Mother Tongue Education Research Articles

MOTHER TONGUE TEACHING AS A PRIORITY IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF EDUCATION: THE SWEDISH EXPERIENCE FOR UKRAINE

The article outlines the legislative and regulatory framework for ensuring mother tongue teaching in the context of Ukrainian realities, identifies valuable educational practices of mother tongue teaching in Sweden, and on this basis identifies possible recommendations taking into account Ukrainian realities at the legislative, regulatory, organizational, and pedagogical levels. By using a range of research methods, the article presents important aspects of the problem of mother tongue teaching in Ukraine: the content analysis method allowed to determine the priorities of mother tongue and multilingual education based on the study of legislative resources, documents issued by UNESCO, the Council of Europe, etc.; through theoretical analysis clarified the essence of the concepts of «mother tongue education» and «mother tongue teaching»; application of the scientific extrapolation method enabled to identify opportunities for mother tongue teaching in Ukraine based on the experience of Sweden. The following educational practices of mother tongue teaching based on the experience of Sweden can be valuable for Ukraine: recognizing a single state language at the state level; ensuring conditions for the development of multilingualism; conducting regular monitoring studies on the problems of mother tongue teaching and studying support for multilingualism in education; need to improve the quality of bilingual teacher training based on in-depth mastery of the resource wealth of the mother tongue and languages of national minorities; development of informal mother tongue education for children and adults.
 Keywords: mother tongue teaching; mother tongue education; multilingual education; Sweden, Ukraine; bilingual teachers; language policy.

Factors Affecting Implementation of Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL), Ethiopia Project on Children Learning in Benishangul Mother Tongue as A Medium of Instruction: The Case of Assosa Zone

The purpose of this study was to establish the factors affecting the implementation of SIL, Ethiopia project on children learning in Benishangul mother tongue language as a medium of instruction at primary schools in Assosa zone. The target population of this study included school leaders, students, parent teacher association, mother tongue teachers and experts of pilot schools and Woreda of SIL, Ethiopia project including regional education bureau. The total population in the study was 1,594. A descriptive research design was adopted. Data was analyzed qualitatively through content analysis. Quantitative data was first coded then analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The study revealed that factors such as training, language policy and strategy, human, financial and materials resources, involvement and attitudes of stakeholders towards mother tongue education were affect the implementation of SIL, Ethiopia project on the Children learning in Benishangul mother tongue languageas a medium of instruction in Assosa Zone. Based on the finding this study recommended that especial attention should be given for teachers in provide in service training to build their capacity for effective implementation of SIL, Ethiopia project on mother tongue education. Keywords: Mother tongue, Implementation, SIL DOI: 10.7176/JLLL/94-01 Publication date: December 31 st 2022

Rhetoric, and the Swedish high-school mission for democracy

ABSTRACT Following legislation in 2010, all Swedish teachers, at all levels, had a double mission: to teach democracy as well the content of their subject. This mission was seen as troublesome by evaluating authorities, among others. In the latest state curriculum, rhetoric has re-emerged as a central element of Swedish mother-tongue high school education and is also seen as troublesome. In this article we will try to show how it may be feasible to combine these two elements: first, by working with the democratic mission, the rhetorical tools will facilitate and favour the preparation and execution of democratic activities; second, the rhetorical tools and concepts may be highly beneficial in the necessary meta-reflection of school activities supporting the democratic mission. Working with rhetoric means working with the foundations necessary for democracy. Since all mother-tongue teachers are obliged to teach rhetoric, it could also be used for the democratic mission.

Translanguaging in a Northern Sotho classroom: A case study of Khelobedu-speaking learners and their teachers in the Foundation Phase in Mopani District

