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1. Using the extract above as a point of reference, do you think multilingualism should be
adopted as an approach to teaching, learning, and assessment in countries that are linguistically
diverse?
Essay 1
Multilingualism as a Necessary Approach to Teaching, Learning, and Assessment in
Linguistically Diverse Countries
In nations with rich linguistic diversity, the question of whether multilingualism should be adopted
as an approach to teaching, learning, and assessment is not merely pedagogical but also deeply
political and decolonial. Drawing on the South African context, as highlighted in the extract by
Ndlangamandla and Chaka (2023), it is evident that despite constitutional recognition of eleven
official languages, indigenous languages remain marginalized in higher education. I firmly argue that
multilingualism must be adopted as a fundamental approach to teaching, learning, and assessment in
linguistically diverse countries. This stance is supported by evidence demonstrating that monolingual
practices perpetuate colonial legacies, hinder student comprehension and participation, and
compromise the quality of teacher education and professional practice.
The continued use of a foreign language like English as the sole medium of instruction and
assessment perpetuates coloniality of power and knowledge. Ndlangamandla and Chaka (2023) note
that indigenous languages have been structurally denied space as academic and scientific languages.
This echoes the findings of Eunitah Viriri and Nobuhle Ndimande-Hlongwa (2023), who reveal that
at a Zimbabwean university, student teachers specializing in ChiShona are taught and examined in
Shona across all modules except Teaching Practice, where English is imposed for supervision. This
disconnect, they argue, compromises the quality of supervision and practice because supervisors and
students struggle to translate pedagogical concepts between languages. The use of English in this
context is not neutral but reinforces the colonial hierarchy where indigenous languages are deemed
inadequate for formal assessment.
Adopting multilingual approaches, particularly translanguaging, enhances student comprehension,
participation, and academic success. Vimbai Mbirimi-Hungwe (2023) demonstrates that when
multilingual students in a South African university were allowed to use all their linguistic resources
during group discussions, a majority reported deeper understanding of academic texts. The study
found that 83% of participants agreed that discussing concepts in languages other than English
improved comprehension. This finding is significant because it challenges the monolingual ideology
that insists on English-only instruction. Translanguaging allows students to draw on their full
linguistic repertoires, making learning more meaningful and inclusive, and it aligns with the
constitutional vision of promoting multilingualism.
Multilingual assessment is crucial for producing quality teachers and ensuring equitable outcomes.
Eunitah Viriri and Nobuhle Ndimande-Hlongwa (2023) reveal that when assessment instruments for
Teaching Practice are in English, while the subject is taught in Shona, students face disorientation,
cannot meaningfully engage with feedback, and mentors express discomfort. The mismatch between
the language of instruction and assessment leads to inconsistencies in grading and undermines the
developmental purpose of supervision. By contrast, adopting indigenous languages for assessment
would enable clearer communication of expectations, more accurate evaluation of competence, and
the intellectualization of African languages as languages of scholarship.
1. Using the extract above as a point of reference, do you think multilingualism should be
adopted as an approach to teaching, learning, and assessment in countries that are linguistically
diverse?
Essay 1
Multilingualism as a Necessary Approach to Teaching, Learning, and Assessment in
Linguistically Diverse Countries
In nations with rich linguistic diversity, the question of whether multilingualism should be adopted
as an approach to teaching, learning, and assessment is not merely pedagogical but also deeply
political and decolonial. Drawing on the South African context, as highlighted in the extract by
Ndlangamandla and Chaka (2023), it is evident that despite constitutional recognition of eleven
official languages, indigenous languages remain marginalized in higher education. I firmly argue that
multilingualism must be adopted as a fundamental approach to teaching, learning, and assessment in
linguistically diverse countries. This stance is supported by evidence demonstrating that monolingual
practices perpetuate colonial legacies, hinder student comprehension and participation, and
compromise the quality of teacher education and professional practice.
The continued use of a foreign language like English as the sole medium of instruction and
assessment perpetuates coloniality of power and knowledge. Ndlangamandla and Chaka (2023) note
that indigenous languages have been structurally denied space as academic and scientific languages.
This echoes the findings of Eunitah Viriri and Nobuhle Ndimande-Hlongwa (2023), who reveal that
at a Zimbabwean university, student teachers specializing in ChiShona are taught and examined in
Shona across all modules except Teaching Practice, where English is imposed for supervision. This
disconnect, they argue, compromises the quality of supervision and practice because supervisors and
students struggle to translate pedagogical concepts between languages. The use of English in this
context is not neutral but reinforces the colonial hierarchy where indigenous languages are deemed
inadequate for formal assessment.
Adopting multilingual approaches, particularly translanguaging, enhances student comprehension,
participation, and academic success. Vimbai Mbirimi-Hungwe (2023) demonstrates that when
multilingual students in a South African university were allowed to use all their linguistic resources
during group discussions, a majority reported deeper understanding of academic texts. The study
found that 83% of participants agreed that discussing concepts in languages other than English
improved comprehension. This finding is significant because it challenges the monolingual ideology
that insists on English-only instruction. Translanguaging allows students to draw on their full
linguistic repertoires, making learning more meaningful and inclusive, and it aligns with the
constitutional vision of promoting multilingualism.
Multilingual assessment is crucial for producing quality teachers and ensuring equitable outcomes.
Eunitah Viriri and Nobuhle Ndimande-Hlongwa (2023) reveal that when assessment instruments for
Teaching Practice are in English, while the subject is taught in Shona, students face disorientation,
cannot meaningfully engage with feedback, and mentors express discomfort. The mismatch between
the language of instruction and assessment leads to inconsistencies in grading and undermines the
developmental purpose of supervision. By contrast, adopting indigenous languages for assessment
would enable clearer communication of expectations, more accurate evaluation of competence, and
the intellectualization of African languages as languages of scholarship.
