Success Stories of Multilingual Literacy: A Case Study of Ife 1970 Nigeria’s Project and the 2002 Western Cape’s LOITASA’s Project in South Africa
Modupe Grace Aroge 
, Leketi Makalela & Peter Merisi
Issue: Vol.5 No.13 Issue Article 18 pp.2231-2241
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.202451318 | Published online 21st October, 2024
© 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
In a progressively interrelated world, the advancement of strong multilingual literacy skills among learners is of great importance. This article showcases successful multilingual literacy initiatives, analyzing their implementation and impact. The study revealed great positive influence on communities and individuals after the initiatives. The predominant aim is to give extra weight to the indispensable importance of appreciating and paying attention to linguistic diversity through effective multilingual/translanguaging literacy opening moves. Using a survey design, this study paid attention to documenting instances of multilingualism implementation in educational settings, purposefully selecting South Africa and Nigeria as central points. Using a qualitative approach, the research examined success stories by analyzing reports, publications, archival materials, and scholarly articles associated with the projects. Special attention was paid to the Ife 1970 Nigeria’s Project and the 2002 Western Cape LOITASA’s project and the findings were presented in a descriptive narrative format. The study elaborated on the objectives, strategies, and results of these projects, presenting findings in a descriptive narrative format. Moreover, the study contributes valuable insights to the debates surrounding effective literacy practices in multilingual contexts. By presenting success stories from these African nations, the study provided practical guideposts for policymakers, educators, and practitioners who want to develop or improve multilingual literacy programs. Lastly, the findings stressed the significance of culturally responsive and context-specific approaches to literacy, proposing the adoption of multilingual/translanguaging pedagogies within school systems. Through these, the study will promote inclusive and efficient educational practices that honor and celebrate linguistic diversity.
Keywords: Educational Outcomes, Language Diversity, Multilingual Education, Multilingual Literacy, Repertoire Knowledge
Adegbija, E. “ Language Planning and Education in Africa Countries.” In Language of Instruction in African Education, edited by M. Brock-Utne, 53–76. Ibadan, Nigeria., 2004.
Afolayan, M. O., and T. Falola. Adebisi Afolayan: The Celebration of Living Legend – His Life, Works and Everything in-Between. Pan-African University Press., 2024.
Akinwamide, Timothy Kolade. “The Influence of Process Approach on English as Second Language Students’ Performances in Essay Writing.” English Language Teaching 5, no. 3 (2012): 16–29.
Bamgbose, A. Language and Exclusion: The Consequences of Language Policies in Africa. Hamburg: LIT, 2000.
Barbici-Wagner, Alessia. “Translanguaging in World Language Higher Education.” The University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023.
Brock-Utne, B., Z. Desai, M. Qorro, and A. Pitman. Language of Instruction in Tanzania and South Africa – Highlights from a Project. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers, 2010.
Brock-Utne, Birgit. “Language of Instruction and Student Performance: New Insights from Research in Tanzania and South Africa.” International Review of Education 53 (2007): 509–30.
———. “Learning through a Familiar Language versus Learning through a Foreign Language—A Look into Some Secondary School Classrooms in Tanzania.” International Journal of Educational Development 27, no. 5 (2007): 487–98.
Brock-Utne, Birgit, Zubeida Desai, and Martha Qorro. Focus on Fresh Data on the Language of Instruction Debate in Tanzania and South Africa. African Minds, 2006.
Brock-Utne, Birgit, Zubeida Desai, Martha A S Qorro, and Allan Pitman. Language of Instruction in Tanzania and South Africa-Highlights from a Project. Vol. 5. Brill, 2010.
Brutt-Griffler, J. World English: A Study of Its Development. Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters, 2002.
Clyne, M. “Multilingualism.” In The Handbook of Sociolinguistics, edited by F. Coulmas, 301–14. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 2017.
Creese, A. Multilingualism and Education. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2012.
Creese, A., and A. Blackledge. Multilingualism: A Critical Perspectives. New York: Continum, 2010.
Desai, Zubeida, Martha Qorro, and Birgit Brock-Utne. Educational Challenges in Multilingual Societies: LOITASA Phase Two Research. African Books Collective, 2010.
Ekene, Osuji Gregory, and Everlyn Oluoch-Suleh. “Implications of Multilingual Education on Teaching and Learning in Culturally Diverse High Schools in Africa,” 2019.
Fafunwa, A. B., J. I. Macualey, and J. A. Funso Sokoya. Education in Mother Tongue: The Ife Primary Education Research Project. Ibadan: University Press Limited, 1989.
Garcia, O. Bilingual Education in the 21st Century: A Global Perspective. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009.
Harley, M. Is Nigeria’s National Language Policy realistic? The Language & Culture Archives.
(2021).Retrieved on March 4, 2024, https://www.sil.org/domain/literacy-and-education
Heugh, K. A. Multilingual Education in Africa. The Encyclopaedia of Applied Linguistics. Edited by Carol A. Chapelle. Blackwell Publishing Ltd. , 2013.
Heugh, Kathleen. “Multilingual Education Policy in South Africa Constrained by Theoretical and Historical Disconnections.” Annual Review of Applied Linguistics 33 (2013): 215–37.
