In South Africa there are 11 different languages, but learners have to write their matric in English. This does not seem fair, because it is obviously easier to learn in your own home language. However, there would be many complications if everyone could study in their own language.

Research has proved that it is much easier for us to learn in our own languages. If you are studying Science, but you are using another language, you have a double burden – you have to learn the concepts as well as the new vocabulary. Perhaps it is no wonder that South Africa’s education results are so low. If we all studied in our own language then results would be better.

Research has also shown that learning your own language well actually helps you when learning a second language. Therefore, it is actually easier for you to learn English if you have learnt most of your subjects in your own language! So learning in your own language does not mean that you will not be able to speak English. All over the world children learn a second language at school, and are able to communicate in that language. Why could this not be the case in South Africa, rather than forcing learners to study History and Maths in a language that is not their own?

However, there are problems with this approach. It would be extremely difficult to have learners writing matric in 11 different languages. There would have to be textbooks and teachers for every single subject in every single language. This would make it very expensive.

Vocabulary in the different subjects would also have to be developed in the different languages, as such vocabulary does not yet exist. This would require a lot of work.

Learning in your own language would also mean that you would have to go to a school where your own language is spoken: Sotho speakers would, for example, have to go to a Sotho school. This would not be good for nation building, because it would force learners to separate into different language groups. And in places such as Soweto, where many languages are spoken, schools would have to offer many languages. This is not practical.

Therefore I believe that we should keep the system we have where learners learn in their own language until Grade 4, and then move to English. And what is important is that there are good teachers and resources for all the learners’ schooling, so that moving from their home language to English is a careful, well-supported process. In this way learners would get the best of both worlds.