Previous research has established that translanguaging can be utilised as a resource for bilingual or multilingual children to accomplish specific communicative goals. However, translanguaging in South African classrooms is presently not generally accepted as a legitimate classroom strategy by Curriculum specialists, nor has it been sanctioned in teacher training. Therefore, teachers in Bolobedu are not really at liberty to use the local language, Khelobedu, in the classroom despite didactic benefits associated with using the local language as a medium of instruction. This study aimed to explore the cases of translanguaging in a Northern Sotho classroom by teachers and Khelobedu-speaking learners. In exploring such, the study aimed to investigate the extent to which translanguaging was used in the Foundation Phase classrooms and, the didactic consequences of such practice in the classrooms in Motupa circuit. The study utilised a case study design with quantitative and qualitative components. A purposive sample of four Foundation Phase Northern Sotho teachers and 129 learners was used to collect data. Four classroom observations were conducted at one selected primary school in [ blinded ] District and content analysis was used to analyse data. The findings of this study indicated that translanguaging is widely used by Northern Sotho Foundation Fhase teachers and considered successful in minimizing learners’ miscomprehension of the lesson. Furthermore, the study revealed that also learners employed translanguaging in the Northern Sotho classrooms. Learners were found to enjoy lessons and were actively involved throughout the activities that were performed in class when translanguaging was used. Contribution: The most outstanding feature of this article is that it makes a plea to those responsible for language policy formulation in South Africa that mother tongue instruction is a right even for those learners who do not speak standard languages. The article reveals the challenges faced by Khelobedu Foundation Phase learners who do not learn in their mother tongue but are forced by the South African Language in Education Policy which dictates the language used in disseminating knowledge in schools. This article further posits that translanguaging is a suitable teaching strategy for a multilingual country like South Africa and should therefore be placed at the centre of classroom practice in South Africa.

华文教育组织与中华文化传承—以马来西亚华文独立中学为例

摘要华文教育组织是以开展华文教育、传承中华文化为目的的统筹协调组织，其中包括华文学校。在海外，华文学校历来是传承中华文化的重要支柱，也是当地华族的文化堡垒。华文学校能够根据青少年儿童的年龄特征，系统地及循序渐进地进行母语母文化教育，因而能够最有效地传承中华优秀文化。马来西亚华文独立中学（简称独中）是由马来西亚民间华人社会所赞助、维持和创办的中学总称。华文独立中学的创办就是要肩负着发展中华民族母语教育和传承中华民族文化，培育民族子女，为国储才的教育任务。华文独立中学坚持以华文为主要教学媒介和使用华文教材，确立了华文中学是华文小学教育的延续，也是一贯的母语教育系统。文章按照组织文化的层次理论，以华文独立中学为研究对象，着重分析华文独立中学组织文化的内部结构与中华文化的传承关系。华文独立中学的组织文化的内部结构可分为物质层文化建设、行为层文化建设、制度层文化建设和精神层文化建设。通过分析各层的文化建设，可以窥探各层文化如何通过建设华文独立中学的组织文化来传承、传播中华文化。华文独立中学的组织文化建设与中华文化传承有着密切关系，可对“一带一路”建设中的民心相通产生促进作用。关键词：华文独立中学;传播中华文化;组织文化;文化建设;民心相通 AbstractThe Chinese Education Organization is a coordinating and coordinating organization forthe purpose of carrying out Chinese education and inheriting Chinese culture, including Chineseschools. Overseas, Chinese schools have always been an important pillar for the inheritance ofChinese culture and a cultural fortress for the local Chinese. Chinese schools can systematicallyand gradually carry out mother tongue and mother culture education according to the agecharacteristics of teenagers and children, so they can most effectively inherit the excellentChinese culture. Malaysian Chinese Independent Secondary School (referred to as theIndependent Secondary School) is the general name of the secondary schools sponsored,maintained and founded by the Malaysian civil Chinese society. The establishment of HuawenIndependent Middle School is to shoulder the educational task of developing the mother tongueeducation of the Chinese nation, inheriting the Chinese nation's culture, cultivating the childrenof the nation, and serving as the national reserve. Chinese independent secondary schools insiston using Chinese as the main teaching medium and using Chinese teaching materials,establishing that Chinese secondary schools are the continuation of Chinese primary educationand a consistent mother tongue education system. According to the hierarchy theory oforganizational culture, this paper takes Chinese independent middle school as the research object,and focuses on analyzing the internal structure of Chinese independent middle school'sorganizational culture and the inheritance relationship of Chinese culture. The internal structure of the organizational culture of Chinese independent middle school can be divided into materiallevel culture construction, behavior level culture construction, system level culture constructionand spiritual level culture construction. By analyzing the cultural construction of each layer, wecan see how each layer of culture inherits and spreads Chinese culture by building theorganizational culture of Chinese independent middle schools. The organizational cultureconstruction of Chinese independent middle schools is closely related to the inheritance ofChinese culture, which can promote the people-to-people bonds in the construction of the "Beltand Road".Keywords: Chinese independent middle school; dissemination of Chinese culture; organizationalculture; cultural construction; people-to-people bonds

