This debate has been raging around the globe for some time now. Neither the pro English team nor the pro mother tongue team has been able to raise an argument, which with out a doubt, proves their case. The pro English team argues that English is the global language and by teaching students in English, the government will give them an advantage in the global market. The argument of the pro mother tongue team is that the youth will be cognitively impaired if they are taught in a language that they do not understand. Both arguments make logical sense and at first, there seems to be no clear route to take.

It is exceedingly obvious that if the children of the future use English as the medium of instruction, their communication skills will be lacking. However, if you actually do some research on the topic you will find some interesting information that shows that a system can be effectively implemented that will be able to achieve the functionality of English and at the same time create a generation that is competent enough to compete in the global market.

Here is a more in depth definition of cognitive development. Cognitive development occurs from the time you start to speak to around about grade 4. During this period, the child learns to think and, naturally does this in his/her mother tongue. By teaching children in another language, the government will confuse them to no end because they will be unable to understand the basic principles of thinking such as tenses. Imagine thinking in two different languages, both of which you do not understand properly! There have been several studies done on this topic, one such study done by the department of education in Hong Kong. They took two classes and tested them, one learnt in English and the other learnt in their mother tongue of Cantonese. Both the English and Cantonese classes’ papers were in English! Now guess who scored higher, those that had learnt in Cantonese outscored the English students by almost 15%! This of course forms the basis of the “middle road” argument.

Why cant children use their mother tongue as their medium of instruction until grade four and then begin a gradual process that will result, in grade 8, into a completely English curriculum?

It is true that English is the global language; truly, this is an indisputable fact. However, the earlier mentioned form of education will logically prove more affective in teaching English. Also by implementing a system of this likeness, the country will be preserving the brilliant and vibrant African culture, thus allaying one of the greatest fears of the South African government.

As well as preserving the vibrant African culture, the government will also be benefiting the economy. Firstly, it will be preventing a vicious poverty cycle where mother tongue speaking pupils will drop out of school and so not be able to afford to send their children to school, these uneducated people will then not be able to send their children to school etc. etc. Secondly, in this way the government will be able to utilize both the English and mother tongue speaking teachers. This also addresses the problem of the 80,000 unfilled teacher positions, which seems to be giving the government such heartache.