Being Monolingual in a Multilingual Space: An Autoethnographic Exploration of Educational Experiences
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33394/jollt.v13i3.14500Keywords:
Monolingualism, Multilingualism, Academic success, Language policy, Educational institutionsAbstract
This study aims to explore the challenges of being monolingual in multilingual spaces, regardless of which language is an individual’s home language. The study focuses on South African educational institutions. South Africa is a multilingual country with a monolingual history. During the apartheid era in South Africa, Afrikaans was imposed as the official language; post-apartheid, English is the dominant language in the country. This is problematic because South Africa is a diverse country with 12 official languages, yet monolingualism still prevails, causing language barriers in different spaces. The study utilises a qualitative, autoethnographic approach to describe lived experiences of monolingualism. It contributes to understanding how monolingual policies in educational spaces affect the students directly. There is very little research about the monolinguistic perceptions of students studying in multilinguistic contexts. Thus, this study examines the autoethnographic experiences of two educational contexts, secondary school and university, through the eyes of the first author. Thematic analysis is used to analyse these experiences regarding the challenges of monolingualism and the need for multilingualism in a diverse context. Findings show that monolingualism causes barriers to communication and affects students’ academic success. They struggle to navigate through educational spaces where the medium of instruction is a language other than their home language. They are limited in their interactions when they cannot speak the language being used. A diverse educational space needs multilingualism to benefit individuals, academically and socially. This has implications for educational policies and practices. In order to help students benefit from their educational experience and to prepare them for a multilingual society, focused attention should be given to inclusive language policies and the implementation thereof. In addition, there is a dire need to change negative language attitudes, since positive language attitudes promote multilingualism.
References
Abdulatief, S., Guzula, X., & McKinney, C. (2021). Delinking from colonial language ideologies: Creating third spaces in teacher education. In Z. Bock, & C. Stroud (Eds.) Language and decoloniality in higher education: Reclaiming voices from the South, p.135–158. Bloomsbury.
Abongdia, J.F.A. (2014). The impact of a monolingual medium of instruction in a multilingual university in South Africa. Mediterranean Journal of Educational Sciences, 5(13), 62–69
Adams, T.E., Ellis, C., & Jones, S.H. (2017). Autoethnography. DOI: 10.1002/9781118901731.iecrm0011
Alexander, M. (2021). The 16 June 1976 Soweto students’ uprising- as it happened. https://southafrica-info.com/history/16-june-1976-soweto-students-uprising-as-it-happened/
Alexander, M. (2024). The languages of South Africa. https://southafrica-info.com/arts-culture/11-languages-south-africa/
Aminova, N. (2024). Multilingualism in a globalized world: Challenges and opportunities. Acta Nuuz, 1(1.10.1), 279–280. DOI: https://doi.org/10.69617/nuuz.v1i1.10.1.4720
Aronin, L. & Singleton, D. (2012). Multilingualism. John Benjamins.
Bandari, P. (2021). A guide to ethical considerations in research. https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/research-ethics/
Baranova, T., Mokhorov, D., Kobicheva, A., & Tokareva, E. (2021). Assessment of the application of content and language integrated learning in a multilingual classroom. Education Sciences, 11(12), 808. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11120808
Barros, S. Domke, L.M. Symons, C., & Ponzio, C. (2020): Challenging monolingual ways of looking at multilingualism: Insights for curriculum development in teacher preparation. Journal of Language, Identity & Education, 1–16. DOI: 10.1080/15348458.2020.1753196
Bauer, P. (2020). Bantu Education Act. Encyclopaedia Britannica. http://www.britannica.com/event/Bantu-Education-Act
Bergbauer, A., van Staden, S., & Bosker, R. (2016). Differences in achievement between home language and language of learning in South Africa: Evidence from prePIRLS 2011. South African Journal of Childhood Education, 6(1), 1–10.
Beukes, A. (2003). The first ten years of democracy: Language policy in South Africa. Paper read at Xth Linguapax Congress on Linguistic Diversity, Sustainability and Peace, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Bialystok, E., Craik, F. I., & Freedman, M. (2006) Bilingualism as a protection against the onset of symptoms of dementia. Neuropsychologia, 42, 459–464.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101
Clyne, M. (1991). Community languages: The Australian experience. Cambridge University Press.
Clyne, M. (2004). Trapped in a monolingual mindset? Prime Focus 37, 40–42.
Coulmas, F. (2007). English monolingualism in scientific communication and progress in science, good or bad? AILA Review: Linguistic Inequality in Scientific Communication Today 20, 5–13
Cowling, N. (2023). Distribution of languages spoken inside and outside of households South Africa 2018. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1114302/distribution-of-languages-spoken-inside-and-outside-of-households-in-south-africa/
Crystal, D. (2003). English as a global language. Cambridge University Press.
