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| World linguistic diversity map according WB |
Albanians, according to a World Bank report, have high linguistic diversity, despite the fact that the official language in the country is Albanian, only one. Unlike the various countries with many official languages, and with them, other features, the WB points out that the probability that two randomly selected people speak different languages is at average levels.
Otherwise from countries like Kenya in Africa, this probability is high, taking into account the multitude of languages they possess and again, from Latin American countries with low probability.
One point that is highlighted for countries like Albania is that in communities with a dominant linguistic group, the choice of that language for native language teaching can marginalize minority children.Other report findings:
The increased ability of learning to read in native language can be translated into greater ability in a second language. Parents and educational policy makers sometimes oppose mother tongue learning with the justification that mother tongue is not a practical language for the labor market. However, in South Africa, pupils educated in their mother tongue in early grades actually performed better in English skills in later grades. Also, in pilot interventions in Malawi and the Philippines, the students guided in their native language also performed better in English reading later. On the other hand, the results from a first language program in Kenya show no better results in the second language compared to only a second language in writing (although the program lasted only one year).
In Ethiopia, schoolchildren affected by a reform to apply their mother tongue lessons later are more likely to be in the proper class for their age. Although their direct impacts affect them, students who are taught in their native language are more likely to attend and continue school, as shown by data from 26 countries.
In communities with a dominant linguistic group, the choice of that language for native language teaching can marginalize minority children. In general, there is little training in native language learning and the materials available for native language teaching may be limited and of lower quality than other languages. In multi-lingual communities, schools can share classes according to their mother tongue.
The native language instruction may be a clear benefit to countries with a limited number of native languages, such as Burundi or Haiti.