Parental Involvement in Language Education in Multilingual and Multicultural Contexts

Abstract

Using Bronfenbrenner's ecological system theory, this chapter explored possible challenges and opportunities imposed by parents in the language education and language use of their children in multilingual and multicultural contexts. It also discovered possible pedagogical implications from the challenges and opportunities imposed by parents in the teaching and learning of language in multilingual and multicultural primary schools in Lesotho. Data were collected through leaners' focus groups, teachers' interviews, and parents' interviews. It was collected from 18 students, 18 parents, and 5 teachers from the three regions of the country. It revealed parental guidance, fear of learning new language, multilingual dictionary, inviting language experts, teacher-training, and use of visual aids as the main findings of this study. It was then concluded that parents and/or other people who can play the role of a parent are sometimes involved in the language education of their children at primary level due to the nature of the ecological systems involved in the development of a child.