Multilingualism in Education: The Lived Experience of the Marginalised Language Learner

Abstract This study explored how minority language speaking learners experience language use in a multilingual classroom. The study was conducted in Binga District, Zimbabwe, where Tonga, a formerly marginalised language, is predominant. This qualitative study is grounded in the multilingual education framework. A sample of 40 learners was drawn from four primary schools. Data were gathered mainly through semi-structured interviews. Findings indicate that the majority of teachers at these schools are either Ndebele or Shona first language speakers, with some having almost no communicative competence in Tonga, the language of the community. This has led to the adoption of English and Ndebele or Shona as the language of teaching and learning (LOTL) in the classroom. Adopting these languages has resulted in the isolation and marginalisation of Tonga learners, who are thereby denied the right to education in the classroom context, leading to negative attitudes towards school and high failure and dropout rates.