Multilingual Examinations: Towards a Schema of Politicization of Language in End of High School Examinations in Sub-Saharan Africa

Autor/in	Antia, Bassey E.
Titel	Multilingual Examinations: Towards a Schema of Politicization of Language in End of High School Examinations in Sub-Saharan Africa
Quelle	In: International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 24 (2021) 1, S.138-153 (16 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1367-0050
DOI	10.1080/13670050.2018.1450354
Schlagwörter	Multilingualism; Social Differences; Exit Examinations; High School Students; Language Usage; Sociolinguistics; Academic Achievement; Second Language Learning; Culture Fair Tests; Code Switching (Language); English (Second Language); French; Spanish; Portuguese; Indo European Languages; African Languages; Native Language; Social Justice; Language of Instruction; Language Proficiency; Language Variation; Politics of Education; Educational Policy; Foreign Countries + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Mehrsprachigkeit; Multilingualismus; Sozialer Unterschied; Final examination; Abschlussprüfung; High school; High schools; Student; Students; Oberschule; Schüler; Schülerin; Studentin; Sprachgebrauch; Soziolinguistik; Schulleistung; Zweitsprachenerwerb; English as second language; English; Second Language; Englisch als Zweitsprache; Französisch; Spanisch; Portugiesischunterricht; Indoeuropäisch; Africa; Language; Languages; Afrika; Sprachen; Afrikanische Sprache; Soziale Gerechtigkeit; Teaching language; Unterrichtssprache; Language skill; Language skills; Sprachkompetenz; Sprachenvielfalt; Educational policy; Bildungspolitik; Politics of education; Ausland
Abstract	In many countries of sub-Saharan Africa, the release of each year's results for the end of high school examinations heralds an annual ritual of public commentary on the poor state of national education systems. However, the exoglossic/monolingual language regime for these examinations is infrequently acknowledged as contributing to the dismal performance of students. Even less attended to is the manner in which the language of examinations, through shaping students' performances, may be exacerbating social inequalities. This article politicizes the language of examinations in the region in the hope of generating policy and research interest in what is arguably an insidious source of inequality. The article makes three arguments. Firstly, it is argued that current exoglossic/monolingual practices in these examinations constitute a set of sociolinguistic aberrations, with demonstrable negative effects on students' performance. Secondly, it is argued that the gravity of these paradoxical sociolinguistic disarticulations is better appreciated when their social ramifications are viewed in terms of structural violence and social inequality. Thirdly, in considering how to evolve a more socially equitable examination language regime, it is argued that the notion of consequential validity in testing positions translanguaging as a more ecologically valid model of language use in examinations. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01