Limiting teaching to one or two languages in linguistically diverse schools can overlook learners’ linguistic diversity and can further marginalise languages that are less widely spoken in the school setting.

A recent journal article explores what happens when bilingual education is introduced in linguistically diverse under-resourced schools – and asks an important question: who is included when particular languages are selected for teaching, and who might still be left out?

The implementation of Mother tongue-based bilingual education in township schools highlights an important tension: language can be a tool for inclusion, while also creating or reinforcing exclusion.

• Bilingual education does not necessarily include all learners: Educators raised concerns that using one or two selected languages may exclude learners whose home languages are neither of these. Translation and code-switching may also fail to accommodate all learners when their home languages are not represented.
• Language choice can also create inclusion: When the language of instruction is in a language learners can fully understand, educators observed better engagement and participation, and increased peer-to-peer learning. This suggests that language is a tool for creating better access to engagement and learning.

This points to a difficult tension: a language choice can make learning more accessible for some learners while creating barriers for others.

Educators raised concerns that language choices can also create “language segregation”, where some learners are better accommodated than others because their language is prioritised.

The challenge, then, is not simply which home or dominant languages should be used, but whether the language chosen gives children meaningful access to learning.

Our Insights Brief: Assessing Fairly in Grade R: Home Language vs. English LOLT in ELOM-R Assessments, similarly highlights the importance of considering a child’s language and learning history when deciding how best to assess what they know and can do.

The findings suggested that home language alone may not always provide the fairest picture of a child’s knowledge or language preference. Practitioners’ should consider children’s language exposure history and, most importantly, their own language preferences when making assessment decisions.

How we choose languages for teaching and assessment matters — because language can shape what children are able to access, demonstrate and participate in.

Further reading:

Journal article: Mother tongue-based bilingual education in multilingual township schools: Exploring language inclusion criteria through educators’ narratives

DataDrive2030 Insights Brief: Assessing Fairly in Grade R: Home Language vs. English LOLT in ELOM-R Assessments: