Assessing the effectiveness of Government Policy of compulsory learning of familiar Local Languages at Early Primary School Level on learners’ linguistic skills achievement: A Case of Grade 4 learners in four Primary Schools in Lusaka District of Lusaka Province

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume VI, Issue I, January 2022 | ISSN 2454–6186

Assessing the effectiveness of Government Policy of compulsory learning of familiar Local Languages at Early Primary School Level on learners’ linguistic skills achievement: A Case of Grade 4 learners in four Primary Schools in Lusaka District of Lusaka Province

Lufeyo Chitondo
Rockview University, Lusaka, Zambia

Abstract: The study aimed at assessing the effectiveness of Government policy of compulsory learning of local languages at early primary school level among the selected teachers in four Primary schools of Lusaka district in Zambia. The policy is based on teaching learners in their familiar local language. The study employed a mixed paradigm and descriptive survey design that sampled two primary schools, Head teachers, teachers, PTA executive members and Grade 4 learners. Data was obtained from respondents by means of interviews, questionnaires and classroom observation schedules. Frequency, percentages, tables, graphs and pie-charts were used to analyze the quantitative and qualitative data obtained. Data was then analyzed by the use of software MS Access and MS Excel. The findings revealed that learning in the mother tongue at early grade level helps in language development of the child as well in comprehending concepts easily enhancing early literacy attainment helps children to grasp literacy and learn how to read and write faster and that it even becomes easier for learners in later grades to learn other languages and subjects in the curriculum as they would have the foundations.

Key words: Initial literacy, familiar language, local language, national language, policy

I. INTRODUCTION

Language and culture are inextricably linked as no one would understand a culture without learning a language and culture is mainly transmitted by the use of local indigenous languages through story telling which may constitute proverbs, riddles, myths, taboos and narratives of social conduct, morals and great heroes of a given people’s tradition. However, teaching in local languages promotes an educational principle of moving from known to unknown so that a child can link the old with the new knowledge. Banda (1998) postulated that, in Zambia, while pupils are examined in a foreign language (English),

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