A Conceptual Framework for Inclusive Pedagogy in South African Multilingual Higher Education Classrooms

Abstract

In addition to the linguistic diversity of South African nationals, the growing number of international students from other countries, especially from Africa, has made language-related issues in South African university classrooms more complex. The teaching-learning process is very challenging with linguistically heterogeneous learners with different symbols and meanings that influence the way they learn and could be a source of exclusion and a barrier to effective learning outcomes. Hence, this paper aims to shed light on strategies and practices contributing to engendering inclusive pedagogy in diverse classroom settings, especially in multilingual university classrooms. To address this, this literature review used secondary sources collected through an in-depth review of academic journals, books, and doctoral dissertations using Google Scholar. The textual analysis showed that enablers of inclusive pedagogy in South African multilingual higher education classrooms include translanguaging, continuous lecturer professional development on inclusivity, use of audio-visuals, continuous evaluation of lecturers and inclusive policies, providing learners with requisite skills, lecturers’ knowledge of learners’ diversity, and lecturer’s self-awareness and preparedness to deal with linguistically diverse learners. This resulted in a potential conceptual framework for inclusive pedagogy in multilingual South African higher education undergraduate university classrooms. The results have implications for language policy, practice, and research.