Hungarian Beyond the Border1 On the Contexts of Education, Bilingualism, and Labour Market in the Early 21st Century. The Transylvanian Perspective

Abstract Borders are particular (in-between) spaces: they have this side and the other side, which involve several real and imaginary spaces at the same time. For minorities, “beyond the borders” is also a specific space of language use. This paper discusses the correlations between minority bilingualism and social structure characteristics based on sociological surveys, taking as approach the sociology of space and John Ogbu’s ecological cultural model of schooling. It aims to offer an overview of my research carried out on this topic and tries to provide some references for rethinking the sociological implications of minority education considering the experiences of three decades since the fall of communism in Romania. The main results of this research – in concordance with other findings of similar inquiries – show that a mother-tongue education for ethnic Hungarian children in Romania is a necessary but not sufficient condition for reducing the structural gap that Hungarians in Transylvania have inherited from the 20th century. This study is centred on the aspects of interrelation between the language of education and labour market, more specifically on those linked to the attitudes and patterns of behaviour towards the official language, with particular focus on the role that languages play in the society and, in a narrower sense, in self-positioning on the labour market.

LANGUAGE DISCUSSIONS AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON THE EDUCATIONAL AND PEDAGOGICAL PROCESSES OF TRANSCARPATHIA IN THE 20-30S OF THE XX-TH CENTURY

Learning the state language by representatives of national minorities of Ukraine contributes to the full realization of their constitutional rights, maximum integration into all spheres of social life, employment and competitiveness, etc. The experience of settling linguistic issues in the conditions of multiculturalism was also gradually formed in Transcarpathia, this was especially noticeable in the XX-th century, the first half of which was marked by state-territorial changes in the subordination of Transcarpathian lands to various countries, which resulted in the introduction of educational and language policies that determined the capabilities of the local population regarding the study of state and national languages. This article is devoted to the study of the influence of language discussions on educational and pedagogical processes in Transcarpathia in the 20s and 30s of the XX-th century. The methods are content analysis of historical, historical-pedagogical, archival and reference sources on the researched problem; a problem-chronological method for studying the dynamics of the influence of language discussions on educational processes and ensuring mother-tongue education in Transcarpathian educational institutions. The article examines the influence of language discussions on educational and pedagogical processes in Transcarpathia in the 20s and 30s of the XX-th century, when it was part of the Czechoslovak Republic. The Czechoslovak government implemented a democratic educational policy and established the right of Subcarpathian Rus to have independent legislative powers in matters of language and education. During this period, the number of schools with the Ruthenian language of instruction increased rapidly, which required updating the content of education, creating new textbooks, etc. An overview of the process of determining the variant of the literary language in the context of disputes between representatives of the Ruthenian, pro-Ukrainian and pro-Russian trends was carried out. It was determined that the main confrontation took place between pro-Ukrainian and pro-Russian trends, each of which used its own grammars, created pedagogical societies and periodicals, on the pages of which it defended its views on language, education, etc. Special attention is paid to the language plebiscite of 1937, which was held at the initiative of the Czechoslovak government on the subject of choosing a variant of grammar, which should be used to organize the learning process in educational institutions of the region. The language debate was put to an end by the recognition by the Autonomous Government of Subcarpathian Rus in 1938 of the Ukrainian language as the state language, as well as the language of education and training.

