Language, Power, and Pedagogy: Challenging the Legacy of Colonial Literacy in South African Township Schools

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 7:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Language, Decoloniality And Social Justice

Abstract

Colonial legacies continue to shape language and literacy practices in South Africa’s post-apartheid classrooms. This study examines how English is used as a dominant mode of instruction and assessment in Grade 4 Life Skills lessons at a no-fee township school, marginalizing learners’ multilingual repertoires. Drawing on translanguaging theory (García & Wei, 2014), raciolinguistic perspectives (Rosa & Flores, 2017), and decolonial thought (Mignolo, 2011), the study analyzes classroom discourse, teaching materials, and assessments. Findings reveal a disjuncture between multimodal, multilingual pedagogy and monolingual assessment norms. The study advances culturally sustaining and decolonial approaches to language education, calling for assessment practices that honor the linguistic and epistemic resources of Black multilingual learners.

Author

• Mfundo Jabulani Msimango, Pennsylvania State University