User talk:Toko0411

Topic Paragraph: Language Policy and Education in South Africa
This topic piques my interest due to the rich cultural heritage and history of South Africa. It is also interesting to write about conducting education in several languages since I have personal experience learning multiple languages. By researching about the language policy in South Africa, I am looking forward to understanding the intricacies of the South African government education policies.

Annotated Bibliography
1. Alexander, M. (May 29, 2021). The 11 Languages of South Africa. South Africa Gateway. Retrieved from https://southafrica-info.com/arts-culture/11-languages-south-africa/ It is a research that shows how 11 official languages are spoken in South Africa. IsiZulu and isiXhosa are the largest languages, and English is spoken at home by only 1 in 10 South Africans. It shows numbers of graphs, tables and maps to show how the languages are distributed and diversified there, while explaining the history of each language as well.

2. UNICEF South Africa. *Education.* UNICEF. Retrieved from https://www.unicef.org/southafrica/education It is an article written by UNICEF South Africa that explains the current situation of education in South Africa. More South Africans seem to have become able to access to early learning education, but just over a quarter of students drop out of school before they complete their education system called Matric.

3. Wildsmith-Cromarty, R. and Balfour, R. J. (July, 2019). Language Learning and Teaching in South African Primary Schools. (3rd ed.). Cambridge University Press. It describes how language plays a role in the South African education. Even though the majority still speaks languages other than English at home, many parents prefer their children to study in English at school because it is highly resourced. However, the research demonstrated how improving their African language skills could create a stronger literacy and oral English skills in English. Moreover, it suggests that teaching method of code-switching could help students to understand much more, though they seem to have negative sides as well.

4. Kretzer, M. M. (September 8, 2019). South African Teachers Switch Languages in Class: Why Policy Should Follow. The Conversation. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/south-african-teachers-switch-languages-in-class-why-policy-should-follow-122087#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20country%27s%20official,as%20a%20medium%20of%20instruction. This article explains how studying in their mother tongues would be better for them to fully understand their study. Therefore, although it is banned to use the code switching or code mixing, which means to teach in several languages, in most South African schools, their research proves that allowing them to use languages that the students are more comfortable to use would improve the quality of teaching.

5. Mndende, A. (September 9, 2020). *EC Department of Education on Mother Tongue Pilot Project for 2020 Matric Exams.* Parent 24. Retrieved from https://www.news24.com/parent/learn/learning-difficulties/ec-department-of-education-on-mother-tongue-pilot-project-for-2020-matric-exams-20200909 In South Africa, students were required to use English for studying and writing their exams. However, in Eastern Cape, the Department of Education allowed all the schools to use their mother tongue at school and implement bilingual education. On September 14 2020, the matric class of 2020 is beginning trial exams.

Draft: Language Policy and Education in South Africa
South Africa has 11 official languages and has been improving its access to education. Despite the variety in its language, English and Afrikaans were only allowed to use for studying. Although, since a number of research proved the positive effects of studying in their mother tongue, more attention was given to an educational method called code-switching. Moreover, the usage of the mother tongue for writing exams was allowed in Eastern Cape for the first time in South Africa in 2020. Education in South Africa has been changing due to the deregulation of language policy and the discovery of a better teaching method.

Language in South Africa
In South Africa, there are currently 11 different official languages. They are Sesotho, Sepedi (Sesotho sa Leboa), siSwati, Afrikaans, Setswana, Xitsonga, Tshivenda, isiNdebele, isiZulu, isiXhosa and English. Other than these official languages, many minority languages have been existed in South Africa, which is said to be at least 35 languages. As shown in the graph, isiZulu and isiXhosa are the largest languages (Alexander, 2021).

However, back in 1990s, only English and Afrikaans was taken seriously by the apartheid censuses, regardless of the variety in language used in South Africa (Mesthrie, 2002, p.13). As a result, most South Africans began to use English as their second language, and it is commonly used in cities today. Although English is the main language in South Africa, only 10% of South Africans speak it as their mother tongue with the remaining 90% speaking other African languages at home.

Education in South Africa
Since the African National Congress (ANC) had overtaken the government and ended the apartheid system in 1994, South Africa has made great strides in guaranteeing the right to education. According to Statistics South Africa, children attending pre-school increased from one in ten in 2002 to one in three in 2019. Primary school attendance has also increased to 99 percent, while secondary school attendance has reached 90 percent (Statistics South Africa, 2019).

Yet, while access to education has improved, UNICEF South Africa states that its quality still remains low especially for poor children (UNICEF, 2019). Moreover, over a quarter of the students drop out of school before completing high school (Statistics South Africa, 2019).

Banning mother tongue in South African schools
Traditionally, South African schools only allowed students to write in either English or Afrikaans for their exams (Mndende, 2020). This created an unfair educational system in which there is a disparity based on the language especially for students who spoke other African languages as their mother tongue. This suppression occurred since the nineteenth century when missionaries started to standardize language for proselytization. Furthermore, the apartheid hugely influenced the standard language used in education (Foley, 2010).

