Abstract

The multilingual milieu of Nepali classrooms brings tension between the teacher-preferred and student-expected pedagogies in English language classes. English teachers are likely to encounter a subtle inertia in the students regarding English learning. Teachers have to be cautious in such cases to address the linguistic concerns of the students. The present paper delves into the ideological standpoint and experiences of the teachers in multilingual classrooms in Nepal. Based on the responses retrieved from 11 English language teachers teaching in multilingual classrooms, it is found that there are multiple linguistic realities in the class, and teachers realize a dormant tension lying between their preferred pedagogy and students’ preferences regarding the selection of the medium of instruction. Teachers’ strong belief is that English as the sole medium of instruction for effective English language teaching faces hurdles because of the emergence of multiple language concerns in the classrooms. Teachers accept that despite their beliefs in ‘English only’ instruction, they shift to translanguaging to explain the content.

Keywords

References

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