Resuscitating indigenous languages through translanguaging pedagogy within the evolution and dynamics of teaching mandarin in Nigeria and South Africa

Abstract

The debate on the power dynamics of pedagogy within multilingual teaching and learning environments has encapsulated discussions around suitable approaches to teaching second languages in an additive context that prioritises the preservation of indigenous languages. Scholars of linguistic pedagogy have historically theorised additive and subtractive multilingualism, with current debates centring on translanguaging pedagogy, which entails harnessing the different linguistic repertoires of the learner. This, among other things, involves codeswitching, during which the educational experience is extended beyond the classroom to the sociocultural context of the learning environment. While there has been much focus on teaching second languages early, there needs to be more literature exploring the expression of the translanguaging experience among young adults and professionals seeking to acquire second languages as cultural capital. Therefore, this study advances the discourses by unpacking the extant debates on the practices of Mandarin pedagogy in Africa, drawing from the educational experiences at the Chinese Cultural Centre in Nigeria and the Confucius Institute at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. The study adopted an analysis of in-depth interviews, primary and secondary literature, and digital archival materials to understand how Mandarin pedagogy is gradually gaining legitimacy on the continent. It advocates for indigenising the teaching staff to maximise the impacts of translanguaging on Mandarin pedagogy in Africa. It also postulates the need for the intentional development of indigenous languages to manage agitations around subtractive bilingualism by adopting national policy frameworks that enable the creation of multilingual centres for a mutually reinforcing pedagogy.