ABSTRACT
In the lower primary classrooms in Ghana, most teachers are faced with the challenge of having to
teach pupils from diverse ethnic and language groups. This qualitative study therefore investigates
the practicalities of the instructional language policy and the role that English plays in
multilingual classrooms at the lower primary schools. Accordingly, the research aims to find
answers to the following questions. First, what medium of instruction does a teacher who does not
understand the major L1 of that locality use during lesson delivery? Also, in a multilingual lower
primary classroom where some pupils do not understand the dominant L1 spoken in the
community, what becomes the medium of instruction? Finally, what role does English play as a
medium of instruction at the lower primary level? In all, 53 participants were involved in the
research. This number was made up of 14 teachers and 39 pupils sampled from three lower
primary schools. Classroom lesson deliveries were observed, followed by semi-structured
interview sessions with both teachers and pupils. The findings indicate that the classrooms are
multilingual with the teachers employing the use of languages that they are comfortable with in
teaching their pupils. It also comes to light that English is gradually taking over as the main
language of instruction in the multilingual classrooms at the lower primary level, a practice that
goes contrary to the language policy. The study recommends translanguaging pedagogical
approach as a remedy to the challenge of medium of instruction in the lower primary multilingual
classrooms.
DJORBUA, C (2021). The Role Of English As Medium Of Instruction In Lower Primary Schools. Afribary. Retrieved from https://track.afribary.com/works/the-role-of-english-as-medium-of-instruction-in-lower-primary-schools
DJORBUA, CHARLES "The Role Of English As Medium Of Instruction In Lower Primary Schools" Afribary. Afribary, 18 Apr. 2021, https://track.afribary.com/works/the-role-of-english-as-medium-of-instruction-in-lower-primary-schools. Accessed 27 Nov. 2024.
DJORBUA, CHARLES . "The Role Of English As Medium Of Instruction In Lower Primary Schools". Afribary, Afribary, 18 Apr. 2021. Web. 27 Nov. 2024. < https://track.afribary.com/works/the-role-of-english-as-medium-of-instruction-in-lower-primary-schools >.
DJORBUA, CHARLES . "The Role Of English As Medium Of Instruction In Lower Primary Schools" Afribary (2021). Accessed November 27, 2024. https://track.afribary.com/works/the-role-of-english-as-medium-of-instruction-in-lower-primary-schools