Language policy in Ghana and Malawi: differing approaches to multilingualism in education

Abstract

Despite substantial international evidence that children learn best in a language which they understand, language-in-education policies in much of Africa do not effectively accommodate the range of languages found in the classroom, instead prescribing dominant national languages and/or colonial languages such as English. Further, these language policies continue to reflect a monoglossic conceptualisation of languages and do not adequately account for the multilingual repertoires of individuals and communities. They do not reflect an understanding of the ways in which multilingual language practices could be harnessed for education. This article provides a comparative overview of the policy context in Malawi and Ghana, at the levels of legislation, practice, and attitudes. Through interviews, questionnaires, classroom observations, and classroom recordings in primary schools, we highlight the multilingual realities of educational spaces in each country. We highlight that, despite different sociolinguistic and legislative contexts, there are similarities between these contexts which emerge as important factors when considering multilingualism within education.

�Languages don�t have bones, so you can just break them�: rethinking multilingualism in education policy and practice in Africa

“…In education, this monolingual, one language at a time approach to schooling is present in all contexts discussed in this volume. In addition to the examples given above, we see that alongside English, dominant regional languages are prioritised in Ghana and a single language, Chichewa, is prioritised in Malawi (see also Reilly et al 2022). An approach to language-in-education policy which is built on monolingual foundations will always necessitate the choice of which single language to choose, which inevitably results in multilingual practices being side-lined and marginalised.…”

“…However, explorations of the practice of translanguaging in the context of Africa are also increasing (cf. Lüpke et al 2021;Madiba 2014;Childs 2016;Guzula et al 2016;Bagwasi 2017;Makalela 2016a;2016b;Erling et al 2021;Makoni & Pennycook 2006; see also Reilly et al 2022;Weidl 2022, this issue). Given the multilingual ecologies within Africa, translanguaging is particularly apt for conceptualising the language practices found on the continent (Makalela 2016a) and, as García et al (2021) write, translanguaging is a way to understand the vast complexity and heterogeneity of language practices, avoiding their conception as problems and their evaluation in the negative terms of the colonial imaginary line that values only those socially situated as being above and making invisible those assigned to being below.…”

“…A regional approach to what is considered-or assumed-to be learners' home languages means that children with different first languages are also marginalised or overlooked by policy. In education, we still see the dominance of a single regional language followed by another language of wider communication (see also Kula & Mwansa 2022, this issue;Reilly et al 2022).…”

“…The contribution by Reilly et al (2022) provides a comparative discussion of the Malawian and Ghanaian contexts. They trace the historical changes to language policies in each country, highlighting the monoglossic ideologies on which they are based.…”

Minoritised languages, education, and technology: Current practices and future directions in low- and middle-income countries

“…Although it is worth noting that in practice, such policies might not be fully implemented (e.g. in Malawi), thus failing to deliver the promised multilingual education (Reilly et al, 2022).…”