An empirical evaluation of Spolsky’s language policy model in the context of early bilingual education across multilingual environments

Abstract

This study quantitatively analyzes Spolsky’s language policy framework, which includes language beliefs, practices, and management within the framework of early bilingual education in primary schools in Tanzania. The research is centred around two main objectives: first, to assess if Spolsky’s language policy framework accurately reflects the validity and reliability needed to address the complexities of early bilingual education. Second, to explore the interrelationships among the framework’s components. In order to accomplish these goals, we used validated measures pertaining to language management, attitudes, and practices. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to assess the validity of these measures. The study sample consisted of 389 primary school teachers from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The findings indicate that Spolsky’s language policy framework demonstrates satisfactory validity and reliability in this context. Furthermore, while the three components of the framework are independent, they show significant positive relationships within early bilingual education.

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