Communication accommodation and peer interactions in multilingual African classrooms

This study investigated peer-to-peer communication accommodation in multilingual African classrooms, addressing limited attention to children's interactions within Communication Accommodation Theory. It examined pupils' communicative strategies, the roles of convergence, divergence, and maintenance in identity and peer relationships, and their influence on learning engagement. Using a qualitative ethnographic design, data were collected from 600 purposively selected pupils in ten elementary schools through observation, audio recordings, and focus group interviews. The findings showed that convergence through translanguaging promoted inclusion and positive relations, while divergence and maintenance expressed linguistic identities and group boundaries. Communication accommodation enhanced participation, collaboration, engagement, and mutual understanding.