Namibia: Why Children Learn English More Easily With the Help of Their Home Language - Namibian Study

What the report says

AllAfrica republished a 21 July 2026 analysis from The Conversation Africa by education researchers Nhlanhla Mpofu and Clement Simuja on a Namibian study examining how home languages can help children learn English. The article focuses on the challenge faced by many African pupils who speak local languages at home but are later taught through English, French or Portuguese. In Namibia, it says learners generally move from mother-tongue instruction to English in Grade 4, around ages 9 or 10, a shift associated with weaker reading comprehension and academic performance.

The researchers studied five experienced Grade 4 English-as-a-second-language teachers in Namibia’s Oshikoto Region. Their qualitative case study looked at classroom observations, interviews and lesson plans to understand how teachers used “translanguaging” — the use of more than one language in lessons — during reading instruction. The article says teachers often used learners’ home languages, especially Oshindonga, alongside English to explain vocabulary, discuss ideas and connect texts to familiar experiences.

The reported practices included combining words, pictures, gestures and local languages to build understanding; allowing learners to respond in the language they knew best before linking their answers back to English; and encouraging pupils to help classmates interpret difficult words or passages. The researchers said these approaches helped learners participate more, show comprehension that might be hidden by limited English vocabulary, and grow more confident as readers.

The article frames the findings as relevant beyond Namibia, where classrooms are linguistically diverse and English is the official language. It argues that home languages can be treated as educational resources rather than obstacles, potentially supporting inclusion and literacy for children learning through a second language.