The changing language policies and reversing language roles in Malawi: From colonial times (1891-1964) to the present

Moyo, Themba

doi:10.5785/17-2-1

Cited by 5 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…Language policies in Malawi have been widely criticised (Kamwendo 2004;Matiki 2001;Matiki 2003;Moyo 2001), partly due to the lack of research or planning to support their implementation. The most recent policy change has caused renewed debate in Malawi over which languages are suitable for use in education, as public attitudes towards the policy differ (Chiwanda 2014;Gwengwe 2014).…”

Section: Research Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

Attitudes towards English as a Medium of Instruction in Malawian Universities

Reilly

2019

English Academy Review

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Malawi's language-in-education policies have been through numerous changes since the colonial period. In 1996 a policy directive was announced which encouraged the use of the mother tongue in the early stages of education, before transitioning to English. However, this policy was never effectively implemented and, in 2014, an English-only policy was announced. This has resulted in renewed debate around which languages are suitable for use as mediums of instruction in the country. This article will discuss the Malawian language-in-education policy context, with a focus on university education and the prevailing attitudes which students and staff exhibit towards English. This will be done through an analysis of data collected through focus groups and interviews with students and staff in Malawian universities. The results show that, while English is viewed positively and as suitable for use within universities, it is not viewed uncritically and there are complex attitudes towards the language. English skills are viewed as a valuable resource; however, so too are multilingual language skills. Students and staff also display positive attitudes towards the use of a multilingual language policy in the university, suggesting that the recent policy changes in Malawi do not reflect stakeholder attitudes.

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Section: Research Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

Attitudes towards English as a Medium of Instruction in Malawian Universities

Reilly

2019

English Academy Review

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“…Therefore, mother tongue disability is a situation where an individual cannot speak or is unable to speak or understand his/her native language. Researches carried out by Moyo, (2001) and Nondo (1996) in Zimbabwe, revealed the negative attitudes by parents towards the African languages (mother tongue) that are passed on to sthe children. Parents of children at Wankie secondary school regarded Ndebele, their mother tongue as of no value to their children's lives since it did not render a person employable.…”

Section: The Effects Of Mother Tongue Disability On Socio-cultural Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Parents of children at Wankie secondary school regarded Ndebele, their mother tongue as of no value to their children's lives since it did not render a person employable. Parent's felt that English was more important and relevant to the future of their children and as such, they hardly spoke the mother tongue (Moyo, 2001;Nondo, 1996). This implies mother tongue disability.…”

Section: The Effects Of Mother Tongue Disability On Socio-cultural Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mother tongue disability and socio-cultural development in Nigeria

Omogho¹

2021

ijllc

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Mother tongue disability refers to some or total inadequacy in one’s native language. It implies a situation where individuals or groups of persons are unable to speak/ write their native language. This is a common phenomenon among Nigerian youths. As a result, research has shown there are over 450 indigenous languages in Nigeria, which may go extinct (Rotimi, 2012; Bankole, 2010). Colonization and the introduction of western civilization had often been blamed for mother tongue disability. However recent happenings indicate that factors such as the fast decreasing value for mother tongue and parental negative attitudes may be more responsible for mother tongue disability. The paper aims at explaining causes and effects of mother tongue disability in Nigeria and its consequences on socio-cultural development in the country. It concludes that the speaking, writing, as well as the understanding of mother tongue is beneficial for social solidarity, peaceful co-existence (without which there cannot be meaningful development), the maintenance of cultural heritage and values, and for the growth of the tourism industry.

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“…From standard 5 onwards, English would be the language of instruction with the national language of Chichewa and other languages, such as French, offered as a subject (US Embassy Malawi). However, the implementation of this policy has proven to be challenging, as teachers are not always familiar with the language of the community and adequate materials are not available (Kayambazinthu, 1998 as cited in Moyo, 2001). However, a 2013 Education Act 7 decreed that all primary school classes should be conducted in English.…”

Section: Theoretical Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In 1996, the government declared that standards (grade levels) 1-4 in primary school would be taught in their mother tongue, with English and Chichewa offered as subjects (Moyo, 2001). The mother tongue language of instruction for a particular school was determined as the "language commonly spoken in the area where the school is located" (Ministry of Education, 1996 as cited in Chilora, 2000).…”

Section: Theoretical Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Applying a Reading Program Based on Cognitive Science in Rural Areas of Malawi: Preliminary Results

Iyengar¹,

Karim²,

Chagwira³

2016

Journal of Education and Training Studies

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Reading fluency is a skill foundational to academic performance, and acquiring this skill in early grades is crucial. Throughout sub-Saharan Africa, reading levels of students are far below grade level, and Malawi is no exception. Research suggests that students, particularly in consistently spelled languages, acquire automaticity most easily by starting from individual letters, combining them in increasingly larger chunks, and getting plenty of practice in decoding them. Due to working memory capacity limits, students must attain a minimum reading speed in order to understand text. These concepts were tested in a rural district in Malawi. The study helps to explain the components of this science-based "learning package" needed for reading fluency. Volunteers held the classes in communities as an after school program for children from grades 1 to 5. The goal behind this innovative six-month program is students" recognition of all letters used in Chichewa language and progress in text decoding. This study helps to explain the various components of the learning intervention and the results show that there has been improvement in knowledge of letter sounds. This study uses an already tried and tested cognitive neuroscience model, which was contextualized and implemented in the Malawi setting.

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The changing language policies and reversing language roles in Malawi: From colonial times (1891-1964) to the present

Abstract: This article attempts to chart the language policies that Malawi has followed from colonial times

Cited by 5 publications

References 5 publications

Attitudes towards English as a Medium of Instruction in Malawian Universities

Attitudes towards English as a Medium of Instruction in Malawian Universities

Mother tongue disability and socio-cultural development in Nigeria

Applying a Reading Program Based on Cognitive Science in Rural Areas of Malawi: Preliminary Results

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