Malawian universities as translanguaging spaces

Citation

Reilly C (2021) Malawian universities as translanguaging spaces. In: Paulsrud B, Tian Z & Toth J (eds.) English-Medium Instruction and Translanguaging. Bilingual Education & Bilingualism. Bristol: Multilingual Matters, pp. 29-42. https://www.multilingual-matters.com/page/detail/EnglishMedium-Instruction-and-Translanguaging/?k=9781788927314

Abstract
Language policies in Malawi have undergone numerous changes since the end of the colonial period under British rule (1891–1964). Kayambazinthu (1998: 388) states that the core issue facing language policy creation and implementation in post-colonial Malawi is twofold: acknowledging the ‘practical usefulness’ of English as a language of modernity and ‘world civilisation’ while also recognising that there is a need to maintain a sense of ‘cultural identity’ for Malawians and ensure ‘ease of communication with the masses’. The most recent language-in-education policy moves towards an English-only approach and places English as the sole language to be used as the medium of instruction (MOI) in Malawian education. The primary justification for this is to increase the English language skills found within the nation. Globally, while there is a growing trend towards the adoption of English-only MOI in tertiary education (Dearden, 2014), translanguaging has also been found to occur in universities worldwide (Mazak & Carroll, 2016; see also Dalziel & Guarda, this volume). This chapter will focus on the tertiary education system in Malawi and aims to highlight the contrasts between policy and practice, discussing the ways in which multilingualism mani-fests within this ostensibly English-only EMI context. This will be achieved through addressing two research questions: (1) To what extent can Malawian universities be considered as translanguaging spaces? (2) How do stakeholders view the adoption of a translanguaging language policy?

People

Dr Colin Reilly

Lecturer in Linguistics, English Studies