Publications

Publication details [#62055]

Igboanusi, Herbert and Lothar Peter. 2016. The language-in-education politics in Nigeria. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism 19 (5) : 583–578.
Publication type
Article in journal
Publication language
English
Language as a subject
Place, Publisher
Routledge

Annotation

Against the background of the refusal of mother tongue-based bilingual education in Southern Nigeria and in Northern linguistic minority areas, this inquiry explores language education micropolitics by examining daily language practices of education stakeholders which are contrary to language-in-education policy. It depends upon a broad data set gathered via carefully recorded observations of classrooms and school community language practices, semi-structured interviews with publishing managers, informal interviews with teachers as well as a questionnaire survey (including an extensive cross-section of stakeholders across the country). Findings propose that solely an evenly executed education policy in all schools across the country can repair Nigerian indigenous languages' use as media of instruction in primary schools. The inquiry advises a combination of advocacy and research findings to make the policy-makers and education stakeholders assume first language-based (or L1 based) educational reform.