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Language Education Policy: Mother Tongue Instruction in a Postcolonial World

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Language Education Policy: Mother Tongue Instruction in a Postcolonial World University of Tennessee, Knoxville TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 5-2018 Language Education Policy: Mother Tongue Instruction in a Postcolonial World Amanda Ellen Dascomb University of Tennessee, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss Recommended Citation Dascomb, Amanda Ellen, "Language Education Policy: Mother Tongue Instruction in a Postcolonial World. " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 2018. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/4910 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a dissertation written by Amanda Ellen Dascomb entitled "Language Education Policy: Mother Tongue Instruction in a Postcolonial World." I have examined the final electronic copy of this dissertation for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, with a major in Education. Barbara J. Thayer-Bacon, Major Professor We have read this dissertation and recommend its acceptance: Bertin M. Louis, Awa C. Sarr, Lisa C. Yamagata-Lynch Accepted for the Council: Dixie L. Thompson Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School (Original signatures are on file with official studentecor r ds.) Language Education Policy: Mother Tongue Instruction in a Postcolonial World A Dissertation Presented for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree The University of Tennessee, Knoxville Amanda Ellen Dascomb May 2018 Copyright © 2018 by Amanda Ellen Dascomb. All rights reserved. ii DEDICATION For my mother, whose perseverance taught me how to endure and has now given me the strength to pass this lesson on to my son. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thank you to my language teachers, who first introduced me to a multilingual world, and to all those I met during my travels, who taught me the importance of culture and family. My deepest gratitude goes to my chair and selfless advisor, Dr. Barbara Thayer- Bacon. Thank you for always giving your time, wisdom, unbounding support and critique. Without your dedication I would not have been inspired to start or finish this work. Many thanks to my entire committee, Dr. Louis, Dr. Sarr, and Dr. Yamagata- Lynch, who each helped put a piece of the puzzle together for me. Your dedication to the craft made this possible. There are many people that have contributed to this work, too numerous to name. Your selfless contributions to my success in the form of words of wisdom, a critical eye, and a kind ear to listen will always be remembered. iv ABSTRACT The number of students who are not being educated in their first language is on the rise, globally. While it may seem rational to teach in a second language, especially when it holds the potential to guide students towards employment and increased human capital, this policy is not in the best long-term interest of learners. Gaining primary literacy skills uniquely in a second language has been proven to decrease overall linguistic development among children and increase students’ risk of academic failure. The purpose of this dissertation is to construct a philosophical argument for the importance of first language instruction. Using postcolonial scholars (Fanon, Derrida, and Freire), the reasons for a second language medium of instruction in postcolonial nations are explored. Colonial languages were used to reinforce the imperialistic goals of colonizing nations and this language policy was rarely reversed after decolonization. Many nations have instated pilot mother tongue programs into their school systems, but they rarely move past this stage. To illuminate the complex issues of language education policy in postcolonial nations, Senegal’s language policy is deconstructed. Through document analysis of all sources of financial resources that contribute to the Senegalese public school system available for viewing, the analysis revealed that while research and funding may exist for these programs to move forward, the historical oppression of national languages has prevented their full support. Neocolonialism has further propelled the lack of native tongue instruction in education. As globalization increases the use of world languages across the globe, v working towards policy that allows learners to become literate in their first language before learning through a second language is vital. Three recommendations are made to move towards first language instruction in the classroom: increase community support of mother tongue programs, increase funding to support national implementation, and lastly, individualize programs without decentralizing the education systems. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE: WHY MOTHER TONGUE INSTRUCTION? ..................................... 1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1 Why a Philosophical Approach? ..................................................................................... 3 Cultural Studies in Education ..................................................................................... 4 Theoretical Tools ............................................................................................................ 5 Postcolonial Theory .................................................................................................... 8 Derrida and Deconstruction ...................................................................................... 11 Fanon and the Psychology of Oppression ................................................................. 13 End Goal: Critical Literacy ........................................................................................... 15 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 17 Organization of the Dissertation ............................................................................... 19 CHAPTER TWO: LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT ....................................................... 23 Theory of Second Language Acquisition ..................................................................... 24 Krashen’s Monitor Model ......................................................................................... 24 Cummins’ Theoretical Framework ........................................................................... 26 Research on L1/L2 Transfer ......................................................................................... 28 Policy Across the Globe................................................................................................ 33 Disconnect Between Research and Policy .................................................................... 36 Economic Factors ...................................................................................................... 36 Political Factors ........................................................................................................ 38 Cultural Factors ......................................................................................................... 38 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 39 CHAPTER THREE: LANGUAGE EDUCATION POLICY IN DEVELOPING NATIONS FROM COLONIZATION TO POSTCOLONIALISM ................................. 41 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 41 Colonization .................................................................................................................. 44 Decolonization .............................................................................................................. 52 Theory of Decolonization ......................................................................................... 52 Postcolonialism ............................................................................................................. 54 Postcolonial Language Education Policy: Medium of Instruction ........................... 54 LEP in Action ........................................................................................................... 59 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 61 CHAPTER FOUR: NEOCOLONIALISM AND GLOBALIZATION ............................ 64 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 64 Globalization ................................................................................................................. 65 Westernization .......................................................................................................... 67 Cultural Imperialism to Linguisticide ....................................................................... 69 English-Only Movement ........................................................................................... 72 Criticisms ...................................................................................................................... 73 From Developing to Developed
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