Re-thinking English literacy development in Tonga: A case study,2012–2017

This article presents a case study of a five-year english-literacy project carried out in primary and middle schools in the pacific island nation of tonga from 2012 to 2017. it summarizes why and how the project was begun; the activities carried out by peace corps volunteers and tongan partners; its objectives; and the products,procedures,and lessons that this international collaboration generated. the project aimed at building tongan educators’ capacities to create,use,and sustain “child-centered” (or “student-centered”) instructional and assessment practices; use books,libraries,and technologies to support literacy development; strengthen family and community support for children’s learning and literacy development; and increase access by young children and in-school and out-of-school youth and adults to literacy development opportunities. the article concludes with recommendations for actions that policymakers,practitioners,and parents might take to build a more effective literacy development system in their nations. © 2018,unesco ibe.