ABSTRACT
Studies have shown positive impacts of first language (L1) as the medium of instruction (MOI) on both content learning and second or foreign language development. For example, Bender (2006), with reference to the Mali bilingual education program in which children are taught in their first language in the primary grades with a gradual transition to French, reports that the L1MOI policy increases access and equity, improves learning outcomes, and reduces repetition and drop-out rates of the minority children. Bender’s (2006) study shows that the end-of-primary (1994-2000) pass rate for the students who transitioned from local languages to French was 32% higher than for the ones in the French-only program. But based on local actors’ perspectives, Bender contends that it is challenging to execute the bilingual education program with minimal teacher support and the isolation of local actors from its implementation process. Similarly, Heugh, Benson,
Gebre Yohannes, and Bogale (2012) identify that Ethiopian students who were taught in their L1 for the first eight years had significantly higher mean achievement scores in mathematics, biology, chemistry, and physics on the 2004-national assessment than the students who were taught in English-medium schooling. Despite these positive educational impacts, both in Mali and Ethiopia, it is observed that teachers, students, and parents have not fully embraced bilingual/multilingual education (MLE) policies which place an emphasis on the ‘first-language-first’ ideology.
