The Contribution of Language Supportive Teaching in Facilitating the Transition from Kiswahili to English Medium of Instruction in Form One: The Case of Morogoro Teachers’ College, Tanzania

Abstract

This study explored the Contribution of Language Supportive Teaching (LST) in the Transition from Kiswahili to English Medium of Instruction in Form One: The Case of Morogoro Teachers’ College. This study had four specific objectives; To assess the success of LST training in Morogoro Teachers’ College, to find out how LST works in secondary schools where graduates from the LST training in Morogoro are teaching, to determine how LST contributes to the transition from Kiswahili to English medium instruction, and to examine challenges which leaners experience after making the transition between primary and secondary schools. The study involved a sample of 8 respondents (i.e., 5 teacher educators) from Morogoro Teachers’ College and 3 secondary school teachers from the college; the researcher used descriptive design which used qualitative research approaches. Nonprobability sampling techniques such as purposive sampling was used to get the sample for this study. Data collection involved both primary and secondary sources and instruments such as interview guides were used. The study revealed that LST has contributed more towards the language of teaching, the training led to additional teaching skills to teachers, improved students’ English proficiency, improved English practices, strengthened students’ self-confidence in group discussion, teaching English language has been strengthened, pedagogical skills enhanced, and English Language Speaking Enhanced in Classroom Strengthened Students’ Ability to Communicate in English without Fear of Errors. Also, the study found that LST in secondary schools is implemented through the following ways; group discussion, collegial partnership, sentence structure and pronunciation, teaching aids and the use of students’ thinking language. The study also found that LST has improved students’ vocabulary, improved students’ reading in English language, improved students’ writing in English language, helped teacher’s new ways of supporting the mastery of subject content language, and helped to engage students in learning process.