Learners’ attitudes towards multilingualism: the case of French in Lesotho

ABSTRACT

French language as a subject was formally re-injected in the mainstream schools as a pilot project in 2009 in Lesotho. This language, which was initially introduced in schools in 1868 and whose popularity decreased following the missionaries’ departure from Lesotho, is viewed by the Ministry of Education and Training as an instrumental tool in promoting individual, national and socio-economic development. French, vis-à-vis English and Sesotho, is at the basis of the concept of multilingualism in a country that is officially recognised as being bilingual. It is against this backdrop that this article sought to explore learners’ attitudes towards multilingualism through the re-introduction of French as a subject. Purposive sampling was used to select 9 secondary school participants where French was taught. Data were generated using focus group interviews and open-ended questionnaires. The findings demonstrate that most participants display positive affective attitudes towards multilingualism, viewing it as a step towards attainment of an idealised self, as creating job opportunities and as promoting globalisation. Seemingly, habitual attitudes influence social and/or factual attitudes. The paper is nuanced by the neoliberalism theory to demonstrate that the students’ understanding of the utility of languages is largely informed by the logic of the market and business, reducing education to a clinical activity. This article thus recommends the inclusion of three propositions of affective attitudes in the language policy in order to contribute to the development of a holistic individual who would work towards the attainment of an idealised self through qualification, socialisation and subjectification, thereby preserving the concept of multilingualism.

KEYWORDS:

• Attitudes
• French language
• missionaries
• multilingualism
• neoliberalism

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Mr Mafa Maiketso for being the critical reader of this article.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Availability of data and material

Data are available from the researchers on request.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

M. A. Makumane

M. A. Makumane (PhD) is Senior Lecturer at the National University of Lesotho in the Faculty of Education, and she is affiliated with the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Her research interests include curriculum studies, language policy in education, French language education, foreign language teaching, and the impact of action research on everyday teaching practice. Contact details: [email protected].

R. N. Fru

R. N. Fru (PhD) is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Education at Sol Plaatje University, Kimberley South Africa. His research interests include educational media and controversial discourses in History and Social Sciences education. Contact details: [email protected].