Which language(s) matter(s) the most? Exploring the ‘schoolscapes’ of rural primary schools in Uganda

Abstract

This article is an ethnographic investigation into the power and ideological relation between English and Luganda in the sociocultural and pedagogic spaces of rural primary schools in Uganda. This study focuses on the ‘schoolscape’ and examines how teachers choose the languages they use for instruction. The article also examines how signage within and without the classroom space is an extended metaphor of the power dynamics that exist between English and Luganda. The study answers two questions: firstly, what are the signage-making practices in rural Ugandan primary schools and what do these say about the status of local languages? Secondly, what are the teachers’ views regarding the signage-making practices in school? The study data were collected through observation, photography and interviews. The data is qualitatively analysed with the linguistic landscape and nexus analysis approach. The overarching claim made is that ‘schoolscapes’ are in effect microcosmic representations of wider debates foregrounded on the national language policy, which privileges English above indigenous languages. Moreover, teachers believe that indigenous languages such as Luganda hinder learners from acquiring English and therefore limit their use in learners’ interactions at school. This article calls for a rethinking of such a status quo and the deconstruction of the colonial legacy of English so as to accord greater importance to local languages for purposes of teaching and learning.