Compulsory teaching of English: Impacts on learning in a Fiji classroom

English is the second language for the majority of students in Fiji, but it is viewed as the official language of instruction in Fiji classrooms. This study explored the impact of using English as a second language on students’ academic performance. The study was conducted in a multicultural school in Labasa, located in the northern part of Fiji. This school consists of students and teachers from multicultural backgrounds. Using a qualitative approach, this study found that 77% of the students do not have problems in understanding and using English in learning. It was also found that, while Fijian Vernacular* is a compulsory subject, 30% of the indigenous Fijian students in this school do not perform well in Fijian Vernacular. One of the reasons is that indigenous Fijian parents speak to their children in English at home, fearing that their children will not do well in school if they do not know how to speak in English. Also, there are not enough qualified Fijian Vernacular teachers. This study recommends that parents be made aware of the importance of the Vernacular in students’ learning, and the Ministry of Education should invest in developing the qualifications of Fijian Vernacular teachers. Finally, it is also recommended that a future study be conducted to find out the impacts of the teaching of compulsory Fijian Vernacular to non-indigenous Fijian students