Switch from Mother Tongue to English: A Double Jeopardy

Abstract

This paper interrogates the sorry state of switching from mother tongue instruction to English medium of instruction in South Africa. Adopting a critical approach to literature review, it critiques the resistance mounted on the utility of African languages as viable media of instruction. It argues that the status quo is perpetuated by the dominance of English as a medium of instruction both in South Africa and abroad, and that this state of affairs can be traced back to a colonial system which presently works itself out as globalisation and internationalisation. The paper ends by demonstrating how switching from mother tongue instruction to English medium of instruction robs learners and teachers of their intellectual capacity, where they appear incompetent due to a language barrier. The paper concludes that the situation could only be rescued by promoting mother tongue instruction for the majority of South Africans which at the moment is enjoyed by a minority.