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 An Analysis of Medium of Instruction Policies in the Education System of Pakistan with Specific Reference to English Medium Education

sjesr ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 370-382
Author(s):  
Sadia Asif ◽  
Imran Afzal ◽  
Rahat Bashir
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
Education System ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Language Education ◽  
School Level ◽  
Critical Examination ◽  
Specific Reference ◽  
Medium Of Instruction ◽  
Main Concern ◽  
Primary Level

A critical examination of the trends, issues, and challenges in policy and practice of English language education in Pakistan is the main concern of this paper. This is done first by describing the practice of teaching English in varied instructional situations. Second, the paper historically reviews the language education policies since Pakistan’s independence in 1947. Third, the consequences of using English as the medium of instruction are discussed. A longitudinal large scale study is done to highlight the fact that English as medium of instruction at primary school level can distort the teaching and learning activities for students and teachers in rural areas of Pakistan and student drop-out rate can even get higher in those areas. The data was collected from the interviews of twenty teachers working in government and semi government schools at primary level. Based on the information obtained from the target participants, teaching at the same level but in different schools, the author argues that mother tongue education at the primary level is the most appropriate method to enhance the educational performance of students and a positive approach to bilingual education must be taken to resolve the challenges associated with the medium of instruction policies in the education system of Pakistan. Moreover, the data also shows that adopting English as a medium of instruction in Public schools may lead to low motivation level among students and it can hinder the development of English as a second language among learners. Furthermore, a difference in home language and school language may also hamper development and concepts formation in students at school level. Therefore, it is recommended that before implementing any language as medium of instruction at school level, one must review the history of Pakistani education system and must keep in mind the linguistic differences of the society and unavailability of resources is also a major hindrance in implementation of any language policy.  The results of this study confirm that the pedagogical effectiveness could only be achieved through the mother tongue and provides clear evidence for the usage of native languages as a medium of education in schools.

scholarly journals Teachers’ Attitudes Towards English as Medium of Instruction

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 43-54
Author(s):  
Krishna Kumar Khatri
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
Mixed Method ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Linguistic Diversity ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Secondary Level ◽  
Medium Of Instruction ◽  
The Public ◽  
Teachers Attitudes ◽  
Modern Technologies

 English as medium of Instruction (EMI) has been a genuine issue of discussion in today’s pedagogical field among the concerned stakeholders including teachers. In this concern, a mixed method study entitled ‘Attitudes of teachers towards using English as Medium of Instruction (EMI) in Public Secondary Schools of Ilam was attempted to explore the teachers’ attitude towards using EMI in the public schools and challenges faced by them in course of adopting EMI. For this, twenty secondary level English teachers were accessed purposively and data were collected using questionnaire consisting of both close ended and open-ended questions. The results of the study revealed that teachers of public schools were found aware of the basic concept of the notion of English as a medium of instruction. They were found positive in implementing EMI in conducting their daily teaching and learning activities. The study also showed that teachers of secondary level have been facing different challenges in adopting EMI in the classroom like students’ weak exposure to English, mother tongue interference, unresourceful schools and linguistic diversity in the class. The study recommended that there should be conducive and encouraging environment in the public schools for the teachers for adopting EMI in the class. The schools should be made resourceful and well equipped with modern technologies. Moreover, the teachers should be made sound with pedagogically and professionally.

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.

Extent of Use and Acceptability of HiligaynonHiligaynon as Medium of Instruction in Philippine Schools

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronora S. Malaga
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Data Gathering ◽  
Medium Of Instruction ◽  
Problem Analysis ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Multilingual Education ◽  
Inadequate Information ◽  
Based Instruction ◽  
Teachers And Parents

There are conflicting views concerning the adoption of mother-tongue based instruction.  While there are issuances to use it in teaching preschool and primary grade subjects, many teachers are not lured to embrace it.   Grounded on this, the study purported to ascertain the extent of use and acceptability of Hiligaynon as language of instruction in selected elementary schools in Negros Occidental during the academic year 2012-2013. Descriptive quantitative type of research was used with 117 teachers, 39 parents and 39 pupils as respondents.  It utilized questionnaire and interview methods for data gathering. Mean, frequency and chi-square were the statistical tools employed. HiligaynonHiligaynon as the medium of instruction was used and acceptable on a moderate level among teachers and parents while higher level of acceptability was exhibited by the pupils.  Its extent of use HiligaynonHiligaynon was influenced by gender and assigned school; and its acceptability was affected by the assigned school.  Greater confidence in language utilization, the deployment of local learning resources and opportunity for creativity and innovativeness came out as its leading advantages. On the other hand, inadequate information, training and preparation appeared to be its major downsides. For the successful realization of the program, the Department of Education has to carry out significant steps encompassing problem-analysis, placement of appropriate content, adequate materials, clear directives as well as the fitting people to lead the implementation of Hiligaynon instruction.  This also necessitates collaboration and higher appropriation for education. Keywords - Hiligaynon instruction, Mother Tongue Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE), descriptive-quantitative research, Philippines   

scholarly journals The Role of Language in Sustainable Development: Multilingualism and Language Literacy in India

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-93
Author(s):  
Neha Toppo ◽  
◽  
Rahman Rahman
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Multicultural Education ◽  
Linguistic Diversity ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Language And Literacy ◽  
Cultural Sustainability ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Language Literacy ◽  
Global Language ◽  
Local Languages

