Language Policy and Interpretation in Zimbabwe Education System

Language policy dictates that all instructions in the education system must be in specific languages for learner to learn so that they become responsible citizens .
Zimbabwe education system is the product of their colonial masters the British culture.In the schools most of instructions should be given in English from the third grade upwards, whilst the infants should be taught in their mother's tongue(first language) until they mastered the English (second language)Although debates done outlawed the emphasis of adopting English as the only official language for educational instructions. English is still the widely spoken and official language in most of the government and commercial activities.
According to this current curricular thinking children begin from principle taught on language skills that they possess when entering school ,so that they should begin with local languages as medium of instructions.
Zimbabwe has three major languages widely spoken around the country, English ,Chishona and Ndebele.Plus a host of other dialects. The local dialects are recommended to be widely used in infant classes for them to understand as they gradually introduced to the dominant English as a second language in Zimbabwean society.
English is more important not because of how it was influenced by the colonisers in Zimbabwe,but it has become a major international language widely diffusion to all continents of the world by trade,colonisation and conquests. It is also the USA's political muscle and economical powerhouse that caused English language to be even more diffused language than through the former British colonies and its dominions that counts for its wide dominance over other world languages.
The worldwide expansion of English means it is the widely spoken language in the world with over a billion speakers and another billion as second language English speakers. Hence there are many varieties of English in the world today.
In Zimbabwe it is the language of instruction ,trade and official discourse.Education sector is of no option except to produce people who will suit the needs of the industry,commercial and world demands.
The key principle for English is promoting interaction of four language domains thus listening ,speaking ,reading and writing.
Language competence delived by increasing ranging and variety of real needs through something of genuine interests and purposes of audience. Meaning working is aided when pupils and teachers are collaboratively working and sharing of experiences.
The teacher's role in language learning is complex and responsible ,it is not concerned with the income cash of skills ,but organisation of those language activities for real purposes from the skills acquired.
Few aspects of English language can be mechanically marked and formal language exercise has little or no effect on ability to use language. However more attention should be given to the place of the spoken word in learning. (Protherough 1999:34)
Finally many pupils are taught as a system and consequently they don't understand the nature of their mistake or how to put them right. What is learned specifically is the language itself , in a variety of its manifestations rather than facts of that language.