Integrated Teacher Education Programme Students and Home Language Use: An Attitudinal Perspectives

This study examined students’ attitudinal perspectives on the use of home language across key pedagogical domains, including language of instruction, feedback and assessment, peer interaction, classroom communication, and rapport building. The sample was drawn from 50 first-year students enrolled in the Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP) at Mizoram University, Northeast India, selected through simple random sampling. Although English is the official medium of instruction at Mizoram University, the ITEP cohort represents a linguistically diverse population, reflecting the region’s multilingual reality. Data were collected using a self-developed questionnaire designed to elicit both structured responses and open-ended reflections. The findings revealed that students expressed largely neutral yet cautiously favourable attitudes towards the inclusion of home language, recognising its benefits for comprehension, expression, and rapport building. Responses to the open-ended questions further highlighted a nuanced and somewhat ambivalent stance. While many students supported the integration of home language due to its immediate pedagogical advantages, others emphasised the centrality of English as a global academic medium, essential for wider communication and future professional opportunities. Overall, the study underscores a complex interplay between the pragmatic value of home language and the aspirational role of English, reflecting both the challenges and possibilities inherent in multilingual educational settings.