Translanguaging in Education in Multilingual African Spaces: Towards Sustainable Development
Abstract
Language is central to education; it serves as a tool for teaching, learning and social action. Consequently, the language used in the creation, dissemination and utilisation of knowledge ought to be appropriate to realise sustainable development. The reliance on foreign languages in education in multilingual African spaces has negatively affected her development. Using Kenya as a case, the study argues for translanguaging in education in multilingual African nations, for sustainable development. Specifically, it interrogates translanguaging in education, and its impact on engagement, comprehension, performance, and perception, both at the conceptual and practical levels, and it conceptualises futures where Kenya’s development is shaped through an education that makes use of translanguaging as an asset. This is a descriptive study, where in-person interviews, participant and non-participant observation techniques were used to collect primary data from Grade Six and Form Two learners, and their teachers in four Kenyan schools; three rural and one urban; from university learners and their lecturers in one Kenyan public university, and from practising graduates in the fields of Medicine and Law. Analysis is based on Translanguaging theory, the Linguistic Relativity hypothesis, and the Interactional Sociolinguistic theory. Findings show that embracing translanguaging in education triggers better teacher content delivery, increased comprehension and better academic involvement by learners, improved performance in academics, and better contribution to national development. The findings inform policymakers and implementers in multilingual African nations on matters of language, education and sustainable development; this is besides addressing the disconnect between research findings and practice.
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