LANGUAGE USE AMONG 3RD YEAR LITERARY STUDENTS IN NGALIEMA (KINSHASA): A SOCIOLINGUISTIC AND PSYCHOPEDAGOGICAL STUDY OF MULTILINGUALISM IN THE CONGOLESE SCHOOL CONTEXT

Authors: Mavita Tseki Errol, Kalokola Yangonde Julien, Kamasukako Buka Kams, Mukala Bobo Meschac & Olomwene Omo Lucide

ABSTRACT

In multilingual societies such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, language is a central vector of academic success, cognitive development and identity construction (UNESCO, 1953; Baker, 2011). This in-depth study examines the linguistic use of students in the 3rd literary section in the commune of Ngaliema (Kinshasa), focusing on the dominant role of Lingala as a functional urban mother tongue, on the phenomena of code-switching and linguistic interference, and on their impact on the mastery of academic French.

Using a mixed approach (questionnaires with 500 students, semi-structured interviews with teachers and participant observation in six secondary schools), the results show that Lingala is spoken by 87% of students and declared as their mother tongue by 58% of them, regardless of their ancestral language. Code-switching is very common (81% of pupils practice it often or very often), while Lingala interference is most evident in verbal conjugation (62%), phrastic structure (57%) and lexical choice (52%). These phenomena are not isolated but are part of a broader sociolinguistic dynamic, where urban multilingualism promotes creative linguistic hybridization, but poses pedagogical challenges when teaching approaches remain centered on a monolingual ideal (Cummins, 2000; Blommaert, 2005).

The study concludes that current pedagogical practices, which are mostly monolingual, do not take into account the multilingual repertoire of learners, leading to linguistic insecurity and academic underperformance. It advocates the adoption of pedagogical strategies that are aware of multilingualism, reinforced teacher training and language policies adapted to the Congolese urban context (Kamwangamalu, 2001; Bokamba, 2008; Heugh, 2014). This research contributes to applied sociolinguistics by providing empirical data on an understudied African urban context, and highlights the importance of rethinking the concept of ‘mother tongue’ in multicultural environments.

Keywords: plurilingualism, sociolinguistics, Lingala, code-switching, linguistic interference, academic French, Kinshasa, Ngaliema.

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