Mother Tongue Instruction: Between Assimilation and Multicultural Incorporation

For many students with migrant backgrounds and newly arrived students, their mother tongue is not only a knowledge and a school grade issue, but also a reflection of their identity and a sense of belonging, which are shaped by political structures. In this article, we analyze the role of mother tongue in Swedish policy documents and the way teachers and students see the role mother tongue in two Swedish schools: how do school professionals and students view the importance of mother tongue? What measures are taken to encourage the mother tongues of students with a migration background and newly arrived students? What are the implications of and obstacles to studying one’s mother tongue? We will look at levers of integration where school staff, as well as policy documents, encourage modes of incorporation, but also do identify obstacles concerning the practice of mother tongue instruction. Our article shows that although students long for a double cultural belonging, the policy documents are ambiguous and create an unclear promise for migrant students and their mother tongue teachers concerning multicultural incorporation. In practice, they have little evidence that maintaining their cultural background represents a strong value in Sweden. Ambiguous attitude towards mother tongue can be seen as a symbolic response to Sweden as a country which took a turn regarding its migration policy. The integration of residents with a migrant background is constantly questioned in the media and became a central issue in political debates. The implementation of mother tongue instruction reflects Sweden’s current state of discussing migration concerning integration policies somewhere between recognition and stigmatization. The data are drawn from student interviews, interviews with mother tongue teachers, and field notes in two schools in one of the biggest cities in Sweden.

The development of social intelligence in students during the lessons of the Kazakh language through educational dialogue

In this article, detailed opinions of classroom teachers in Kazakh language teaching to improve spoken speaking teaching are sought. ‘Dialogue speech’ was defined by the creator of the concept as speaking, interaction and communication. The dialogue method used in teaching Kazakh language as a lesson is to determine the effectiveness of students' social skills. One of the most effective ways to improve speaking skills in mother tongue teaching is rightfully dialogue. The importance of dialogic speech as a form of communication is justified by the necessity of human interaction. This research determines the views of university students on social responsibility studies. Qualitative method was used in the research. This study was created with 82 classroom teachers in the fall semester of 2021–2022. The questions were prepared and applied in the form of semi-structured interview questions. The data obtained from the research were analysed descriptively. The study group of the research consists of 82 classroom teachers working in public schools. As a result of the results obtained from the research, it is stated that teaching with dialogue is effective on students.
 Keywords: Kazakh, language teaching, teacher, dialogue, teaching, classroom teacher, development;

THE ROLE OF MTB-MLE ON CULTURAL HERITAGE PRESERVATION OF MANSAKA LEARNERS

This study used a qualitative-ethnographic research design to find out how Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education influenced the preservation of the cultural heritage of the Mansaka learners in Tandawan Elementary School, New Bataan Compostela Valley Province. The study revealed the vital role of MTB-MLE on cultural heritage preservation especially in Mansaka language. It played an important role in cultivating the quality of learners’ education as well as in preserving the vitality of their language. Mansaka students were suffering from lack of academic achievement and losing their innate eagerness for learning when subjected to schooling because of culturally insensitive educational system. High dropout rates and sense of mistrust were the manifestations concerning the assimilationist and culturally insensitive educational system to which the failure of these indigenous students had been subjected. However, results from this study suggested that the learning materials would be in the context of the end-user. The provision of Mother-Tongue Education gave impulse to efforts at uplifting and sustaining the local and indigenous languages. Mansaka is one of these languages that must be uplifted, especially in the forms of their textbooks and teaching materials. KEYWORDS: mother tongue-based multilingual education, Mansaka learners, Mansaka language, Cultural heritage, ethnographic research, Philippines

Methods and appreciations for holistic teaching of the mother tongue: from the expansion of teacher linguistic awareness to the multimodal corpus

The present work investigates perspectives, models and pedagogical and didactic tools applicable to the teaching of the mother tongue, through bibliographic research of comparative and contrasted referents to generate a dialectic between the macro-discourses that Permian the configuration of the linguistic contents. The finding behind these inquiries is the comprehensive description of these trends for future mother tongue teachers, to clarify terminologies and define a few more concepts and models that remain amorphous today.

Turkish Mother Tongue Instruction in Sweden

Home language education has a long tradition in Sweden and includes the teaching of Turkish to children who grow up bilingually with Swedish as their societal language and Turkish as their home and heritage language. The present paper characterises Turkish mother tongue instruction (MTI) and discusses its current status in the light of Swedish language policy, as it is reflected in official documents (legislation, policy papers and curricula) vis-a-vis its practical implementation by the municipalities. The paper also presents findings from a research project on Turkish-speaking preschool and primary school children and their families, concerning MTI attendance and attitudes towards Turkish, as well as on the experiences of Turkish MTI teachers in a Swedish setting.

