What research tells us about language of instruction in Tanzania

This report is based on a review of research on the question of language of instruction (LOI) in Tanzania. The exercise was commissioned by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and was conducted in March 1996. In accordance with the terms of reference, the main aim is to review relevant research in Tanzania covering the following main areas: a) The relationship between LOI and (i) cognitive outcomes and (ii) attitudes related to cultural and other values. b) The linguistic underpinnings required to use a language for mass schooling. c) The implementation experience of LOI policies in Tanzania. This review is intended to provide guidance to policy makers on the issue of the choice of the language of instruction. The emphasis then is to provide information and options available for decision making in this field. In this report I will first look at the implementation of Kiswahili medium of instruction at primary school level in Tanzania, focusing on experiences, lessons learnt as well as problems of implementation. I will then go on to review research on English medium of instruction at secondary school level in so far as it relates to implications of primary school LOI for this level. Research on Kiswahili medium in Teacher Training Colleges, The University of Dar es Salaam and The Open University of Tanzania will also be reviewed. The last part of the report will synthesize the research findings and look at policy implications for choosing a national language of instruction in Africa, with reference to the Tanzanian experience

A three-tier citizenship:Can the state in Tanzania guarantee linguistic human rights?

This paper explores how the concept of linguistic citizenship can be applied to the Tanzanian situation in terms of the delivery of bilingual education as well as addressing issues of equity and quality in education. It starts by a brief overview of how the concepts 'linguistic human rights' and 'linguistic citizenship' are theorized. It then goes on to show that in the Tanzanian context the 'linguistic human rights' paradigm cannot adequately address the concerns of speakers of marginalized languages. The paper argues that all efforts to guarantee linguistic human rights in Tanzania have so far been top-down and have to a large extent failed. The paper further argues that it is the people who can empower themselves by giving value to their marginalized languages. This valorisation will make education meaningful in people's struggle towards socio-economic development. The paper discusses in particular the role which African languages play in raising achievement in African education and highlights the importance of research into educational language use and persuasive communication of this research in increasing this role. Finally the paper emphasises the role of advocacy and the increasing status of African languages in society in the development of mother-tongue medium education