Why children learn English more easily with the help of their home language – Namibian study

By Nhlanhla Mpofu, Associate professor, University of Notre Dame Australia
Clement Simuja, Associate Professor Educational Technologies, Rhodes University

Across Africa, millions of children grow up speaking African languages at home but are later expected to learn through English, French or Portuguese at school. This transition can make learning difficult, particularly when learners are required to understand new concepts in a language they are still developing.

For example, in Namibia, learners switch from mother-tongue instruction to English in Grade 4 at the age of 9 or 10,…

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