Samuel Ouma Oyoo

The language of learning is a politically fraught matter in South Africa, harking back to the tragic 1976 Soweto uprising. Kim Ludbrook/EPA

July 9, 2015

In South Africa, science should be taught in only one language – how about English?

Samuel Ouma Oyoo, University of the Witwatersrand

There’s an ongoing debate about how best to promote multilingualism in schools. But is this debate relevant when it comes to teaching science?

The language that’s spoken in science classrooms is very different to every day English – even mother tongue English speakers may struggle because of this. From www.shutterstock.com

June 3, 2015

Helping learners become fluent in the language of science classrooms

Samuel Ouma Oyoo, University of the Witwatersrand

We view school science as largely a practical subject, but pupils must understand the language of science – which is often very different from every day language – if they are to excel.

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In South Africa, science should be taught in only one language – how about English?

Helping learners become fluent in the language of science classrooms

Contact Samuel for