2 research outputs found
Multilingual examinations: towards a schema of politicization of language in end of high school examinations in sub-Saharan Africa
In many countries of sub-Saharan Africa, the release of each year’s results for the end of high school examinations heralds an annual ritual of public commentary on the poor state of national education systems. However, the exoglossic/monolingual language regime for these examinations is infrequently acknowledged as contributing to the dismal performance of students. Even less attended to is the manner in which the language of examinations, through shaping students’ performances, may be exacerbating social inequalities. This article politicizes the language of examinations in the region in the hope of generating policy and research interest in what is arguably an insidious source of inequality. The article makes three arguments. Firstly, it is argued that current exoglossic/monolingual practices in these examinations constitute a set of sociolinguistic aberrations, with demonstrable negative effects on students’ performance. Secondly, it is argued that the gravity of these paradoxical sociolinguistic disarticulations is better appreciated when their social ramifications are viewed in terms of structural violence and social inequality. Thirdly, in considering how to evolve a more socially equitable examination language regime, it is argued that the notion of consequential validity in testing positions translanguaging as a more ecologically valid model of language use in examinations
Eclectic Traditional Value Hub Model or four-in-one: An Innovative Booster of Community Quadriliteracy among Adults in Rwandan Rural Communities
Various studies on literacy have been conducted worldwide, but there is paucity of studies that
explored adult literacy from the perspectives of African traditional values. Many African
communities, including Rwanda, still experience a low level of literacy in the 21st century. As
a contribution to address this literacy gap, an innovative model coined “Eclectic Traditional
Value Hub Model” is being implemented in selected Rwandan rural communities to promote
quadriliteracy, community literacy and digital literacy among adults with limited literacy. The
newness of this model is twofold: firstly, it draws from a range of African and Rwandan
traditional values; secondly, it boosts parallel literacy practices in four languages, namely
Kinyarwanda, English, French and Kiswahili, by which it is described as “Four-in-One”. This
study reports on one year’s implementation of this model, exploring its level of success in
accelerating quadriliteracy and community digital literacy and numeracy among Rwandan
communities. Participants include University of Rwanda lecturers who initiated the model,
graduates from secondary schools who are literacy trainers in their local communities and
trainees who are citizens with limited literacy including motorists, street vendors, small-sized
business people and others who strive to uplift their literacy levels. The successful stride of
this model is that about ten thousand community members from Eastern province are
accelerating their literacy practices through translingual and cross-lingual practices. We
recommend the application of this model to other African settings with more African traditional
values and assess its impact in minimising the high illiteracy rate reported in various corners
of Africa