ERIC Number: EJ746397
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2007-Jan
Pages: 22
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0738-0593
EISSN: N/A
Language Education Needs for Multilingualism in Fiji Primary Schools
Shameem, Nikhat
International Journal of Educational Development, v27 n1 p39-60 Jan 2007
This paper looks at current practice in teaching multilingual Indo-Fijian children in eight Fiji primary schools. Indo-Fijians speak Fiji Hindi (FH) as their mother tongue, learn Shudh Hindi (SH) or Urdu, and English for formal and literacy purposes and use English and Fijian for interethnic communication. The current education policy states that children be taught in their mother tongue for the first 3 years of primary school before English becomes the medium of instruction. This practice was not apparent in the schools. In all 24 observed classrooms, English was the dominant language of instruction. There is an important need in Fiji for teacher training to address the issues around multilingual education so that teachers can confidently contribute to an educational system which maximises the use of Fiji's linguistic resources for the educational advancement of all sectors of the country's population.
Descriptors: Primary Education, Multilingualism, Foreign Countries, Educational Development, Educational Policy, Children, Second Language Instruction, Language of Instruction, English (Second Language), Teacher Education, Indo European Languages, Urdu
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Primary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Fiji
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A