The use of African languages as medium of instruction in Mozambique: problems and possibilities

Abstract

According to the figures released after the 1980 census, about 75.6% of the Mozambican population does not speak Portuguese and only 1.2% of the population speaks it as a mother tongue. The rest of the population either speaks it as a second language or as a third language, yet Portuguese is the sole medium of instruction in the Mozambican formal education. This may be responsible for the poor performance in schools. The main objective of this article is to propose a suitable language policy for Mozambique which takes into consideration the linguistic situation of the country and the experiences of other African countries.