Davis, R. (2024). SA’s shifting language landscape. https://www.ru.ac.za/classics/latestnews/sasshiftinglanguagelandscape.html
De Courcy, M., Yue, H., & Furusawa, J. (2008). Children’s experiences of multiple script literacy. In A. Mahboob & C. Lipovsky (Eds.), Studies in applied linguistics and language learning, 244–270. Cambridge Scholars.
Department of Higher Education and Training. (2020). The language policy framework for public higher education institutions. Department of Higher Education and Training.
Dyers, C. (2008). Truncated multilingualism or language shift? An examination of language use in intimate domains in a new non-racial working-class township in South Africa. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development 29(2), 110–126.
Ellis, E. (2006). Second language experience as a contributor to the professional knowledge and beliefs of teachers of ESOL to adults. TESOL Research Newsletter 13(1). http://www.tesol.org//s_tesol/sec_issue.asp?nid=3675&iid=5822&sid+1#196
Ellis, E. (2008). Defining and investigating monolingualism. Sociolinguistics Studies, 2(3), 311–330
Foley, A. (2010). Mother-tongue education in South Africa. https://teachenglishtoday.org/index.php/2010/06/mother-tongue-education-in-south-africa-2/
Garcia, O., Seltzer, K., & Witt, D. (2018). Disrupting linguistic inequalities in US urban classrooms: The role of translanguaging. DOI: 10.1057/978-1-137-54856-6_3
Hamers, J.F., & Blanc, M.H.A. (2000). Bilinguality and bilingualism. 2nd ed. Cambridge University Press.
Heugh, K. (2002). The case against bilingual and multilingual education in South Africa: laying bare the myths: Many languages in education: Issues of implementation. Perspectives in Education, 20(1), 171–196.
Heugh, K., French, M., Armitage, J., Taylor-Leech, K., Billinghurst, N., & Ollerhead, S. (2019). Using multilingual approaches: moving from theory to practice: A resource book of strategies, activities and projects for the classroom. Available from: https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/sites/teacheng/files/Using_multilingual_approaches.pdf
Hofer, B., & Jessner, U. (2025). Research agenda: From monolingual to multilingual norms in multilingual classrooms. Language Teaching (2025), 1–16. DOI: 10.1017/S0261444825000023
Janks, H. (2010). Literacy and power. Routledge
Jessner, U. (2023). Third language acquisition from a complexity dynamic systems theory approach. In J. Cabrelli, A. Chaouch-Orozco, J. Gonzalez Alonso, S. Pereira Soares, & J. Rothman (Eds.), Cambridge handbook of third language acquisition (pp. 64–95). Cambridge University Press.
Khan, F. (2011). Being monolingual, bilingual or multilingual: pros and cons in patients with dementia. International Psychiatry, 8(4), 96–98.
Kirkpatrick, A. (2000). The disadvantaged monolingual: Why English alone is not enough. Australian Language Matters 8(3), 5–7.
Kramsch, C. (2008). Ecological perspectives on foreign language education. Language Teaching, 41(3), 389–408
Krashen, S. (1982). Principles and practice in second language acquisition. Pergamon.
Lafon, M. (2009). The impact of language on educational access in South Africa. https://shs.hal.science/halshs-00451832v1
Luthuli, A. (2006). Let my people go – The autobiography of Albert Luthuli. Tafelberg.
Maguire, M., & Delhaunt, B. (2017). Doing a thematic analysis: A practical, step-by-step guide for learning and teaching scholars. All Ireland Journal of Higher Education, 9(3), 1–14. http://ojs.aishe.org/index.php/aishe-j/article/view/335
Makalela, L. (2016). Ubuntu translanguaging: An alternative framework for complex multilingual encounters, Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies, 34(3), 187–196.
Marácz, L., & Adamo, S. (2017). Multilingualism and Social Inclusion, Social Inclusion, 5(3), 1–4. DOI: 10.17645/si.v5i4.1286
Marjorie, L. (2010). Language policy and oppression in South Africa. https://www.culturalsurvival.org/publications/cultural-survival-quarterly/language-policy-and-oppression-south-africa
Mayaba, N.N., Ralarala, M.K., & Angu, P. (2018). Student voice: Perspectives on language and critical pedagogy in South African higher education. Educational Research for Social Change, 7(1), 1–12.
McLeod, S. (2019). What’s the difference between qualitative and quantitative research? https://www.simplypsychology.org/qualitative-quantitative.html#Qualitative-Research
Méndez, M. (2013). Autoethnography as a research method: Advantages, limitations and criticisms. Theoretical discussion paper, 15(2), 279–2897.
