Bilingual science boosts learning in South African school

Researchers in South Africa studied what happened when a primary school in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, switched to teaching and testing science in both English and isiXhosa, the students’ home language.

Before 2025, students at the no-fee school learned in their home language for the first three years and then transitioned to English. The researchers wanted to see if extending bilingual education into upper primary grades would improve results and gain parental support. The study involved 168 fourth-grade students.

One class received a science test in both isiXhosa and English, while the others took the standard English-only test. Students in the bilingual group showed more engagement in class, contributing more to discussions and writing more in their exercise books. The results showed a significant difference in test scores. Students who took the bilingual test achieved an 86% pass rate, while those who took the English-only test passed at a rate of 51%.

Parents who participated in a feedback session expressed strong support for the program, noting that the bilingual textbook helped them connect with their children’s learning and that their children were sharing their new science knowledge at home. They also expressed hope that the bilingual approach would continue and expand throughout the school system. The parents did not express concern that their children would fall behind in English.

The study challenges the belief that early English-only education is best for children’s future success, and points to research showing that English-only instruction can contribute to low achievement in subjects like math and science.