Mother Tongue Usage in Learning: An Examination of Language Preferences in Zimbabwe.

This paper is based on findings from a study conducted to examine children and parents' language preferences in view of the Zimbabwean language policy derived from the 1987 Education Act, which requires instruction to be conducted in the mother tongue in grades 1-3. This study is thus a survey in which interviews and questionnaires were used to gather data from pupils, parents, school heads, "infant teachers and teachers-in-charge of infant departments" (TICs). The sample consisted of 60 pupils, 42 parents, 25 school heads, 152 infant teachers and 17 TICs. Respondents were purposively selected from urban, peripheral-urban, and rural schools in Masvingo district in Zimbabwe. It was found that pupils and parents preferred English as the language of instruction at infant level, despite challenges faced in accessing the curriculum through the use of the second language. Hence, it is suggested that there is need for attitude change and thus a serious campaign for all stakeholders to appreciate the role played by the mother tongue in the early years of schooling. Introduction