EdData II: Data for Education Research and Programming (derp) in Africa

2.3.1 Language environment 
Common types of language communities are described below, including a summary of how their 
composition may affect language use in the classroom.
•
In 
monolingual communities
(often in rural environments), thousands and even millions 
of people may speak only one language. In this environment, schools can teach in the L1 
of all learners, and efforts must be made for teachers to speak those languages, too.
Goals of the 
education 
system
Access: Children 
who understand 
the LOI are more 
likely to enter 
school on time and 
attend regularly, 
and are less likely 
to drop out.
Learning: Teaching 
in languages 
children 
understand 
facilitates the 
learning of 
academic content.
Language: 
Teaching in 
L1/familiar 
languages 
facilitates 
acquisition of L2 or 
Lx.
Equity: Providing 
L1-based instruction 
improves 
opportunites for all, 
particularly those 
from language 
minorities as well as 
girls.
Cost-effectiveness: 
Providing 
instruction in 
familiar languages 
reduces 
inefficiencies and 
waste in the 
system.

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•
In 
communities with one main language
, where a children and their families may speak 
another language at home, learners are likely to be exposed to a language of larger 
communication within the community and “on the playground.” In this situation, teachers 
can use the language of wider communication for providing instruction while explicitly 
acknowledging and affirming speakers of the other language by asking them how to 
express vocabulary and concepts in their language (names of objects, counting, greetings, 
etc.). Indeed, research in northern Cameroon has shown that students are more successful 
at learning in an African language spoken within their environment than learning in a 
foreign language such as English (Walter & Chuo, 2012). 
•
In