Adult literacy education in Timor-Leste: multilayered multilingualism

Abstract

This article reports on multilingualism in adult literacy education in Timor-Leste and explores how choices made at the formal level of national language policy are dealt with at the operational level of adult literacy education. The 2002 constitution of Timor-Leste declares Portuguese and Tetum as the official languages. It recognises the need for regional languages to be valued and developed by the state and proclaims Indonesian and English as working languages. The national language-in-education policy is mainly concerned with Portuguese and Tetum. A broad study of 100 teachers and about 750 learners, and an in-depth study in 20 classes, revealed the interplay between the official language and language-in-education policy and the country's complex multilingual setting in adult literacy education. Tetum was the target language in literacy programmes, but the (broad) study found no clear differences in beginning literacy skills (the reading and writing of words) between learners with and without proficiency in Tetum. The studies revealed the strong position of Tetum and the educational importance of regional languages, and both findings are mirrored in more recent versions of the language-in-education policy. The studies also revealed the more limited occurrence of Portuguese in both teachers' and learners' language proficiency and day-to-day use, as well as in adult literacy education.

Keywords:

• adult literacy education
• multilingualism
• Timor-Leste
• language policy
• reading and writing acquisition

Acknowledgements

We would like to express our gratitude to all learners, teachers, coordinators, staff of the Ministry of Education and nongovernmental organisations, advisers, and others involved in adult literacy education in Timor-Leste. They have made invaluable contributions to this study through their enthusiastic participation and support.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. In the constitution, these are called ‘national’ languages; in this article we call them regional languages, since all are spoken in certain regions of the country but none of them are spoken nationwide.

2. Frente Revolucionário do Timor-Leste Independente (The Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor).

3. Grupo Feto Foinsa'e Timor Lorosa'e (Young Women's Group of Timor-Leste)

4. Interview with the coordinator of the Cuban advisors, Dili, 16 June 2009.

5. In 2004–2008, the first author of this article, as adult literacy adviser in Timor-Leste's Ministry of Education, was involved in the joint development of the Hakat ba Oin and Iha Dalan curriculum and manuals (including piloting and revision). Her position in the Ministry was funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

6. These versions, YEP Livru 1 and 2, were developed with the involvement of the first author of this article.

7. Financial support was obtained from NWO/WOTRO, the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research, Science for Global Development (file number W 01.65.315.00). This research project investigated historical and contemporary dimensions of adult literacy in Timor-Leste (see Boon, 2011, 2014a, 2014b; Boon & Kurvers, 2012; Cabral & Martin-Jones, 2012; Da Conceição Savio, Kurvers, Van Engelenhoven, & Kroon, 2012).

8. Informed consent was obtained in advance at all levels (including ministerial, directorate and coordination level), and during each class visit it was secured at an individual level in face-to-face interactions with the adult learners, with translations in their regional language.

9. Questions asked were, for example: What was the first language you learned (mother tongue)? What language/languages have you learned later and in what order? Please tick the languages that you use while teaching and while talking to your students. What language/languages do you use at home, at the market, in free time with friends, in contact with the district administration? In which language do you prefer to teach literacy?