The effects of using mother tongue in South African schools
Even though the majority speaks African languages at home, many parents seem to prefer their children to study in English at school because it is highly resourced. However, the research demonstrated that studying in their mother tongue could create a stronger English literacy and oral skills (Wildsmith-Cromarty and Balfour, 2019). Furthermore, English language teaching methodologies such as communicative language teaching or text-based approaches that are imported from western systems are being questioned for its efficacy when teaching children.

Instead, the code-switching is seen as a better method by certain educators. Code-switching is to teach in several languages, switching the languages mid-sentence. Although the usage of the code-switching was banned in some schools, it seems to be much more effective for the students to learn and fully understand their study under the code-switching method (Kretzer, M. M, 2019).

On the other hand, some claim the issue of code-switching such as the exclusion of learners in multilingual classrooms who do not share those languages and the reported “stigma” attached to the method which is keenly felt by teachers who often deny the practice (Wildsmith-Cromarty and Balfour, 2019).

Changes in South African schools
Due to growing demands for more diverse linguistic modes of teaching, South Africa has initiated a new educational system. In Eastern Cape, the Department of Education allowed all the schools to use their mother tongue at school and implement bilingual education. The first trial exams that allowed students to write in their mother tongue were done by the matric class of 2020 (Mndende, 2020).

Citation
Alexander, M. (May 29, 2021). The 11 Languages of South Africa. South Africa Gateway. Retrieved from https://southafrica-info.com/arts-culture/11-languages-south-africa/

Foley, A. (June, 2010). Mother-tongue Education in South Africa. Teaching English Today. Retrieved from https://teachenglishtoday.org/index.php/2010/06/mother-tongue-education-in-south-africa-2/

Kretzer, M. M. (September 8, 2019). South African Teachers Switch Languages in Class: Why Policy Should Follow. The Conversation. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/south-african-teachers-switch-languages-in-class-why-policy-should-follow-122087

Mesthrie, R. (2002). Language in South Africa. Cambridge University Press.

Mndende, A. (September 9, 2020). EC Department of Education on Mother Tongue Pilot Project for 2020 Matric Exams. Parent 24. Retrieved from https://www.news24.com/parent/learn/learning-difficulties/ec-department-of-education-on-mother-tongue-pilot-project-for-2020-matric-exams-20200909

Statistics South Africa. (May 28, 2019). General Household Survey, 2018. Republic of South Africa. Retrieved from http://www.statssa.gov.za/?p=12180

UNICEF South Africa. (2019). Education. UNICEF. Retrieved from https://www.unicef.org/southafrica/education

Wildsmith-Cromarty, R and Balfour, R. J. (2019). Language Learning and Teaching in South African Primary Schools. Cambridge University Press.

Peer Review Assessment
Peer Review:

The context of the topic is explained very well and the paragraph structure flows nicely. It is written using neutral language which is good and a wide variety of sources are used throughout the draft. Overall, the explanation of each topic explained in depth and backed up with sources to further give an understanding of the context. To improve, find information on language Policy and education implemented currently.

My Peer Review to others:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:Pbmarie02&action=submit

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draft:Spending_on_education_%2B_domestic_resource_mobilisation_in_Cuba

Response to Peer Assessment
It was very nice how the reviewer complimented about the structural flow of this article. The effort I put into using neutral language and variable sources seemed to be effective as well. However I was concerned about the current incidents of implementing language policy on education, because only one article about allowing the usage of mother tongue for writing exams was sourced for the draft. Now since the reviewer mentioned about finding more information, I would try to find other incidents about implementing language policy on education. By adding examples of language policy on education and improving the article overall with more information, I am looking forward to make my article a much better one.

Final Article: Language Policy and Education in south Africa
South Africa has 11 official languages and has been improving its access to education. Despite the variety in its language, English and Afrikaans were only allowed to use for studying. Although, since a number of research proved the positive effects of studying in their mother tongue, more attention was given to an educational method called code-switching. Moreover, the usage of the mother tongue for writing exams was allowed in Eastern Cape for the first time in South Africa in 2020. Education in South Africa has been changing due to the deregulation of language policy and the discovery of a better teaching method. Though, teaching students in their mother tongue, which is called Mother Tongue Education (MTE), may still be controversial due to its disadvantages found in the study in Ethiopia.

Language in South Africa
In South Africa, there are currently 11 different official languages. They are Sesotho, Sepedi (Sesotho sa Leboa), siSwati, Afrikaans, Setswana, Xitsonga, Tshivenda, isiNdebele, isiZulu, isiXhosa and English. Other than these official languages, many minority languages have been existed in South Africa, which is said to be at least 35 languages. As shown in the graph, isiZulu and isiXhosa are the largest languages (Alexander, 2021).

However, back in 1990s, only English and Afrikaans was taken seriously by the apartheid censuses, regardless of the variety in language used in South Africa (Mesthrie, 2002, p.13). As a result, most South Africans began to use English as their second language, and it is commonly used in cities today. Although English is the main language in South Africa, only 10% of South Africans speak it as their mother tongue with the remaining 90% speaking other African languages at home.

