The role of indigenous languages for improving academic performance in an EAP course at an African university

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate ways of using students’ linguistic repertoires for improving academic performance in an EAP course and across the curriculum at an African university. The study was conducted at the University of Namibia and included students registered in the English for Academic Purposes module at the university, at the time of the study, as well as lecturers of English for Academic Purposes course at the university. The study employed a mixed research approach. Data for the study came from participant-generated essays, interviews, and a survey. Qualitative data for the study were analyzed following the thematic analysis procedure where patterns or themes within qualitative data were identified. As for the quantitative data, the study applied descriptive statistics (measures of central tendencies through MEANS and measures of dispersion through Standard Deviations). Inferential statistics relevant for the data were pitched at an alpha value of 0.05. The main conclusion of the study is that interventions that are carried through translanguaging are effective in fostering the acquisition of academic literacy skills in that translanguaging helps students to access deeper understanding, to better understand difficult concepts, to better identify terminology, to feel confident, and to feel more motivated to learn. It is therefore recommended that lecturers in universities should consider translanguaging as a formal pedagogy for learning and teaching academic literacy in English for Academic Purposes courses. There is therefore a need to expand the field of translanguaging through more research in other comparable contexts.