A recent study carried out in Namibia has found that children learn English more effectively when teachers include their home languages during reading lessons instead of relying on English alone.

The research focused on five experienced Grade 4 teachers in the Oshikoto Region, where learners move from mother-tongue instruction to English-medium education at about nine or ten years old.

This transition often creates challenges because many pupils are still developing their English skills while also trying to understand new academic concepts.

The researchers observed that teachers used a translanguaging approach, allowing learners to move naturally between English and familiar languages such as Oshindonga, as well as Afrikaans, Portuguese and Shona where necessary.Teachers also supported learning with pictures, gestures and visual materials to explain unfamiliar vocabulary and ideas.

Another important practice was allowing pupils to answer questions in the language they understood best before helping them express the same ideas in English.

This made it easier for teachers to assess whether learners truly understood the reading passages instead of judging them only by their English vocabulary.

The study also found that peer learning played an important role, with classmates helping one another explain difficult words and concepts in languages they shared.

According to the researchers, these strategies improved reading comprehension, increased learners' confidence and encouraged more active participation in class.

The findings suggest that recognising and using children's linguistic backgrounds can make education more inclusive, reduce learning barriers and strengthen English literacy, not only in Namibia but also in many other African countries where children speak local languages at home before switching to English or other international languages at school.