Baixe Importância de inglês em Moçambique e outras Esquemas em PDF para Língua Inglesa, somente na Docsity!
Table of Contents
- Introduction............................................................................................................................
- Mozambican historic and linguistic background....................................................................
- The current linguistic profile in Mozambique........................................................................
- The current status of English in Mozambique........................................................................
- The value of English in Mozambique....................................................................................
- Conclusion..............................................................................................................................
- References..............................................................................................................................
1. Introduction English is thought to be one of the most important languages in the world. There are many reasons why English is so important. One of the reasons is that English is spoken as the first language in many countries. Even in countries where English is not the native language, people use it for business and tourism. A language such as English is not just a token, but it is actually used on a daily basis and is a functional language, in Mozambican society. The English language is important because it is the language of opportunities (mainly social, academic, professional and economic).
4. The current status of English in Mozambique According to Dias (2014), French and English are considered foreign languages, although in this study we refer to English as a second language, since it is also used as an official language in the SADC 1 , side by side with Portuguese. However, at SADC meetings, when it comes to actual practice, English is used exclusively as the official language (Lopes, 2016). Taking into consideration that Mozambicans need English to communicate with their neighbouring countries, English was introduced into the Mozambican Education System some decades ago and now it is being taught from grade 7 onwards. Before independence, in 1975, English was taught from the secondary school level on. Since Mozambique became part of the SADC and Commonwealth community, English has been taught not only at schools, but in other public and private institutions throughout the country. The shortage of skilled teachers, low salaries, as well as a lack of materials have been pointed out as the problems English teaching faced in the 80s (Dias, 2014), and some of these problems are still the reason for students’ weaknesses today. The few skilled teachers prefer working in private institutions to public ones, because usually the private sector pays higher salaries and has better working conditions. Therefore, for those who do not have enough money to pay for private schools, to access the internet and to buy learning materials – which is the majority of Mozambicans – there is little chance of achieving a high level of linguistic competence, with the exception of those who are already involved in self-directed learning activities (Wenden, 2020) and resource centres. Nowadays, with many public and private teacher training universities and centres in Mozambique, there are more and more schooling alternatives. It is important to note here that there are language schools almost everywhere, mainly in urban areas. Some suburban dwellers point out that there are also quality teachers in the urban belt neighbourhoods (Nhapulo, 2014). However, what students are supposed to master does not always match their learning outcomes, because students entering university, a Master or a PhD program still lack the English language skills required for academic purposes. Although there are no official figures showing the numbers of English language speakers in Mozambique, it is currently spoken in elite and rich families, among those families whose children study at schools which use English as the language of instruction or among those parents who are willing to send their children to study abroad. Speaking English is also associated with a higher status, which is why it is sometimes used simply to display one´s
social prestige (Firmino, 2005). The only place in the whole country where two in four young people speak English is at the KaMubukwana District (at Inhagoia), where English feeds the youth entrepreneurial spirit and it is used for normal social interaction and not for showing higher social status as such (Nhapulo, 2014).
5. The value of English in Mozambique The value of English in Mozambique is widely recognised at all levels and sectors of the society. Such a value is illustrated by the high demand for English language skills throughout the country, not only in the main provincial capitals such as Maputo, but also in rural areas, particularly in those areas where foreign companies or international organisations operate, such as, for example, Panda and Mozal. The presence of the British Council, the Institute of Languages, and international language schools, as well as private and public schools providing English language teaching/learning courses, confirms the perception of importance of commanding the English language. Overall, attitudes regarding English language learning are very positive. Some of the reasons presented as dictating the relevant role played by the English language in Mozambique are:
- Mozambique’s geographical position, the fact that the majority of countries in Southern Africa have English as Official Language;
- Mozambique’s membership to SADC (the Southern African Development Community), the Commonwealth of Nations, the AU (African Union), and other international organisations, where English is the main working language; and
- Mozambique’s preparedness to face the globalisation phenomenon, in which the majority of political, social and economic interactions, worldwide, are conducted in English. Mozambique appears, geographically, like an island surrounded by English Speaking countries, such as South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, and Tanzania. Although Portuguese is spoken in countries such as Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Brazil, Portugal, and to a small extent in Macau, and although it is listed as one of the top ten most spoken languages in the world65, in order to communicate with the rest of the world, Portuguese alone would not suffice. However, the findings of the present study indicate that the English language would neither be enough. For instance, while admitting the importance of speaking English, the children in the urban school seem to look at multilingualism
According to the Ministry of Education, the general objectives of English language Teaching (ELT) are directed at developing the linguistic and communicative competence of learners, in other words, equipping them with the four language skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing), so that they can cope with the demands of their future studies and employment.
6. Conclusion The English Language is becoming more and more common in the world. As a result, increasingly people are dedicating time to study English as their second language. In fact, many countries, Mozambique included, include it in their school syllabus to teach children this language from a young age. It is important to keep in mind the key role played by the English language in Mozambique, as the main foreign language in the curriculum, and characterised by a high demand at societal level, knowledge of which is perceived as likely resulting in better paid jobs.
