Class Room Communication: Challenges of Primary School Teachers in Adoption of Translingualism

Abstract

A significant percentage of Nigerian students start and sometimes complete primary school using a foreign language, while others start using the language of their immediate communities or continue their primary education exclusively in English. It is important to analyze those dimensions that contradict the National Policy on Education (NPE) language policy provision, as
these could cause potential damage to teaching and learning. Therefore, the study examined the existence and types of challenges to adopting translingualism in Nigeria by primary school teachers of Bichi Local Government Area in Kano. The study adopted a survey research design and multi-stage sampling (simple random and accidental) in distributing questionnaires to a
sample size of 292 participants. Data collected were analyzed using a simple percentage score. Findings revealed, among others, that; there existed twelve challenges to translingualism which are both internal and external in nature. Of these twelve challenges, learners’ attitude to language use, inadequate motivation of language teachers, and inadequate teaching staff are the major forms of challenges to adoption of translingualism. Given the findings, this study recommended that there should be regular sensitization on language policy as stipulated in NPE by the relevant bodies and that there should be more collaboration among the three tiers of government in enforcing NPE language policy provisions in primary education.