Integrating decolonial language awareness in Social Science learning, does it work?

Abstract

This article explores the innovative integration of Decolonial Language Awareness (DLA) into Grade 8 History to challenge the enduring hegemony of English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) in post-apartheid South Africa. The research addresses the epistemic hierarchy that invalidates indigenous knowledge and multilingual meaning-making, reinforcing coloniality in the curriculum. This is examined through the teaching of the Kimberley Diamond Rush, traditionally presented through a monolingual, Eurocentric lens that silences African perspectives. Adopting a qualitative case study design, the research documents a pedagogical intervention where two History teachers collaboratively developed and implemented a bilingual historical language for the topic in isiXhosa. The methodology involved co-creating glossaries that translated key concepts from marginalised viewpoints, using language as a tool for critical analysis. Initial findings indicate that this DLA strategy significantly enhanced learner engagement, deepened conceptual understanding by revealing contested narratives, and actively challenged embedded epistemic injustice. The study concludes that such deliberate linguistic validation is a vital pedagogical strategy for creating more critical, inclusive, and transformative social science learning, effectively countering the limitations of a monolingual EMI framework.