Medium of Instruction Policy

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
James W. Tollefson ◽  
Amy B.M. Tsui
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Education For All ◽  
Medium Of Instruction ◽  
Language Rights ◽  
Fourth Section ◽  
The Third ◽  
Postcolonial Education ◽  
European Higher Education

This chapter traces the main pedagogical and political agendas that are implicit in medium of instruction (MOI) policies. It begins with an important worldwide effort to promote mother-tongue MOI: the Education for All initiative. Although this initiative has gained wide support among education scholars, MOI policies that privilege former colonial languages remain dominant in many contexts. The second section focuses on colonial and postcolonial contexts. In recent years debates about MOI in postcolonial education have focused on the spread of English MOI under globalization. The third section examines globalization, specifically with the examples of Malaysia, Hong Kong, China, and European higher education. The fourth section examines a major counterforce to English MOI: the language rights movement. Finally, the chapter ends with a discussion of explicit efforts to use MOI to reduce inequality.

Language policies for Hong Kong schools since 1997

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincent Kan ◽  
Bob Adamson
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Secondary Schools ◽  
Language Policy ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
International Communication ◽  
National Language ◽  
Medium Of Instruction ◽  
Language Policies ◽  
Mother Tongue Education ◽  
Important Means

Francis of Education (print)/1474-8479 (online) Article 2010 Language in education debates in Hong Kong focus on the role and status of English (as the former colonial language and an important means for international communication); Cantonese, the mother tongue of the majority of the population; and Putonghua, the national language of China. This paper examines the language policy formulated in 1997–1998, and finds that it radically departed from previous policies by mandating the use of Cantonese as the medium of instruction in secondary schools. The paper then analyses two subsequent policy revisions and concludes that, while the tonal emphasis on mother-tongue education has remained, the policy revisions have reversed the language policy to previous practices that emphasised the importance of English.

Linguistic capital

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 159-167
Author(s):  
Chris Harwood ◽  
Conttia Lai
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Language Policy ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Financial Capital ◽  
Medium Of Instruction ◽  
Linguistic Capital ◽  
Policy Changes ◽  
Lingua Franca ◽  
Hong Kong Students ◽  
Cantonese Medium Of Instruction

Abstract This article discusses the effects of Hong Kong’s language policy changes in education since China reclaimed the territory in 1997. It describes Hong Kongers’ perceptions of English and their mother tongue Cantonese, and considers the effects of the Cantonese medium of instruction (CMI) policy, which was introduced to promote biliteracy and trilingualism1 among Hong Kongers. The analysis shows that even though CMI results in deeper learning in Hong Kong students, the strength and status of English as the lingua franca in the territory remains strong, and access to the linguistic capital English brings remains restricted to those with financial capital to afford it.

An Interactive Mobile Lecturing Model

2013 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olutayo Boyinbode ◽  
Dick Ng’ambi ◽  
Antoine Bagula
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Mobile Devices ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Cape Town ◽  
Medium Of Instruction ◽  
Educational Resource ◽  
Large Classes ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
University Of Cape Town ◽  
The University

Although use of podcasts and vodcasts are increasingly becoming popular in higher education, their use is usually unidirectional and therefore replicates the transmission mode of traditional face-to-face lectures. In this paper, the authors propose a tool, MOBILect, a mobile lecturing tool that enables users to comment on lecture vodcasts using mobile devices, and aggregated comments become an educational resource. The vodcasts are generated through Opencast Matterhorn and YouTube. The tool was evaluated at the University of Cape Town with students’ own devices. The paper reports on the architecture of the MOBILect, its framework for student-vodcast interaction, and evaluation results. The paper concludes that the MOBILect has potential for use as a supplement to the traditional face-to-face lectures especially in scenarios of large classes, or where the medium of instruction is not the students’ mother tongue.

scholarly journals Timor-Leste: Multilingual Education for All?

