Multilingual Education and India

The international mother language day usually triggers the publishing of multiple articles on language. This year there were also several relevant publications related to multilingual education . We picked 5 for you that might be of particular interest. The following articles highlight recent developments, offering valuable insights into multilingual education's role in enhancing student learning, cultural identity, and social inclusion. By examining these articles, we can understand the impact of these changes and how they align with the goals of UNESCO’s multilingual education guidelines. The combination of policy developments, local movements, and scholarly perspectives makes this an important time for MLE advocates to continue pushing for greater linguistic inclusivity in education systems. 1. UNESCO's Global Guidance on Multilingual Education: A Valuable Resource A new UNESCO publication on multilingual education came out on International Mother Language day "Languag...

When talking about using local languages in the classroom, we usually think of the 3 Rs: Reading, wRiting and aRithmetics, But Dr Vishal Sharma builds a strong case for also teaching Science and Technology in the language the child is most familiar with. This will change the learning from reproducing scientific facts to creative thinking and production based on deep understanding. The article, Learning Science and Technology in Mother Tongue, published in the Daily Excelsior, explains how teaching complex subjects like science and technology in a child's first language improves cognitive development, critical thinking, and cultural rootedness. The article uses global examples, insights from cognitive science, and Indian policy initiatives to make a compelling case for the use of the children's native language. The piece emphasises that learning Science and Technology in one's mother tongue strengthens conceptual understanding and reduces cognitive overload. Studies by exper...

Good to see that the Rajasthan government is taking concrete steps to bring the local languages into the classroom. It is particularly encouraging to note that this initiative is not only focusing on the language, but also including the culture and folklore. Still, the initiative is not fully in line with the National Education Policy and the common pedagogical consensus that the local language should be the language of instruction as the medium of instruction will remain Hindi. Nevertheless it is clearly a step in the right direction! According to news reports, the Rajasthan State Council of Educational Research and Training (RSCERT) has identified 18 dialects that will be integrated into classroom teaching for classes I to V in state schools in the 2024-25 academic year. The main aim is to reduce the gap between the home and school environments for students.( Education Times / Times of India ) Before this initiative a language mapping survey by RSCERT showed that 20% of teachers wer...

Always good to see classroom level research done in India, particularly when it focuses on the language issue. The focus of this research is on the influence of multilingualism on reading performance. It is a small study but good to note that it shows how  teaching in a familiar language has positive effects, and also that children who do not speak the majority language need extra support. TESOL Quarterly (Wiley online library) recently published a research  article titled the “Effects of Mother Tongue Education and Multilingualism on Reading Skills in the Regional Language and English in India.” The research  examined how mother tongue education and multilingualism  influences the reading skills and reading comprehension of 1272 Indian primary school children from low income homes. The study took place across three sites in India, namely Delhi, Hyderabad, and Patna. The main aim of the study was to assess if there was a relation between mother tongue education/mult...

Producing materials in unofficial local languages can be quite challenging for a government. It is therefore worth noting that recently the education minister of India announced the release of 52 primers in non-scheduled languages. These primers can all be viewed online . We all know that producing materials is one thing, getting them distributed and used in the classrooms is another. But it is good that concrete steps are taken towards the need for encouraging the use of local languages in the classrooms, particularly in the early grades. Recently, the Union Education Minister of India, Dharmendra Pradhan launched and announced 52 textbooks/primers  in non-scheduled languages for early childhood care and education. The primers have been prepared by NCERT and Central Institute of Indian Languages, Mysuru.  By non-scheduled languages we mean languages that are not included in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution and therefore include smaller languages . The  prim...