Across Africa, millions of children grow up speaking African languages at home but are later expected to learn through English, French or Portuguese at school. This transition can make learning difficult, particularly when learners are required to understand new concepts in a language they are still developing.
For example, in Namibia, learners switch from mother-tongue instruction to English in Grade 4 at the age of 9 or 10, a change that has been linked to poor reading comprehension and lower academic achievement (though national statistics are not available).
We are education researchers who study teaching and learning in rural contexts, with a particular focus on how the use of multiple languages can support reading comprehension. In a recent study, we looked at what was happening in Namibian primary school classrooms and found something encouraging. When teachers brought learners’ home languages into English reading lessons, children understood texts more deeply, participated more actively in class discussions and became more confident readers. Rather than seeing home languages as barriers to learning English, teachers used them as valuable tools for explaining new vocabulary, discussing ideas and helping learners make sense of what they were reading. As a result, learners were better able to engage with English texts and develop stronger literacy skills.