Education in South Africa
Since the African National Congress (ANC) had overtaken the government and ended the apartheid system in 1994, South Africa has made great strides in guaranteeing the right to education. According to Statistics South Africa, children attending pre-school increased from 1/10 in 2002 to 1/3 in 2019. Primary school attendance has also increased to 99%, while secondary school attendance has reached 90% (Statistics South Africa, 2019).

Yet, while access to education has improved, UNICEF South Africa states that its quality still remains low especially for poor children (UNICEF, 2019). Moreover, over a quarter of the students drop out of school before completing high school (Statistics South Africa, 2019).

Banning mother tongue in South African schools
Traditionally, South African schools only allowed students to write in either English or Afrikaans for their exams (Mndende, 2020). This created an unfair educational system in which there is a disparity based on the language especially for students who spoke other African languages as their mother tongue. This suppression occurred since the nineteenth century when missionaries started to standardize language for proselytization. Furthermore, the apartheid hugely influenced the standard language used in education (Foley, 2010).

The effects of using mother tongue in South African schools
Even though the majority speaks African languages at home, many parents seem to prefer their children to study in English at school because it is highly resourced. However, the research demonstrated that studying in their mother tongue could create a stronger English literacy and oral skills (Wildsmith-Cromarty and Balfour, 2019). Furthermore, English language teaching methodologies such as communicative language teaching or text-based approaches that are imported from western systems are being questioned for its efficacy when teaching children.

Instead, the code-switching is seen as a better method by certain educators. Code-switching is to teach in several languages, switching the languages mid-sentence. Although the usage of the code-switching was banned in some schools, it seems to be much more effective for the students to learn and fully understand their study under the code-switching method (Kretzer, M. M, 2019).

On the other hand, some claim the issue of code-switching such as the exclusion of learners in multilingual classrooms who do not share those languages and the reported “stigma” attached to the method which is keenly felt by teachers who often deny the practice (Wildsmith-Cromarty and Balfour, 2019).

Changes in South African schools - The Implementation of Mother Tongue Education (MTE)
Due to growing demands for more diverse linguistic modes of teaching, South Africa has initiated a new educational system. In Eastern Cape, the Department of Education allowed all the schools to use their mother tongue at school and implement bilingual education. The first trial exams that allowed students to write in their mother tongue were done by the matric class of 2020 (Mndende, 2020).

Challenges of Mother Tongue Education (MTE)
In East Hararge Zone, the Oromia State, Ethiopia, an experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of using its local mother tongue ‘Afan Oromo’ instead of English to teach primary school children. Despite the high usage rate of Afan Oromo at home, the study revealed the lack of material resources or professional constraints in Afan Oromo, people’s lack of awareness and commitments to the investigation, and inadequacy of stakeholders’ support and involvement. Additionally, people’s preference for education in English over Afan Oromo remained higher due to the difficulty in adjusting to secondary schools, where everything is still taught in English. Hence, they claim that students’ proficiency development in English should begin from the start at the expense of mother tongue. The study also suggests that the Mother Tongue Education (MTE) would remain difficult to manage unless strong political and administrative supports are given and public awareness about the usage of the language in education and development is created (Gobana, J. M, 2013).

Conclusion
South Africa has started to increase the usage of mother tongue in education. It used to only allow English or Afrikaans to teach students, but through the implementation of code-switching and the approval of writing exams in their mother tongue, South Africa is facing an issue with language and education. However, further consideration on Mother Tongue Education (MTE) seems to be necessary due to the disadvantages shown in the Ethiopian study.

Citation
Alexander, M. (May 29, 2021). The 11 Languages of South Africa. South Africa Gateway. Retrieved from https://southafrica-info.com/arts-culture/11-languages-south-africa/

Foley, A. (June, 2010). Mother-tongue Education in South Africa. Teaching English Today. Retrieved from https://teachenglishtoday.org/index.php/2010/06/mother-tongue-education-in-south-africa-2/

Gobana, J. M. (November, 2013). Challenges of Mother-tongue Education in Primary Schools: The Case of Afan Oromo in the East Harage Zone, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. University of South Africa. Retrieved from https://uir.unisa.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10500/13830/Thesis_Gobana_J.A.pdf..pdf?sequence=1

Kretzer, M. M. (September 8, 2019). South African Teachers Switch Languages in Class: Why Policy Should Follow. The Conversation. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/south-african-teachers-switch-languages-in-class-why-policy-should-follow-122087

Mesthrie, R. (2002). Language in South Africa. Cambridge University Press.

Mndende, A. (September 9, 2020). EC Department of Education on Mother Tongue Pilot Project for 2020 Matric Exams. Parent 24. Retrieved from https://www.news24.com/parent/learn/learning-difficulties/ec-department-of-education-on-mother-tongue-pilot-project-for-2020-matric-exams-20200909

Statistics South Africa. (May 28, 2019). General Household Survey, 2018. Republic of South Africa. Retrieved from http://www.statssa.gov.za/?p=12180

UNICEF South Africa. (2019). Education. UNICEF. Retrieved from https://www.unicef.org/southafrica/education

Wildsmith-Cromarty, R and Balfour, R. J. (2019). Language Learning and Teaching in South African Primary Schools. Cambridge University Press.

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