Executive Summary - Centre for Language Studies

CHAPTER 6LANGUAGE IN EDUCATION AND MATERIALSWRITTEN IN LOCAL LANGUAGES6.1. Language in educationThe survey also sought views from people on their choice of languages to be used asmedia of instruction in the early years of primary education. The findings show that inalmost all the areas visited, people chose their mother tongue as the most appropriatelanguage to be used in the districts’ schools as a medium of instruction, claiming that itwas the common language and the one which they understood well. Below is a tableshowing the languages chosen as media of instruction and subjects in different districts.Table 3: Languages chosen as subjects and media of instruction by district.DistrictKasunguLanguage to be used asmedium of instructionChichewa and Citumbuka(Kasungu North)Language to be taught assubjectChichewa and CitumbukaNkhotakota Chichewa and Citonga Citonga and ChichewaSalima Chichewa and Ciyawo ChichewaLilongwe Chichewa ChichewaMchinji Chichewa ChichewaDowa Chichewa ChichewaNtchisi Chichewa ChichewaDedza Chichewa Chichewa, Ciyawo and CingoniNtcheu Chichewa Chichewa and CingoniBalaka Chichewa CiyawoMangochi Ciyawo CiyawoMachinga Chichewa and Ciyawo CiyawoZomba Chichewa CiyawoChiradzulu Chichewa Ciyawo and Cilomwe37