On the English language conundrum in Namibia, though not an expert, have views to share. Research has established 3 years of mother tongue medium of instruction does not provide learners with sufficient (mother tongue) transferable skills to English medium of instruction.
The so-called early exit grade from mother tongue (it's use from R to grade 3) as medium of instruction is therefore deficient of the very thing that it is being promoted: development of basic concepts in mother tongue to later be transferred to English.
The compound the problem in Namibia, "mother tongue" language of instruction isn't necessarily what the child speaks at home. Examples are an Otshingandjera and Subiya speaking kids taught Oshindonga and Silozi respectively. Is that really MOTHER tongue that isn't spoken at home?
I am eager to learn about multi-case studies of best English performing learners in grades 10 and 12 and their history of English language learning IN NAMIBIA: the difference between learners starting with English as medium of instruction & those that transitioned after grade 3.
Research has also established that quality of language teachers is a factor in the effective implementation of mother tongue medium of instruction teaching and transition to English thereafter. In fact, transitioning is an area of speciality in itself. Teacher quality is an issue
But for me, the bottom line is this: is our language policy achieving in practice what we invisage in theory? Is mother tongue instruction achieving NEITHER the development of foundational concepts NOR helping learners to use English as medium to learn through in later grades?
I would recommend that any revision of the language policy be not informed by expert opinions of general theoretical knowledge or "best practices" but be informed by longitudinal, case and experimental studies in the NAMIBIAN contexts or in countries similar contexts to #Namibia
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