Kalan, Amir. Who’s Afraid of Multilingual Education?: Conversations with Tove Skutnabb-Kangas, Jim Cummins, Ajit Mohanty and Stephen Bahry about the Iranian Context and Beyond. Vol. 15. Multilingual Matters, 2016.
Lewis, M. P. “Table 1. Distribution of Languages by Area of Origin. Part of the Ethnologue.” SIL International, 2009. http://www.ethnologue.com/ethno_docs/distribution.asp?by=area.
Liddicoat, Anthony J, and Kerry Taylor-Leech. “Multilingual Education: The Role of Language Ideologies and Attitudes.” Current Issues in Language Planning. Taylor & Francis, 2015.
Loomi, C. “Global Perspectives on Multilingualism.” Comparative Education Review 56, no. 2 (May 12, 2012): 333–35. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259711338.
Makalela, Leketi. “Community Elders’ Narrative Accounts of Ubuntu Translanguaging: Learning and Teaching in African Education.” International Review of Education 64, no. 6 (December 1, 2018): 823–43. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11159-018-9752-8.
———. “Moving out of Linguistic Boxes: The Effects of Translanguaging Strategies for Multilingual Classrooms.” Language and Education 29, no. 3 (May 4, 2015): 200–217. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500782.2014.994524.
———. “Moving out of Linguistic Boxes: The Effects of Translanguaging Strategies for Multilingual Classrooms.” In Language in Epistemic Access, 24–41. Routledge, 2018.
———. “Translanguaging as a Vehicle for Epistemic Access: Cases for Reading Comprehension and Multilingual Interactions.” Per Linguam 31, no. 1 (May 22, 2015): 15. https://doi.org/10.5785/31-1-628.
Makalela, Leketi, and Kleber Aparecido da Silva. “Translanguaging and Language Policy in the Global South: Introductory Notes.” Revista Brasileira de Linguística Aplicada 23, no. 1 (2023): e33203.
Mbirimi-Hungwe, Vimbai. “Promoting Multilingualism through Translanguaging in South African Classrooms.” Journal for Language Teaching 57, no. 1 (2023).
Mwanza, David Sani. “In Search of High Literacy Levels in Zambian Primary Schools: Does Duration of Mother Tongue Instruction before Transitioning into a Second Language Matter?,” 2020.
Mwanza, David Sani, and Vigirio Bwalya. “Democratisation or Symbolic Violence? An Analysis of Teachers’ Language Practices in Selected Multilingual Classrooms in Chibombo District, Zambia.,” 2019.
Ndhlovu, Finex, and Leketi Makalela. Decolonising Multilingualism in Africa: Recentering Silenced Voices from the Global South. Vol. 26. Multilingual Matters, 2021.
Nyimbili, Friday, and David Sani Mwanza. “Translanguaging Challenges Faced by Teachers and Learners in First Grade Multilingual Literacy Classrooms in Zambia.” International Journal on Studies in English Language and Literature (IJSELL) 9, no. 3 (2021): 20–31.
Okal, Benard Odoyo. “Benefits of Multilingualism in Education.” Universal Journal of Educational Research 2, no. 3 (2014): 223–29.
Raitskaya, L., and E. Tikhonova. “Multilingualism and Beyond: Implications for Education.” Journal of Language and Education 9, no. 2 (34) (2023): 5–11.
Ticheloven, Anouk, Elma Blom, Paul Leseman, and Sarah McMonagle. “Translanguaging Challenges in Multilingual Classrooms: Scholar, Teacher and Student Perspectives.” International Journal of Multilingualism 18, no. 3 (2021): 491–514.
Dr. Modupe Grace Aroge, PhD (Obafemi Awolowo University, 2019), is a leading researcher in language, education, and discourse analysis. As a postdoctoral fellow at Witwatersrand University, Johannesburg, she continues to advance her expertise. Dr. Aroge’s affiliations with prominent academic associations and extensive publications in local and international journals have solidified her reputation as a specialist in Discourse analysis, Multimodal discourse, Multilingual literacy, Conversation analysis, and English language classroom interaction. Her scholarly contributions foster critical discourse, intellectual exchange, and community engagement.
Professor Leketi Makalela is a renowned scholar and educator, serving as Deputy Head of School: Research at Wits School of Education and Founding Director of the Hub for Multilingual Education and Literacies (HUMEL). He is a leading expert in translanguaging, multilingual education, language policy, and literacy development. He has published in internationally accredited journals such as World Englishes, Written Communication, and International Journal of Multilingual Research. He is also a Distinguished Visiting Professor at City University of New York and a National Research Foundation SARCHI holder in Multilingual Education for Social Inclusion and Access.
Dr. Peter Oluwaseun Merisi is a Senior Lecturer at the University of the Witwatersrand’s School of Education. He previously taught at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban University of Technology, and North-West University. Dr. Merisi’s research focuses on academic literacy, multilingualism, and teacher education, with publications in reputable journals. He currently coordinates the Bachelor of Honours Degree Programme in English Education Unit of Wits School of Education.
Aroge, Modupe Grace, Leketi Makalela & Peter Merisi. “Success Stories of Multilingual Literacy: A Case Study of Ife 1970 Nigeria’s Project and the 2002 Western Cape’s LOITASA’s Project in South Africa,” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 5, no.13 (2024): 2231-2241. https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.202451318
© 2024 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Featured
Others
