Children learn best when education starts from the language they already know. For many children in Nepal, their first day of school is also their first exposure to Nepali as the language of instruction (LoI). When children struggle to communicate with their teacher, it becomes increasingly difficult for them to participate in the classroom, understand lessons and develop foundational literacy.

Nepal has more than 124 mother tongues and numerous dialects. Despite this linguistic diversity, its presence in the language of instruction and learning materials is limited. In schools, children whose home language is different from the instructional language face dual learning challenges. Children are expected to learn a new language while simultaneously trying to learn other academic content in that same unfamiliar language. This language unfamiliarity not only hinders their participation but also affects their sense of belonging in school and their motivation to learn.

Nepal’s literacy rate has significantly improved in recent years and now stands at 76.2 percent. Yet regions with greater linguistic diversity continue to fall behind this national literacy average. If we are committed to achieving equitable literacy outcomes, it is essential to address language barriers in early grade learning.

This challenge is often true for teachers. Educators often lack practical instruction tools, pedagogical skills and resources that support children from diverse linguistic backgrounds. As a result, many are not equipped with approaches such as translanguaging and scaffolding, which incorporate students’ first language alongside Nepali, ensuring learning remains accessible for students. This aligns with Nepal’s Constitution, which states: “Every Nepalese community residing in Nepal shall have the right to get education in its mother tongue and, for that purpose, to open and operate schools and educational institutions.”

These approaches recognise that children learn new concepts by building on their existing knowledge and actively participating in the classroom. To support educators and students, it is also important to invest in quality learning materials. Children’s books in mother tongues, conversational charts, picture-word cards and primer materials can create a rich learning environment that fosters discussion and curiosity. These materials help children build new knowledge by connecting their lived experiences and existing understanding, thereby strengthening their literacy skills.

For instance, in Kapilvastu, two-thirds of the district’s population speaks Awadhi. Among students in foundational classes in the 48 schools, supported by Room to Read, a nonprofit organisation focused on literacy and gender equality, 96 percent speak Awadhi as their first language. To address this challenge and strengthen local government efforts to improve literacy, one major step was to train teachers and provide them with the Learning Facilitation Guideline (LFG). The development of supplementary learning materials is also marked as an important step towards an inclusive learning environment for Awadhi-speaking learners. This intervention equips educators with tools that help bridge language barriers and support children’s literacy development.

The framework is organised as a progression across four learning phases, from the foundational stage to the post-decodable phase. The teachers explore flexible strategies for using Awadhi as a bridge language to support learning Nepali. From the very beginning of Grade 1, especially in the first 10 days of the foundational phase, students are supported through the high use of their first language and various support materials to ease their transition into formal learning.

In the pre-decodable and decodable phases, educators apply oral language-based strategies using conversational charts, primer cards, topic and experience-based discussions, along with imaginative interactions. Educators are also provided with translated stories and key instructions in Awadhi to support translanguaging. These strategies help children bridge familiar language experiences with new learning, supporting the development of their phonological awareness, phonics, vocabulary, reading fluency and comprehension skills.

This change is multifaceted and requires collaboration and system-oriented reform across the education sector. Recognising linguistic diversity also requires contextualised instructional design, learning materials and professional development for educators. Such practices ensure that learners are not disadvantaged when instruction begins in an unfamiliar language. In turn, this approach helps learners develop the literacy skills and confidence they need to succeed in school.