South Korea’s Cultural Policies towards its Diaspora Citizens

South Korean society has diaspora communities living in various countries outside the homeland and the diaspora’s reasons for departing vary. Today, South Korea’s engagement with its diaspora is increasing and the government is pursuing policies to strengthen bonds between the diaspora and the homeland. South Korea strives to make its diaspora citizens feel its presence in many fields, from media to politics, and from cultural studies to education. Through various education programs, second and third generation citizens, who have never lived in South Korea, are given the opportunity to do so. In this study, how South Korea supports its diaspora and how it performs this support are explained through six selected institutions. The research uses a literature review of previous academic studies and data from the official websites of the selected institutions. The history of South Korea’s diaspora formation and the beginning of South Korea’s cultural activities for its diaspora are discussed in the study. The functioning of these activities is discussed through selected institutions. These institutions provide support the to the diaspora in various fields, such as culture, mother tongue teaching, and education. Support given in the field of education is more than in other fields.

Language Policies Directed At Borchali and South Azerbaijan Turks and Mother Tongue Problem

Language is an important factor that constitutes national identity. Language policies have become a state structure that aims to unite peoples under state rule, as well as organize and reorganize their lives. The establishment of a political central authority that dominates the society’s thoughts through language is the most essential element of social construction processes in the new world order. This study examines the current situation of Azerbaijani Turkish in Borchali (Georgia) and South Azerbaijan (Iran) from socio-political and sociolinguistic perspectives. In this context, language policies, language planning and language rights, and monolingualism with its assimilationist characteristics, are included in the theoretical framework for the first part of this research. The second part explains the language policy implemented in Georgia and discusses the mother tongue education problems faced by minorities. Data on language policy practices in Iran, the position of Azerbaijani Turkish against the titular language, and the problems related to South Azerbaijan Turks’ right to education in their mother tongue are interpreted in the third part. In the last section, attention is drawn to the role of language policy in Azerbaijan’s multi-culturalism model, as a solution method for the aforementioned problems.

A Prospective Survey of Native Population’s Attitude towards Mother Tongue Based Multilingual Education (MTBMLE) and Fulfulde as Medium of Instruction in the Far North Region of Cameroon

This paper sets out to investigate the attitude of native peoples of the Far North Region of Cameroon towards the prospects of a MTBMLE and the use of Fulfulde as a medium of instruction (MOI) in the primary school of the region. The data were collected through a survey using a set of close-ended questions in a questionnaire administered to more than 467 informants. Some interviews were also conducted to gain more insight into the opinion of the population toward this educational paradigm. The findings show there is some support for the use of mother tongue and French in a transition model and there is stark support for primary school education in mother tongue and French but not Fulfulde as a substitute for French. In fact, there seems to be strong opposition to the idea of using Fulfulde as MOI in nursery school with natives of other ethnic groups. There is a mixed opinion regarding the use of ethnic language from year one to three and the use of the mother tongue to teach maths. This research points to the fact that indigenous languages still suffer some stigma.

The New National Education Policy and Teaching of English as a Second Language: Revisiting Grammar Translation Method

Even as the implementation of the New Education Policy gets underway in India, with its radical paradigm changes such as imparting instruction in mother tongue/ home language/ local language/regional language until at least Grade 5, and its emphasis on multilingualism, the subject of Teaching English as a second language calls for a fresh perspective and approach. This paper argues that, given the unsuccessful course of the communicative model of TEOSL in India, The Grammar Translation Method (GMT), in a modified form which incorporates spoken English and a few other features of the communicative method, can prove highly efficacious in making our students proficient in the use of English language.

