Linguistic differences in Mother Tongue Reading Performance in Uganda

Rachel JordanRTI International

CIES 2018

• Role of linguistic differences on program impacts

• Challenges of program implementation in 12 local languages

Language in Uganda

• Over 40 officially recognized languages

• 1993 Local Language Policy

• 2007 Thematic Curriculum

BANTU

7 year USAID funded

Working through MoES systems

12 Local Languages

Large scale- 3,761 schools in 37 Districts

Early Grades Reading approach

Expanded throughUSIAD/Uganda LARA

GPE UTSEP

Build Africa ILeap

USAID/Uganda School Healthand Reading Program

5

Systems and policies are

strengthened

P1 to P4 pupil books and

teacher guides

Teachers trained and supported

Advocacy for local language

literacy instruction

Rigorous assessment of foundational reading skills

Learners read more fluently

and understand more of what

they are reading in both local language and

English

USAID/Uganda School Health and Reading Program

Cluster 1

USAID/Uganda School Healthand Reading Program

Cluster 2 Cluster 3

Ateso

Leblango

Luganda

Runyankore- Rukiga

Leb Acoli

Lugbarati

Lumasaaba

Runyooro-Rutooro

Ngakarimojong

Lhukonzo

Lugwere

Lusoga

Language Complexity and Learning to Read

Differences in reading outcomes in European languages is associated with variations in syllabic complexity and orthographic depth (Seymour et al. 2003)

Learners’ ability to recall words is related to word length (Blake et al., 1994)

Agglutinating nature of some Bantu languages means words are longer, and oral reading fluency may be lower (Abadzi, 2012)

Language Complexity in UgandaLanguage Language

FamilyAverage Word

LengthTonal Markings? # of non-Latin

lettersComparative rank of language complexity

Acoli Nilotic 3.6 Mark tone 6 High

Ateso Nilotic 5.5 Mark tone 7 High

Leblango Nilotic 3.8 Mark tone 18 High

Lhukonzo Bantu 8.3 16 High

Luganda Bantu 6.4 2 Low

Lugbarati Sudanic 4.2 Mark tone 21 High

Lugwere Bantu 7.1 6 Low

Lumasaaba Bantu 6.0 10 Med

Lusoga Bantu 7.0 11 Med

Ngakarimojong Nilotic 4.8 6 High

Runyankore-Rukiga Bantu 6.9 0 Low

Runyoro-Rutooro Bantu 6.3 8 Med

Early Grades Reading Assessment

Subtask & Measure What is measured

Letter Sound Fluency Correct letter sounds per minute (clspm)

Ability to identify sounds of letters

Oral Reading Fluency Correct words per minute

Ability to read connected text

Reading comprehension Percentage correct

Ability to comprehend reading passages

Reading 20+ correct words per minute

Dichotomous: Child read 20+ cwpm or not

ABC

Early Grades Reading Assessment

Schools sampled at Coordinating Centre level

14 treatment/ 14 control

30 P1-P4 pupils randomly sampled (alpha cohort)

Boys and Girls equally represented

1 on 1 oral assessment

Approx. 15 minutes per language 11

SHRP Impact

25

Average Local Language Words Read Per Minute (wpm)Beginning of P1 to end of P4

20LugandaControl

22

Leblango Program

15 Leblango Control

Ateso Program

1513

10Ateso Control

Run-Rukiga Program5

Run-Rukiga Control

6

0BeginningP1

Feb2013End P1 Oct2013 End P2 Oct2014 End P3 Oct2105 End P4 Oct2016

Luganda Program 23

20

SHRP Impact0.95 0.93

0.82

0.72

0.59

0.450.39

0.3 0.280.21

0.130.09

Overall Average Effect Size, by Language

Cluster 1

Cluster 2

Cluster 3

Language Characteristics and Impact of SHRP

Language Issues

Language Family Rank of language category Average word length # non-Latin letters

Effect size R2 0.19 0.40* 0.0 0.11

Implementation Issues Socioeconomic Issues

Years of

implementation

% schools

receiving CCT

visits

% teachers

trained

% pupils

wearing shoes

% attended

pre-school

Average class

enrolment

Effect size R2

0.04 0.01 0.11 0.12 0.39* 0.06

Language Issues Implementation Issues Socioeconomic Issues

Effect size R2 0.71 0.23 0.41

Language Characteristics and Impact of SHRP

Implementation

“Calvin and Hobbes” by Bill Watterson

Language is Politically Sensitive

Languages don’t sit still

First Languageof P1 SHRP teachers in Karamoja Region

Ngakarimojong 61%

Ateso 29%

Luo 4%

Leblango 4%

Runyankore-Rukiga 4%

19

English Titles P1 (1)2,245 copies@ 0.54 USD

1,210 USD

Local Language Titles P1 (8)278 avg copies per title

@ 2.75 USD avg

5,686 USD

Multiple languages isn’t “cheap”

“Good schools teach

in English”

20

Language complexity is a significant predictor of SHRP impacts• More research to guide program adaptation

• Discussions around national assessments and benchmarks

Reading programs in heterogeneous language settings face complex challenges- some strategies for confronting these challenges:

• Staff on the ground and at every school

• Work at local as well as national levels

• Work through the system, so the system owns the processes

• Continuous dialogue

Implications & Conclusion