Plurilingual Pedagogical Practices in a Policy‐Constrained Context: A Northern Ugandan Case Study

TLDR

Uganda’s linguistic diversity and language‑education policy mandate a single local language as medium of instruction up to Primary 3, after which English is used, creating ambiguities that scholars argue open space for transformative pedagogy. The study aims to investigate how primary teachers in northern Uganda employ local linguistic and multimodal cultural resources to support English‑MoI/TESOL instruction and to identify associated challenges. The research involved five Primary 4 teachers and their coordinator, who were observed and interviewed to document their plurilingual practices. Three themes emerged: teachers’ exploratory plurilingual practices, students acting as plurilingual peer tutors, and integrated multimodal and plurilingual instruction, alongside contextual challenges.

Abstract

Uganda is a linguistically diverse nation where plurilingualism is common. Its language education policy dictates that, except in large urban areas, one local language be selected as the medium of instruction (MoI), to Primary 3, transitioning to English MoI, in Primary 4. Yet, as Ramanathan and Morgan ( ) argue, “the practice of policy encourages us, as researchers and teachers, to read between and behind the lines (cf. Cooke, ), to interpret the ambiguities and gaps … that open up moments and spaces for transformative pedagogical interventions” (p. 448). The purpose of this study, conducted in Uganda with five Primary 4 teachers and their coordinator, was to explore such possibilities. It asks: How do subject‐area primary teachers in northern Uganda use local linguistic and multimodal cultural resources as plurilingual pedagogical tools to enhance students' learning in English MoI/ TESOL classrooms? What are the challenges and constraints in employing locally available linguistic and multimodal cultural resources to become plurilingual pedagogical tools in English MoI/ TESOL primary school classrooms? Three themes emerged: the teachers' exploratory plurilingual practices, students as plurilingual peer tutors, and integrated multimodal and plurilingual instruction. Challenges related to the larger educational cultural context and to local school and classroom conditions are also discussed.