Language Transitioning Evidence Synthesis

• In Event: Language(s) of Instruction: A Discussion of the Academic, Social, and Cultural Complexities of a Contentious Issue

Proposal

The benefits to mother tongue (MT)-based multilingual education programs are multifaceted, including higher likelihood of girls and marginalized communities staying in school, increasing educational equity and maintenance of cultural and linguistic diversity, and allowing parents and communities to participate in the learning process. Yet, when making decisions about language of instruction (LOI) programs and policy, decision makers must consider community demand, political realities, and donor policies, which often conflicts with evidence of what works. Indeed, regions with the highest rates of learning poverty are regions with large mismatches between the language(s) children speak and the language(s) they are learning and taught in school. To better inform LOI decisions, we conducted a systematic review on the role of LOI choices in education programs and policies on literacy outcomes in multilingual educational contexts in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). Grounded in a multidisciplinary theory of change of what factors link LOI choices and literacy outcomes, we gathered, organized, and synthesized the evidence on the specific role of three LOI choices – teaching in MT with later transition, teaching in a non-MT language, or teaching in two or more languages at one time – and its impact on literacy and biliteracy outcomes. We focused our systematic review and meta-analysis on 31 quantitative and 8 qualitative experimental and quasi-experimental studies from LMIC’s as these have the highest relevance for decision making in multilingual LMIC contexts. For the quantitative studies, we conducted meta-analysis by outcome related to written and oral language acquisition and by language type (i.e., MT, national language, or later acquired language). We examined the heterogeneity of the effect sizes for each outcome across studies and used forest plot visualization. We also conducted a thematic synthesis of the qualitative study findings. We then extracted implications from both analyses to better understand why or how LOI choices work in various contexts. The majority of the evidence suggests that (partial or sole) MT instruction during primary school has a positive impact on MT literacy outcomes, MT instruction has null effects on the literacy of the later acquired language (i.e., the language to which children will transition later, usually English), and that providing school inputs (such as textbooks and other teaching materials) together with teacher training improves MT literacy outcomes in children attending primary school. Further, several studies that assess the effectiveness of different types of activities in increasing literacy in English as a second (or third) language report positive impacts. The qualitative studies indicated that MT interventions led to perceived improvements in L1 and L2 reading skills and increased enrolment and retention rates and lowered drop-out rates in MT schools. Further, we found that the quality of teacher training was a main facilitator of MT acquisition, rather than the provision of teacher training itself. Implications for LOI programmatic and policy decisions in LMICs will be discussed.

Authors

• Adria Molotsky, American Institutes for Research

• Pooja Nakamura, American Institutes for Research

• Yasmina Eugenia Haddad, The University of Wisconsin-Madison