The English Divide in South African Classrooms: The Hidden Cost of Language Barriers.

By: Siphokazi Magwaza

In a world where education guarantees a greater chance of success, individuals who are deprived of good education become inferior members of society. However, what should be done in situations where the quality of education is high, but the learner is unable to benefit from it due to a lack of understanding?

Public schools in rural areas face this issue due to the fact that during the foundation phase learners are taught in their home languages. This is not necessarily a bad thing because it makes it easier for the learner to understand the work more clearly and to adapt more quickly. However, in the long run, this puts the learner at a disadvantage because this style of teaching fails to consider their future, where they may be required to transition from being taught in IsiXhosa to receiving full English-medium education.

An image of learners in a class- From Pinterest

From birth to 10 years old, a child is in a ‘critical period ’, meaning that their nervous system is greatly sensitive to external stimuli, making this the perfect time for them to acquire a second language with ease and allowing them to develop a native-like fluency. After these years, it becomes really difficult for the child to acquire a foreign language, and because the only one that they’ve been exposed to is their mother tongue, switching to English is a struggle for them.

Foundation is extremely important; hence, it doesn’t make sense for an educational foundation not to contain everything that a child will need to go further with their education without any struggles. English is a compulsory language in South Africa and is widely used internationally as a primary means of communication. Therefore, why not expose children to English from an earlier age so that, when they encounter it later in their education, they are already familiar with the language? Approximately 70% of Grade 6 learners in South Africa are not proficient in English, which suggests that millions of children are being failed by our education system daily.

This problem will have extremely detrimental implications for the future of our learners in schools and might even be the reason they miss out on numerous opportunities in their lives, because at the end of the day everything comes down to the English language. A simple example is the National Senior Certificate examinations, which are predominantly set and written in English. A lack of proficiency in English may therefore negatively affect learners’ academic performance and contribute to much lower pass rates. Learners may also struggle with theoretical subjects throughout their schooling, not necessarily because they lack an understanding of the subject matter, but because they struggle to understand the language in which the content is taught and assessed.

Image depicting stats of Grade 4 students who cannot read at all from 2006 to 2021- From The Daily Maverick

Like any problem, this one too has many solutions. A simple one is getting learners accustomed to the English language from an early age. Their home language shouldn't be neglected entirely; however, English should not also be foreign to them. This way, learners will obtain familiarity with the language and not struggle in the future. Education is the key for many people within our country; we as citizens should work together to ensure that it is a key everyone is able to receive without unnecessary hardship.

Article Edited by: Munei Zoe Mbedzi