Abstract
This study examined how teachers and parents perceive the transition from mother-tongue instruction to English as the medium of instruction in Grade Four at two primary schools in Johannesburg West, Gauteng, South Africa. Despite the significance of this shift in learners’ academic trajectories, there is limited research exploring the views of those most directly involved, specifically teachers and parents. This highlights a gap in understanding the challenges, strategies, and needs related to this process. Grounded in Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory and Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory, the study explored how individual, cultural, and contextual factors shape perceptions of the language transition. A qualitative, interpretivist approach was used, with semi-structured interviews conducted with four teachers and four parents, and thematic analysis applied to the data. Purposive sampling was employed to select eight experienced Grade Four teachers from two primary schools, ensuring rich insights into English LoLT transition dynamics.
Findings revealed that teachers and parents both play essential roles in this transition, with teachers acting as language brokers and parents providing emotional support, yet both face barriers such as limited resources, abrupt curriculum shifts, and a lack of formal training. The study concludes that effective language transition requires greater systemic support, including professional development, early bilingual exposure, and strengthened collaboration between teachers and families, ultimately contributing to more informed language policy and practice in multilingual education contexts.