Bilingual Education in the Gambia. The use of national language in teaching literacy as a medium of instruction in early education in the Gambia.

English is the medium of instruction in public education in The Gambia, but most of the population belongs to various ethnic groups with their own unique languages and cultures. Despite the existence of a national language, English continues to be the national and official language. This confirms the thesis and motivates the study on this topic entitled “Bilingual Education in The Gambia: The Use of the National Language in Early Literacy Education.” Research has shown that teaching students in their native language increases their enthusiasm and engagement when learning in their native language, suggesting that “native language education increases student engagement, creating a more inclusive and relevant learning environment” (Cherno, 2015, p. 65). The theoretical foundation of this study is Vygotsky’s social theory (1978). To evaluate the practice of using the national language in primary schools, this study employs a mixed methodological approach based on surveys, questionnaires, interviews with teachers, parents, policymakers, and participants, classroom observations, and class documents from six regions. It emphasises the implementation of the most recent National Language Policy to draw attention to the benefits and difficulties of bilingual education in The Gambia. Key words. National language, bilingual education, mother tongue, language policy