Mother tongue as a medium of instruction in the foundation phase: A comparison of classroom reality with the South African language-in-education policy
South African Journal of Childhood Education
| Field | Value | |
| Title | Mother tongue as a medium of instruction in the foundation phase: A comparison of classroom reality with the South African language-in-education policy | |
| Creator | Cekiso, Madoda | |
| Description | Background: Research shows that mother-tongue instruction enhances reading comprehension, cognitive development, and self-concept. It also makes learning other languages easier by giving learners a solid foundation. These findings lend credence to the claim that mother-tongue instruction has a positive impact on learning outcomes.Aim: Thus, the goal of the current study was to compare the South African language-in-education policy requirements with the teachers’ experiences of teaching learners in their mother tongue.Setting: The study targeted two schools, with three groups per level (i.e. Grades 1, 2, and 3) in each school in the rural areas of the Eastern Cape province.Methods: A case-study research methodological design was used, and the study was qualitative in nature. Data were gathered through interviews with six foundation-phase teachers who were purposefully chosen. Cummins’ linguistic interdependence hypothesis was used as a framework for the study. Data analysis was done using content analysis.Results: The findings revealed that learners were unfamiliar with some isiXhosa home-language vocabulary, and other isiXhosa vocabulary challenges were associated with teaching numeracy. The results also demonstrated that learners had trouble pronouncing, reading, and spelling words in isiXhosa. The results also showed that teachers faced difficulties with translation because they were not trained to use their mother tongue as a teaching medium.Conclusion: As the learners at this level are not proficient in English, the study concluded that even though many foundation-phase teachers believe that learners comprehend English first additional language (EFAL) more than their mother tongue, this does not equate to using EFAL as a medium of instruction.Contribution: The study’s findings add to the body of knowledge showing that teaching in the mother tongue strengthens cultural identity and self-esteem and builds a strong cognitive and linguistic foundation. | |
| Publisher | AOSIS | |
| Date | 2026-03-06 | |
| Identifier | 10.4102/sajce.v16i1.1777 | |
| Source | South African Journal of Childhood Education; Vol 16, No 1 (2026); 9 pages 2223-7682 2223-7674 | |
| Language | eng | |
| Relation |
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:
https://sajce.co.za/index.php/sajce/article/view/1777/3693
https://sajce.co.za/index.php/sajce/article/view/1777/3694
https://sajce.co.za/index.php/sajce/article/view/1777/3695
https://sajce.co.za/index.php/sajce/article/view/1777/3696
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