Mahakavi Bharathi, The Forerunner of the National Education Policy

According to Bharathi's educational ideas, everyone can get an equal status in society through education. He lays down the curriculum to include basic writing, mathematics, history, geography, astronomy, religious-based education, economic education, inquiry-based science, political science, handcraft industry, agriculture, business, physical education, and field trips. He insists that mother tongue education is the best for education. He wants to develop the necessary vocabulary for science subjects. Female education is essential for national liberation. Education should be given to women as equal to men. He says that only then will there be equality. Industry, agriculture, commerce, and many other professions should be taught during education and uplift the community it belongs to. It will also help to uplift this country. As a sign of education, he advises empathy for simplicity, anger for smallness, and making those lower in status equal to him. Education about nationality, legal education, and physical education should be made compulsory. Education should be an expression of students' self-reflection. Bharathiyar has expressed all the above as educational thoughts through his poetry, essays, letters, journals, and lectures. The aim of this article is to show that Bharathi's educational ideas were the forerunners of today's national education policy.

Attitudes of University of Botswana humanities students to mother tongue education

In 1953, UNESCO advocated for mother tongue education, particularly at primary school level. Many countries took heed of this advocacy. However, Botswana has not yet implemented this at any level. Against this background, this article investigates the attitudes of humanities students at the University of Botswana to the use of mother tongue in university education and the ideologies that shape this. It addresses the question: What are the views of University of Botswana humanities students towards mother tongue education at university? The article specifically asks the following: a) Would you like your university education to be in your mother tongue?; and b) Is the use of English a hindrance to your learning? The data was collected through a questionnaire which 80 students responded to. The study uses Garrrett’s definition of attitude and Wolfram and Schilling-Estes’s conceptualisation of ideology and found that most students are not in favour of mother tongue education. In addition, they do not find English a hindrance to their education. Both views reflect a language ideology grounded in Botswana’s language practices which hold English in high regard at the expense of indigenous languages.

The language of instruction in mathematics teacher education for the early grades

Background: Teaching mathematics in junior primary classroom requires an understanding of concepts and knowledge to communicate them applicably. The role of language of instruction is thus deemed significant in creating adequate insight into mathematical content. Teacher training institutions are therefore required to produce skilful teachers to utilise the mother tongue (MT) as medium of instructing mathematics.Aim: Lecturers’ perceptions on the use of MT in the teaching of mathematics is viewed crucial in determining the values and emphasis they place on the preparation of student teachers to effectively teach mathematics in MT. The study aims at uncovering the perceptions of mathematics lecturers regarding MT instruction in the University.Setting: The study was conducted at one of the University of Namibia campuses which train teachers.Methods: Purposive sampling was used to select four lecturers. Semistructured individual interviews were used to obtain lecturers’ perspective on the stated issue.Results: Findings indicated that although lecturers were aware of the benefit of teaching mathematics in MT, not all were in agreement with teaching in MT especially at the university. Findings further indicated that there are various impediments for teaching mathematics in MT at the university including students’ background and the lack of resources, including lecturers who speak the MT.Conclusion: A recommendation deriving from the study is that two parallel policies for language in education are implemented, one pertaining to the school environment, under the control of the Ministry of Education, and one pertaining to the tertiary education, under the auspices of the university. For tertiary education it is advocated that courses embrace both the official English language, as well as the Mother Tongue, in equal proportions.

Role of Pattern Practices in Teaching Mother Tongue at School Level

The school curriculum maintains the quality learning through various innovative methods of language teaching; it comprises the practices usually followed for the betterment of students who are expected to understand the basic knowledge of their mother tongue. To ensures the quality of such valuable practices the students are made to learn how to write and speak making use of these practices in an acquisition rich atmosphere. The school education department of Tamilnadu has made it mandatory that every student at primary level must have the fluency in reading and writing, and the expected capability of using their mother tongue before they enter the middle school. It is a highly challenging task for the teachers teaching mother tongue to make the students master their language skills, particularly that of reading and writing. The role of pattern practice is mainly to focus on teaching mother tongue with creative method and make the students learn the mother tongue easily adhering to the precepts of school curriculum. In this way, designing syllabus requires a huge change in ensuring the effective teaching of mother tongue at primary level. When we follow the simple pattern practices in teaching mother tongue at school level, the constructive and promising results are quite discernible. Pattern practice teaching comprises the basic language and grammatical structures through which the students manifest substantial capability in reading and writing skills.