Learners’ attitudes towards multilingualism: the case of French in Lesotho: Fid-Bau Portal

Learners’ attitudes towards multilingualism: the case of French in Lesotho

Makumane, M. A. / Fru, R. N.

French language as a subject was formally re-injected in the mainstream schools as a pilot project in 2009 in Lesotho. This language, which was initially introduced in schools in 1868 and whose popularity decreased following the missionaries’ departure from Lesotho, is viewed by the Ministry of Education and Training as an instrumental tool in promoting individual, national and socio-economic development. French, vis-à-vis English and Sesotho, is at the basis of the concept of multilingualism in a country that is officially recognised as being bilingual. It is against this backdrop that this article sought to explore learners’ attitudes towards multilingualism through the re-introduction of French as a subject. Purposive sampling was used to select 9 secondary school participants where French was taught. Data were generated using focus group interviews and open-ended questionnaires. The findings demonstrate that most participants display positive affective attitudes towards multilingualism, viewing it as a step towards attainment of an idealised self, as creating job opportunities and as promoting globalisation. Seemingly, habitual attitudes influence social and/or factual attitudes. The paper is nuanced by the neoliberalism theory to demonstrate that the students’ understanding of the utility of languages is largely informed by the logic of the market and business, reducing education to a clinical activity. This article thus recommends the inclusion of three propositions of affective attitudes in the language policy in order to contribute to the development of a holistic individual who would work towards the attainment of an idealised self through qualification, socialisation and subjectification, thereby preserving the concept of multilingualism.