MTB-MLE - Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education: Lessons Learned from a Decade of Research and Practice
by APMLEWG Admin
MTB-MLE is about so much more than just changing the language in the textbook, the test, or that the teacher uses in the classroom. It’s about re envisioning learning so that it centres on the critical thinking and wider social skills needed in a rapidly changing world. And it’s about challenging power dynamics in the learning environment so that students can direct their own learning in ways that are meaningful to them.
MTB-MLE requires the use of the mother tongue as a language of instruction in the classroom, however, it is not about restricting access to national and international languages. Rather, MTB-MLE is about properly preparing children to learn these languages well. Starting in the language they know best allows children to build a strong foundation, which then enables them to make an effective transition into other national or international languages in due course.