Language Preferences and Practices in Multilingual EdTech: Flexible Primary Language Use with Secondary Language Support

TL;DR

This study investigates how learners in Uganda navigate language choices in a multilingual EdTech course, revealing learner agency and informing inclusive design for bilingual education.

Contribution

It provides the first empirical evidence of learner agency in bilingual remote EdTech and offers insights for designing inclusive multilingual learning environments.

Findings

Hybrid learners who used both languages persisted longer in the course.

Many Hybrid learners did not consistently use both languages.

Learners shared strategies for managing language complexities.

Abstract

The benefits of learning in one's mother tongue are well documented, yet colonial languages dominate education, marginalizing local languages and limiting access for learners who rely on their mother tongue for understanding. With the rapid growth of educational technology, there is potential to integrate multilingual instruction supporting both colonial and local languages. This study is part of a larger quasi-experiment conducted in Uganda, where learners could choose to learn in English, Leb-Lango (a local language), or in Hybrid mode (a combination of both) in a remote EdTech course. We examined how learners who chose the Hybrid option navigated English and Leb-Lango. While many Hybrid learners did not consistently use both languages, those who did persisted longer in the course. Learners also shared how they managed language complexities. We provide the first empirical evidence of learner agency in bilingual remote EdTech instruction and offer insights for designing inclusive multilingual learning solutions.