Ucwaningo ngokulandelwa kwenqubomgomo yolimi iMother Tongue-based Bilingual Education esikoleni samabanga aphansi ePinetown KwaZulu-Natali: [Research on the implementation of a mother tongue-based bilingual education language policy in a primary school, Kwazulu-Natal] - Nsele, Sanele; Mbambo, Khanyi; Hlabisa, Mlungisi (Journal for Language Teaching, 2025)
South Africa is known as a multilingual and multicultural country. This is why the South African Department of Education is committed to introduce educational policy guidelines that support the use official languages as the primary languages of learning and teaching. In this paper, we analyse teachers’ views on the implementation of a mother tongue-based bilingual education language policy in a primary school KwaZulu-Natal. This is a qualitative study that used semi-structured interviews and workshops as methods for data collection. In this case study, one school and 10 primary school teachers were purposively selected. To analyse research data, we used Cummins’ conceptual framework on the importance of using the mother tongue as a foundation for developing a learner’s cognitive skills. The findings revealed that teachers support the use of isiZulu as a language of learning and teaching in primary grades because it scaffolds learner’s cognitive development, new knowledge acquisition and align learning with learners’ real-life situations. Although teachers support the use of isiZulu as a language of learning and teaching, they see a need for multilingualism to be accommodated as Foundation phase classrooms. This paper recommends that teachers need support in implementing the policy and in planning activities that support learning and teaching using isiZulu. We further recommend that multilingual pedagogies and translanguaging approaches should be introduced in the Foundation phase to accommodate all learners. IQOQA INingizimu Afrika yaziwa njengezwe elinobuliminingi futhi elimasikomaningi. Yingakho noMnyango wezeMfundo eNingizimu Afrika uphokophele ekwethuleni izinhlelo zemfundo ezisingatha izilimi ezisemthethweni ukuba zibe yizilimi zokufunda nokufundisa ngokuphelele. Kuleli phepha, sihlaziya imibono yothisha mayelana nesidingo sokusetshenziswa kwesiZulu njengolimi lokufunda nokufundisa kanye nanjengesu lokusingatha ubuliminingi emaklasini amabanga aphansi esikoleni esithile ePinetown, KwaZulu-Natali. Lolu wucwaningo oluyikhwalithethivu, olusebenzise izinhlolololwazi ezisakuhleleka kanye nemihlangano yokucobelelana ngolwazi njengezindlela zokukhiqiza ulwazi. Kulolu cwaningo lwesimo, kwaqokwa ngenhloso isikole esisodwa kanye nothisha abayi-10 abafundisa emabangeni aphansi. Ukuhlaziya ulwazi locwaningo sisebenzise umcabangonzulu kaCummins mayelana nobumqoka bokusetshenziswa kolimi lweBele njengesisekelo sokuthuthukisa ingqondo yomfundi ezifundweni zonke. Okutholakele kuveza ukuthi othisha bayakweseka ukusetshenziswa kwesiZulu njengolimi lokufunda nokufundisa emabangeni aphansi ngesizathu sokuthi kusekela ukuthuthuka kwengqondo yomfundi ukwamukela ngokushesha ulwazi olusha kanye nokuluhlobanisa nezimo zangempela. Nakuba othisha bekweseka ukusetshenziswa kwesiZulu njengolimi lokufunda nokufundisa, babona kunesidingo sokuba isiNgisi singalahlwa ngaphandle kodwa sisetshenziswe ngokushintshisana nesiZulu ukusingatha ubuliminingi osebugqamile emakilasini amabanga aphansi. Leli phepha liphakamisa ukuthi othisha badinga ukwesekwa ekulandeleni inqubomgomo, nokuhlela imisebenzi esekela ukufunda nokufundisa kusetshenziswa isiZulu kanye nokufundisa ngokushintshanisa izilimi.