2012 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerry Taylor-Leech
Keyword(s):  
Linguistic Diversity ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Critical Examination ◽  
Education For All ◽  
Medium Of Instruction ◽  
Multilingual Education ◽  
Timor Leste ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
National Constitution ◽  
Development Discourses

 This article presents a review of medium-of-instruction policy in Timor-Leste a er ten years of independence. The review is set against the provisions for language in the country’s National Constitution and the human development discourses of the Education for All (EFA) and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It is informed by a range of literature dealing with language policy and the medium of instruction in linguistically diverse and developing contexts. The article provides an overview of the language situation and the development challenges facing education planners, followed by a critical examination of medium-of-instruction policy over the period 2000-2012. This critique is followed by an explanatory discussion of the mother tongue-based multilingual education (MTB-MLE) policy for Timor-Leste and a consideration of some concerns about MTB-MLE. The article closes with an assessment of the potential of this policy to promote linguistic diversity in Timor-Leste and help deliver on the EFA and MDGs for 2015. 

scholarly journals CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR LEARNING AND TEACHING ENHANCEMENT IN EUROPEAN HIGHER EDUCATION AREA

PRIMO ASPECTU ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 62-69
Author(s):  
Konstantin Yu. KOROLEV
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Learning Process ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Education For All ◽  
Approaches To Teaching ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
European Universities ◽  
Teaching Assessment ◽  
European Higher Education

Obvious needs in availability of higher education for all citizens, their involvement into the teaching and learning process and diversity in educational experience require critically new approaches to teaching and learning at higher education area. Leading European universities elaborated synergetically a core principles toolkit for enhancement of teaching and learning at high schools. The article deals with conceptual and practical aspects of the development and implementation of these principles, proposes a HEIs learning and teaching assessment toolkit, in accord with them.

Empirical foundations for medium of instruction policies: Approximate replications of Afolayan (1976) and Siegel (1997b)

2015 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 549-563 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fiona Willans ◽  
Constant Leung
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Primary Education ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Critical Time ◽  
Original Study ◽  
Education For All ◽  
Medium Of Instruction ◽  
Negative Attitudes ◽  
The Impact

With global attention currently focused on the challenge of providing Education for All (UNESCO 2000), we must ensure that the language of teaching and learning remains a topic on the agenda towards making sure that the education being provided is effective. This is therefore a critical time to review medium of instruction debates, and to reassess what empirical evidence exists to guide policymaking that is both appropriate and achievable. Contributing to this endeavour, this paper argues for the approximate replication of two key studies. The first is Afolayan (1976), a widely-cited study conducted in Ife, Nigeria to test the effectiveness of teaching children in the mother tongue for six years of primary education. We argue that the frequency with which the success of this study is cited, without due attention paid to the details of its methodological procedure, may actually be detrimental to the success of other experiments, thus necessitating the careful replication of the original study. The second study is Siegel (1997b), one of the few studies that have been conducted to evaluate the impact of initial education in an English-based pidgin on the subsequent learning of English. We argue that there is an urgent need for replication of one of the few available studies of pidgins and creoles in education, given the prevalence of negative attitudes towards this category of languages.

scholarly journals The Role and Impact of English as a Language and a Medium of Instruction in Saudi Higher Education Institutions: Students-Instructors Perspective

2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ebad, Ryhan
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Medium Of Instruction ◽  
Listening Skills ◽  
English Medium Instruction ◽  
English Medium Of Instruction ◽  
Preparatory Year

<p>English as a medium of Instruction in higher education institutions across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a debatable subject. The Ministry of Higher Education mandates English as the Medium Instruction (EMI) in all the higher education institutions across the kingdom. Since Arabic is the mother tongue of the natives and the only spoken language in the entire region, it is the only medium of instruction in all the schools up to the secondary level. English is formally introduced as the language of instruction in undergraduate level. This sudden shift in language produces a barrier which creates chaos and repulsive issues with the medium of instruction. All the universities have their separate English Language Centre (ELC) as well as Preparatory Year Program (PYP) where they intensively train and prepare students for the English language. Emphasis is laid upon improving students reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. However, many studies conducted to examine the issue of medium of instruction have revealed an existence of a huge gap between teaching and learning, knowledge acquisition, and overall understanding of the subjects using English medium of instruction. Arabization is also a major contributing factor in making the situation difficult. Students and instructors encounter high levels of challenges and obstacles during the course of classroom instruction. This paper identifies the gap between English medium instruction (EMI) and Arab medium instruction (AMI) and investigates the root cause of the issues taking into account the reports of other case studies. The paper concludes with recommendations to address these issues.</p>

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