Dissertation (MA Education)The present study intended to investigate how teachers and students in secondary schools experience learning through english language which the medium of instruction and the strategies they employ in order to successfully understand their subjects. It addresses the problem of learning subject content in contexts where english is a foreign language to students. The theoretical framework to guide this study includes: A socio-cultural perspective on learning which was chosen as a frame of reference to conceptualize and understand learning through a foreign language in secondary education, mainly due to its focus on language as a tool that facilitates interaction to mediate learning; and the social nature of learning. The study mainly used qualitative approach in data collection and analysis. Data were obtained through the use of interviews, observation and focus group discussion. Data were collected from 24 participants that comprised six (6) teachers and eighteen (18) students. The findings indicate that teachers and students rely on coping strategies to ensure that teaching and learning process is taking place effectively. In particular, findings also show that the use of coping strategies such as code-switching, code-mixing, translation, and lack of student participation in class discussions were observed in all studied schools. This study considers the fact that english is still the language of instruction and the new policy of (2004) seems to allow the use of both english and kiswahili for teaching and learning in secondary education, therefore, there is a need to specify how strategies such as code-switching and translation can be used to enhance teaching and learning. Now teachers and students use such strategies without pedagogical guidance.