Language, shame and silence in Tanzanian secondary classrooms

Adamson, Laela; Milligan, Lizzi O. and Adamson, Laela, eds. (2022) Language, shame and silence in Tanzanian secondary classrooms. In: Girls' Education and Language of Instruction. University of Bath Institute for Policy Research, Bath, pp. 35-36. (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6523434)

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Abstract

In contexts where schooling is delivered through a language of instruction (LoI) that is unfamiliar to learners, it has repeatedly been observed that students are reluctant to speak, passive, or are even silent. This is most commonly attributed to lack of understanding of the language in use in the classroom. Although this is, undoubtedly, an important part of the explanation, the findings from this ethnographic study of students’ experiences in two secondary schools in Tanzania show that we must also pay close attention to the socio-emotional context in schools and classrooms. In particular, this research summary focuses on the prevalence of fear and shame in students’ experiences of learning, how these emotions contribute to silence, and how the impact of these emotions may be unevenly enacted between and within genders.

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