Abstract
This chapter discusses the implications of teaching a child in a foreign language or a primary language. The two primary schools under discussion are Mutituni and Nyika in Kenya. Mutituni was situated in the countryside while Nyika was situated in the city. The language of instruction in both schools was English. English was a primary language to the majority of the city children, while English was foreign to the countryside children. This study found out that teaching a child in its primary language promotes learning, while teaching a child in a foreign language impedes learning. The chapter also discusses how translanguaging was used by both the teachers and their pupils, especially at Mutituni, to create meaning and how the teacher’s mediating role empowered pupils in their learning.
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Lisanza, E.M. (2020). The Enactment of Official Language Policies in Mutituni and Nyika Primary Schools: Their Impact on Learning. In: The Multivoices of Kenyan Primary School Children Learning to Read and Write. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-38110-3_2
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