About the webinar
The workshop will start by taking a look at the ongoing debate around L1 use in ELT and how James Cummins' 1989 Linguistic Interdependence theory supports strategic use of shared languages in multilingual contexts. It will show how teachers across Sub-Saharan Africa are successfully using regional lingua francas like Nigerian Pidgin, Swahili, and urban vernaculars as pedagogical tools in their English classrooms. The next stage of the workshop will look at specific moments when using regional lingua francas or the L1 of the environment can maximize learning, drawing from my experiences in Port Harcourt and Okrika's implementation of Nigerian Pidgin. You will learn how to scaffold English learning through targeted translation activities, comprehension checks, grammar lessons, and vocabulary bridging using shared languages. Finally, we will explore guidelines for maintaining an appropriate balance between English and regional lingua francas to ensure effective language acquisition.
This workshop will give you practical ideas to help you leverage shared languages effectively in your multilingual urban African classroom, with concrete examples that can be immediately applied to various teaching contexts.
About the speaker
Salome O Ikokoyo is an experienced ELT leader with 20+ years teaching and 15 years as teacher educator. She is the ELTAN National Treasurer, the Rivers State Chapter Secretary, a British Council webinar facilitator, and conference speaker, who champions English language teaching through workshops and professional development initiatives with passion worldwide.
Date recorded
Saturday 23 August 2025