AARAPH MOTHER TONGUE EDUCATION

BY:
Tamene Deysmi
Argachew Bochena
Commander Mohammed
December, 2019
Outline

• Background of the study

• Importance of Mother Tongue Education

• Survey on Current Status of Aaraph Language Education

• Conclusion
• Recommendations
1. Background of the Study

• While there are many factors involved in delivering quality basic

education, language is clearly the key to communication and
understanding in the classroom.
• Many African languages, including Amharic, Somali,
Swahili, Oromo, and others are spoken as mother tongues by
millions of African citizens.
• Even if African native languages were spoken by million’s,
international languages, introduced to the continent as
colonial languages.
cont.…
• The formal education system had been consistently identified with the
use of non-African languages of instruction.
• The more recent influence of globalization has heightened the role and
prestige of international languages (particularly English) in education.
• These languages are now seen as the gateway to global citizenship,
economic progress and enhanced social standing.
• In this context, issues of language and education are hotly debated,
particularly where primary education is concerned (Barbara Trudell
2016).
cont.…
• Being a multilingual and multicultural country, Ethiopia
shares the problem of language use and language choice for
various purposes.
• There are more than 80 languages in Ethiopia that used as a
means of interaction for the community which speaks it.
• Apart from the use for communication purposes, they have
the potential to be used in education, administration and the
justice system of the country (Getachew Anteneh and Derib
Ado, 2006)
cont.…
• The 1994 FDRE Constitution grants that “all Ethiopian languages
shall enjoy equal state recognition, and that each member state of the
Federation shall determine its own respective official language or
languages”.
• Based on the constitution, Ethiopia’s 1994 Education and Training
Policy further states that primary education is to be given in
nationality languages (FDRE, 1994).
• Accordingly 51 languages have been using as mother tongue
instructional media at national level (MoE 2017).
cont.…
• Aaraph is one of 26 languages which are using as educational
instructional media in SNNPR.

• Aaraph had been used only for communication of the Aari society.

• 2011-2012 there had been a movement of transforming Aaraph from

simple oral language to written and upgrading it for educational medium
of instruction.

• Aaraph orthography was identified in 2013 by scholars from Addis

Abeba University in the support of NORHED Language capacity
Building Project and SNNPR state House of Federation.
cont.…
• In 2013 the identified orthography was ratified by the councils of
North and South Ari Woredas to be written in Latin script and to
function as educational medium of instruction.
• Immediately after ratification of Aaraph orthography, student text
book and teachers guide were prepared and short term training
was arranged for Aaraph teachers.
• In 2014 six claster ( Bili, Wuhamer, Tolta, Kaysa, Berka and
Metser) primary schools were selected to test the program.
• In 2015 this number rised to 30 schools and in 2016 the whole
primary schools in Debub Aari began using Aaraph as mother
tongue83 language instructional media.
• Now a day Aaraph is using as mother tongue language education
grade 1-4 in 83 primary schools in Soth Aari and 40 primary
schools in North Aari Woreda.
2. Importance of Mother Tongue Education
Reviews: William Francis Mackey, 1984, Carol Benson,
2004 and Markos Mathewos, 2018.
• Creates participatory learning environment: mother tongue
instruction allows teachers and students to interact naturally and
negotiate meanings together that are conducive to cognitive as well as
linguistic development.
• Facilitate transfer of linguistic and cognitive skills: Once students
have basic literacy skills in the L1 and communicative skills in the L2,
they can begin reading and writing in the L2, efficiently transferring
the literacy skills they have acquired in the familiar language.
Importance cont.…
• Accurate student learning assessment: When students can express
themselves, teachers can diagnose what has been learned, what
remains to be taught and which students need further assistance.

• Strengthened the affective domain: involving confidence, self-

esteem and identity, is strengthened by use of the L1, increasing
motivation and initiative as well as creativity.
3. Survey on Current Status of Aaraph Language Education

3.1 Aaraph Teachers

Cumulative
Variable Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Graduated Aaraph 0 0 0
Department
other field of study`s
graduate 243 100.0 100.0 100.0

currently Aaraph 143 58.8 58.8 58.8

teaching other subject 100 42.2 42.2 100
subject Total
243 100.0 100.0
 3.2 Text Book and Reference Materials
Copy of grade 4 student text book Published grade 4 student text book Aaraph dictionary
Text Book cont…

• Student - text book ratio:

 Debub Aari Woreda: 1:11 hence the standard is 1: 1

• To come up a problems, teachers trying to display some basic

reading materials at demonstration sites.
basic reading materials at demonstration sites (Tolta primary school)
3.4. Students Result

When we compare the above student’s result with the other language
subjects, Aaraph language subject records the best.
 3.5 Intent for Continuity of Aaraph as instructional media

N Variable EVALUATION
o.
1 2 3 4 5
Mean
Freq % Freq % Freq % Fre % Freq. %
. . . q.
1. Intent for the 1 0.4 2 0.8 2 0.8 36 14.8 202 83.1 4.98
Continuity for
Aaraph
4. Conclusion
• Education is a process by which we transmit, “experiences, new
findings and values accumulated over the years. (MoE, 2015).
• To transmit accumulation of experiences, new findings and values,
Language uses as a medium which communicate the sender and the
reviser.
• The findings of this study as well as literatures reveal that the
advantage of mother tongue language in instructional media.
• It ease the communication between the teacher and students.
• However, in its implementations there are various bottlenecks.
5. Recommendations
• Teacher’s capacity building:
Capacity building programs should be organized. The
teacher’s capacity building program should consist short
term (pedagogical trainings) and long term
(diploma/certificate) trainings.
• Text book and supportive reading materials:
woreda – Regional education bureaus should print text
books to match the standard student-text book ratio.
• Uninterrupted Follow-up:
For its newly establishing discipline, it needs continuous
follow up of concerned bodies.
E.g., evaluating its implementation at quarter, mid annual
and annual reporting system.
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