Presentation Schedule
Teachers’ Perspectives of Teaching a Home Language to Non-Native Speakers in Multilingual Classrooms: Empowering Underrepresented Languages in South African Classrooms (108947)
Session Chair: Sandra Kairė
Thursday, 18 June 2026 16:50
Session: Session 4
Room: Room 112 (1F)
Presentation Type:Oral Presentation
Teachers are among the most significant influences on school quality as they have an immense impact on learners' achievement and schooling experiences in general. As such, teachers are expected to have clear objectives and support learners in the classroom context by being sincere, enthusiastic, and inclusive. Teachers, however, are not always adequately trained on how to implement inclusive multilingual classroom practices and address the learning needs of the diverse learner population. This gap in training can lead to misunderstandings and miscommunication between teachers and learners, resulting in lack of engagement and motivation. Despite the shift towards multilingual education system that promotes inclusion, challenges persist in educating multilingual learners in South African classrooms. Against this backdrop, the current study investigates inclusive multilingual pedagogic practices teachers employ to teach at home language level to non-native speakers. This qualitative study is framed under ubuntu translanguaging inclusive education frameworks which draw on teachers’ voices of their craft knowledge and experiences, hope and optimism for the future and satisfaction with the present. The study concludes that teachers’ voices are integral part in strengthening education policies and teacher education programs, thus, equipping them with the ability successfully enact language policies in classrooms is crucial. The study advocates for teacher training programs to include multilingual pedagogies to advance the enactment of multilingual policies in classrooms. The study contributes to the broader discussion on multilingual pedagogies, equity, equality and diversity in home language teaching, offering valuable insights and recommendations for university teacher education programs and policy makers.
Authors:
Ntsoaki Mokala, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
About the Presenter(s)
Dr Ntsoaki Mokala is a University Assistant Professor/Lecturer at University of Witwatrsrand in South Africa
Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-ntsoaki-mokala-b5a1aa95/
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