Bender, PenelopeDutcher, NadineKlaus, DavidShore, JaneTesar, Charlie2012-08-132012-08-132005-06https://hdl.handle.net/10986/10331Fifty percent of the world's out-of-school children live in communities where the language of schooling is rarely, if ever, used at home. This paper discusses the benefits of use of first language instruction. The results of benefits from first language instruction discussed are: increased access and equity; improved learning outcomes; reduced repetition and dropout rates; socio-cultural benefits and lower overall costs. The paper outlines why many countries have been reluctant to deliver basic education in local languages. It also gives lessons learned on: policy formulation around language of instruction issues; bilingual programs; and management of the policy environment of language reforms.CC BY 3.0 IGOACADEMIC SUBJECTSACHIEVEMENTACQUISITION OF LITERACYADULT LITERACYADULTSBASIC EDUCATIONBILINGUAL PROGRAMSCLASSROOMCLASSROOM LEVELCLASSROOMSCOGNITIVE DEVELOPMENTCOST OF REPETITIONCURRICULUMDROPOUT RATESEARLY GRADESEDUCATION FOR ALLEDUCATION SYSTEMEDUCATORSEFFECTIVE TEACHINGEXAMINATION PASS RATESEXAMSFIRST LANGUAGEFIRST LANGUAGESFOREIGN LANGUAGESFORMAL EDUCATIONGRADE REPETITIONHIGHER LEVELS OF EDUCATIONHOME LANGUAGEINSTRUCTIONINSTRUCTIONAL TIMELANGUAGE INSTRUCTIONLANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTIONLANGUAGE POLICYLANGUAGE TEACHINGLANGUAGESLEARNINGLEARNING MATERIALSLEARNING OUTCOMESLEARNING PROCESSLEVELS OF LITERACYLITERACYLITERACY CLASSESLITERACY SKILLSMATHEMATICSMOBILITYMOTHER TONGUEMOTHER-TONGUENATIONAL LANGUAGENATIONAL LANGUAGESOUT-OF-SCHOOL CHILDRENPARTICIPATION OF PARENTSPEDAGOGYPRIMARY CYCLEPRIMARY EXAMINATIONPRIMARY SCHOOLPRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDRENPROBLEM SOLVINGPROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTQUALITY PRIMARY SCHOOLREADINGREPETITION RATESRESEARCHERSRURAL AREASSCHOOL CHILDRENSCHOOL PROGRAMSCHOOLINGSCHOOLSSECOND LANGUAGESOCIAL MOBILITYTEACHERTEACHER CANDIDATESTEACHER DEVELOPMENTTEACHER TRAININGTEACHERSTEACHINGTEACHING MATERIALSTEACHING MATERIALS DEVELOPMENTTEACHING METHODSTEXTBOOKSUNIVERSAL COMPLETIONWorld Bank10.1596/10331