as a complementary concept, an agentive and non-essentialist form of approaching bi- or multilingual identity enactment. It asserts that each enactment is informed by and carries an element of one or all the other facets of the bi-or multilingual multiply identity. Central to the study’s argument is that a bi-or multilingual is not oblivious of the socio-cultural elements that come with each linguistic capital. So, while earlier literature on identity views appellation as ‘other- ascribed’ identity, this study defines appellation as the construction of ‘self’ using all the elements provided by one’s linguistic basket.Further, with its innovative use of spoken interactional data, the study is able to contribute to the ongoing research on the appropriate medium of instruction in the South African educational system. With a special focus on the primary stage, the study sheds light on the fluidity of bi- or multilingual identity formation and enactment inside and outside the classroom. It uses an analytical framework based on Conversation Analysis, the Ethnography of Speaking, Systemic Functional Linguistics, and Critical Discourse Analysis to test the fit of Rampton’s original categories of inheritance, expertise, and affiliation with learners’ actual conversations.In all, the study in a linguistically substantiated stance, argues for more situated perspectives on the mother tongue based educational policy.

The study explores the feasibility of using Shona as a medium of instruction in teaching Science in Zimbabwe. Although English has been the language of instruction since the advent of colonialism it has not been able to deliver for no tangible scientific and /or technological development has been seen in Zimbabwe. The research assumes that it is possible to achieve technical and scientific development in Zimbabwe using indigenous languages like Shona. It therefore seeks to find out if Shona can be effectively used to replace English as a language of instruction in the teaching of Science, achieving sound mastery of the subject in the process. In this research two grade four classes at Denzva School are studied. The classes are of the same size and academic potential. Their composition was systematical established after consulting the classes performance in the end of year grade three examinations. One group (the experimental class) is taught Science in Shona while the other group is taught Science in English. The two classes receive instruction in their usual classrooms and from one teacher, the researcher. In order to check mastery of content, the subjects write lessons and the researcher reviews tests in which individual pupil performance in the tests was recorded. The results of the two classes’ performance are compared and commented upon. It is then deduced if Shona is effective and better than English as a language of instruction. Further the prevailing language policy in schools and government departments as well as the attitudes of parents and teachers are investigated through the use of questionnaires and interviews. Views gathered are commented upon and general recommendations made. / African Languages / D.Litt.et. Phil. (African Languages)

Thesis (M. A. (English Studies)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / As a medium of instruction in the South African education system, English remains challenging even to tertiary students who are not fully exposed to it in their environments. Higher institutions of learning have responsively factored in English Language Support Courses (ELSC) which aim to help the students acquire essential language skills at the threshold of tertiary education. These support courses include English for Specific Purposes (ESP) and English for Academic Purposes (EAP) strategically developed in line with the needs of cohorts of students the institutions admit. The purpose of this study was to review ELSCs which have been taught at the University of Limpopo (UL) for a number of years, and to provide suggestions on how to address the shortcomings identified. The study followed a qualitative research approach using lesson observations and staff interviews to collect data. Findings indicate that the situation in ELSCs is dire in that lecturers seem to need more training regarding teaching in that context.

The importance of mother tongue-based bilingual medium of instruction in bilingual and multilingual classrooms has been evidenced in ample studies in different parts of the world including Ghana. However, studies on how bilingualism is carried out with respect to classroom displays in bilingual education is very scant and even none, as far as I know, in Ghana. Also, there is emerging research on teachers’ translanguaging practices in other parts of the world including South Africa but research on instructional use of translanguaging is yet to be conducted in Ghana. Therefore, this study examined kindergarten teachers’ bilingual practices with regard to classroom displays as well as their translanguaging practices at morning assembly in some selected schools in the Cape Coast Metropolis in the Central Region of Ghana. The study used the Ghanaian part of a secondary data that was sponsored by the New Civics Grants from the Spencer Foundation in the USA. Joint research team from the USA and Ghana collected these data in six kindergarten classrooms in each of the two countries. Even though the initial purpose of the study was to examine how classroom wall displays connected with young children's roles as apprentice citizens, repurposing it for this study was suitable because all the classrooms photographed are public schools that use the NALAP in their ECE classrooms. However, four schools participated because they used the local languages that I can read and write. Guided by the purpose, two research questions and two different data (photographs of classroom wall displays and video of morning assembly) were used. I used qualitative design through visual research method and Barbara Rogoff’s (1990, 2003) socio-cultural theory as my theoretical lens. The photo data was analyzed semiotically (Chandler, 2007, Semetsky, 2010, 2017) and used discourse analysis with the big “D” for the analysis of the video data (Gee, 2014, Gee & Handford, 2012). The findings indicated that all the schools except one had bilingually labeled displays among their classroom displays (though bilingual labeling was given less attention) with the major language pair for the bilingual labeling being English and Mfantse languages. It also came out that most of the bilingually labeled displays were posted within the eye level of the students. More so, with regard to the sign type, most of the bilingually labeled displays were iconic. Regarding the teachers’ translanguaging practices at morning assembly, the findings indicated that all the participating schools and teachers translanguaged during the conduct of their respective morning assembly. It was revealed that aside from using translanguaging as comprehension enhancer, it was also used as a downtoner as well as alienation tool linguistically. However, the findings showed that English only displays far dominated both the bilingual labeling and translanguaging practices of the teachers. Based on the findings, the study recommended that ECE colleges of education in Ghana should include knowledge and skills for bilingual labeling in their pre-service preparation since the nation is a multilingual state. Also, pedagogical use of translanguaging should be included in teacher education curriculum so that teachers would be intentional about its usage in instruction delivery. In addition, higher education like University of Cape Coast (UCC) and University of Education, Winneba (UEW) which are the main trainers of teacher educators in the country need to develop curriculum for bilingual teaching with attention to effective design and use of bilingual labeling and training manuals for ECE teachers on the effective use of bilingual labeling and pedagogical use of translanguaging in Ghanaian ECE education. More so, there should professional development on the effective use of bilingual classroom display as well as translanguaging for in-service teachers in Ghana so to promote the academic achievement of the bi/multilingual students Ghanaian schools serve.

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.

<p>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&rsquo / 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.</p>

<p>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&rsquo / 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.</p>