Miller, E. (2012). Agency, language learning and multilingual spaces. Multilingual – Journal of Cross-Cultural and Interlanguage Communication, 31(4), 441–468. DOI: 10.1515/mult-2012-0020
Mkhize, D., & Balfour, R. (2017). Language rights in education in South Africa. South African Journal of Higher Education, 31(6), 133-150.
Mughan, T. (1999). Intercultural competence for foreign languages students in higher education. Language Learning Journal, 20, 59–65.
Ngcobo, M.N., & Barnes, L.A. (2021). English in the South African language-in-education policy on higher education. DOI: 10.1111/weng.12474
Ngidi, S.A., & Mncwango, E.M. (2022). University students’ perspectives on an English-only language policy in higher education. The Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern Africa, 1–5. https://scielo.org.za/pdf/jtdsa/v18n1/17.pdf
Ngunjiri, F. W., Hernandez, K. C., & Chang, H. (2010). Living autoethnography: Connecting life and research [Editorial]. Journal of Research Practice, 6(1). http://jrp.icaap.org/index.php/jrp/article/view/241/186
Nyimbili, F., & Mwanza, D.S. (2021). Translanguaging challenges faced by teachers and learners in first grade multilingual literacy classrooms in Zambia. International Journal on Studies in English Language and Literature (IJSELL), 9(3), 20–31. DOI: https://doi.org/10.20431/2347-3134.0903003
Osborn, T. (2006). Teaching world languages for social justice: A sourcebook of principles and practices. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Pathak, V., Jena, B., & Kalra, S. (2013). Qualitative research: Perspectives in clinical research. DOI: 10.4103/2229-3485.115389
Peel, Q. (2001). The monotony of monoglots. Language Learning Journal, 23, 13–14
Pennycook, A. (2010). Language as local practice. Routledge.
Rovira, L.C. (2008). The relationship between language and identity: The use of the home language as a human right of the immigrant. REMHU – Revista Interdisciplinar da Mobilidade Humana, 16(31), 63–81. https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/4070/407042009004.pdf
Schroeder, L., Mercado, M.S., & Trudell, B. (2021). Assessing the effectiveness of multilingual education programming. Multilingual learning and language supportive pedagogies in sub-Saharan Africa. (pp. 33–60). Routledge.
Skutnabb-Kangas, T., Phillipson, R., Mohanty, A.K., & Panda, M. (Eds.). (2009). Social justice through multilingual education. Multilingual Matters.
Slaughter, Y., & Cross, R. (2021). Challenging the monolingual mindset: Understanding plurilingual pedagogies in English as an Additional Language (EAL) classrooms. Language Teaching Research, 25(1) 39–60. DOI: 10.1177/1362168820938819
South African Government. (2024). Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 - Chapter 2: Bill of Rights. https://www.gov.za/documents/constitution/chapter-2-bill-rights#29
Taylor, S., & von Fintel, M. (2016). Estimating the impact of language of instruction in South African primary schools: A fixed effects approach. Economics of Education Review, 50, 75–89. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econedurev.2016.01.003
Trudgill, P. (1983). Sociolinguistics: An introduction to language and society. United Penguin Books.
UNESCO (2023). Why mother language-based education is essential? https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/why-mother-language-based-education-essential
UNESCO. (2024). Multilingualism and language diversity for inclusion in education. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000389960
Veliz, L., & Chen, J. (2024). Challenging the monolingual mindset: Language teachers’ pushback and enactment of critical multilingual language awareness in Australian schools. International Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development. DOI: 10.1080/01434632.2024.2352161
Verdugo, R. (2008). Racial stratification, social consciousness, and the education of Mexican Americans in Fabens, Texas: A socio-historical case study. Spaces for Difference: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 1(2), 69–95.
Wyse, D. Hayward, L. Higgins, S., & Livingston, K. (2017). Language and education. The Curriculum Journal, 28(4), 443–445, DOI: 10.1080/09585176.2017.1378463
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Citation Check
License
License and Publishing Agreement
In submitting the manuscript to the journal, the authors certify that:
- They are authorized by their co-authors to enter into these arrangements.
- The work described has not been formally published before, except in the form of an abstract or as part of a published lecture, review, thesis, or overlay journal.
- That it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere,
- That its publication has been approved by all the author(s) and by the responsible authorities – tacitly or explicitly – of the institutes where the work has been carried out.
- They secure the right to reproduce any material that has already been published or copyrighted elsewhere.
- They agree to the following license and publishing agreement.
Copyright
Authors who publish with JOLLT Journal of Languages and Language Teaching agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY-SA 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.Â
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
Licensing for Data Publication
- Open Data Commons Attribution License, http://www.opendatacommons.org/licenses/by/1.0/ (default)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
