Inclusive Mobile Learning: How Technology-Enabled Language Choice Supports Multilingual Students
Phenyo Phemelo Moletsane, Michael W. Asher, Christine Kwon, Paulo F. Carvalho, Amy Ogan
Add local language options to your EdTech product. It broadens participation among disadvantaged learners without compromising outcomes. Best for markets with high linguistic diversity and education gaps.
EdTech platforms default to dominant languages, excluding learners with limited formal education or rural backgrounds who think in local languages.
Method: A radio-and-mobile engineering course in Uganda offered instruction in Leb Lango (local language), English, or Hybrid across 2,931 learners. Leb Lango learners started with lower performance but demonstrated faster learning gains and achieved comparable final examination outcomes to English and Hybrid learners. The local language option attracted disproportionately rural learners with less formal education and lower prior knowledge, and increased active participation even among those who registered for English instruction.
Caveats: Tested in non-formal radio-based learning. Formal classroom or purely digital contexts may differ.
Reflections: Does local language instruction maintain outcome parity in formal K-12 or university settings? · What's the optimal UI pattern for language switching mid-course without disrupting learning flow? · Do learning gains persist when local language content quality is lower than English equivalents?