The paper, out of the three major domains of sustainable development, brings its focus on socio-cultural sustainability. As human contacts and negotiation are essential to serve the purposes of sustainable development worldwide, language as a shared means of communication is worth paying attention to. The central objective of the paper is to deliberate on the significance of language and literacy in sustainable development. Firstly, it introduces the notion of sustainable development and conceptualizes language within its frame. Then, it explores the link between language, literacy and development; and elucidates the role this plays in attaining sustainable development goals. The paper further highlights the debate between English and mother tongue/local languages specific to the literacy programmes in India. Conflicts in language selection for the medium of instruction, deciding on the place of mother tongue and global language, etc are some obvious issues in the multilingual and multicultural education scenario. Therefore, the paper calls for the need of adopting a multilingual approach in order to address the linguistic diversity in the multilingual educational contexts. Both English and local languages have been equally emphasized for attaining social sustainability at the local and global plane. Some implications are also suggested to be utilized in language/educational programmes.

scholarly journals Global and Local Perspectives on the Preservation of Linguistic Diversity: A Nepali Experience

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 82-94
Author(s):  
Min Pun
Keyword(s):  
Linguistic Diversity ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Indigenous Languages ◽  
Global Trends ◽  
Global Perspectives ◽  
Multilingual Education ◽  
Diversity Issues ◽  
Global And Local ◽  
Local Perspectives

This paper deals with the past studies about preserving and promoting linguistic diversity with special reference to indigenous languages of the world in general and of Nepal in particular. It is broadly divided into two major categories viz. global perspectives on linguistic diversity issues and local perspectives on linguistic diversity issues. The global perspectives section is related to conceptualizing the global trends of preserving and promoting linguistic diversity in different regions of the globe. For instance, past studies conducted on indigenous languages of Europe, South Asia (including Sri Lanka, Pakistan and India), Latin America, North America, Africa, and Malaysia were reviewed to identify the research gap for this study. The local perspectives section is related to conceptualizing the Nepali trends of preserving and promoting linguistic diversity in Nepal. Similarly, empirical studies were reviewed into four aspects such as a) linguistic diversity and multilingualism, b) endangerment of indigenous languages, c) bilingual and multilingual education, and d) mother tongue literacy. Based on these observations, this paper has been developed to identify the global and local perspectives on the preservation of linguistic diversity, using a Nepali experience.

scholarly journals On Uganda government’s commitment to the development and implementation of the mother tongue education policy in post-2015 era

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fred Masaazi ◽  
Medadi Ssentanda ◽  
Willy Ngaka
Keyword(s):  
Education Policy ◽  
Millennium Development Goals ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Education For All ◽  
World Language ◽  
Mother Tongue Education ◽  
National Initiatives ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
The Government

The year 2015 was set as deadline to realise the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which were authored in 2000 by 189 states in the world. Language is at the heart of MDGs (Barron, 2012; Romaine, 2013). Some scholars look at language (development) as a measure and/or determinant of development (e.g. Romaine, 2013). This paper examines Uganda’s commitment to the development and employment of mother tongues in education as a way of realising the quality of education in Uganda. It is important to reflect on the trend and level of mother tongue development and employment in education in Uganda to chart the way forward for the post-2015 period. The paper draws from different studies and reports which have focussed on mother tongue education in Uganda. This study faults the government in many ways for failing to sustain the national initiatives of mother tongue education, particularly in terms of poor financing and failure to monitor the implementation of UPE and mother tongue education programmes. The paper proposes a way forward for the realisation of a meaningful Education for All (EFA) in form of Universal Primary Education (UPE) initiative and the mother tongue education policy introduced in Uganda in 1997 and 2006 respectively.

scholarly journals Colonial Legacy of Language Politics and Medium of Instruction Policy in India

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shivakumar Jolad ◽  
Isha Doshi
Keyword(s):  
Linguistic Diversity ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
East India Company ◽  
Medium Of Instruction ◽  
Language Politics ◽  
Colonial Era ◽  
Local Conditions ◽  
National Education ◽  
Education In India ◽  
National Leaders

The sphere of language politics within India has been a complex one, and rightly so, owing to the country’s rich and immense linguistic diversity. Naturally, this complexity has trickled into the Medium of Instruction (MOI) used in Indian schools. Hindi, English, and state languages dominate the school MOI undermining the enormous Language and Mother Tongue diversity in India. Even though the Indian Constitution and the three National Education Policies have emphasized Mother Tongue/Local language as the MOI at the primary education level, there continues to be a divergence between policy and the actual MOI used in government and private schools in India. In this article, we argue that the political hegemony of languages and its reflection in the MOI at present derives from the historic domination of classical languages in the pre-colonial era and its replacement by English in the colonial era. We trace the MOI in indigenous schools of the 19th Century and assert that their elasticity and adaptability was suited to local conditions. We argue that formal western education created rigidity and homogeneity through centralized curriculum and common language. We discuss the ambivalence of East India Company and British India’s policies on medium of Instruction in English and Vernacular languages. We highlight different phases of anglicization of Education in India, and its adoption and expansion by Indians. We argue that despite attempts at reinvention of education by national leaders and push for Mother Tongue as MOI in the early 20th century, English continued to dominate Indian education.

scholarly journals Constructive alignment of Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB MLE) language policy implementation to the practices of a multilingual classroom

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 125
Author(s):  
Hyra Dave Pepito Gempeso ◽  
Jubelle Dianne Solatorio Mendez
Keyword(s):  
Policy Implementation ◽  
Language Policy ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Medium Of Instruction ◽  
Constructive Alignment ◽  
Multilingual Education ◽  
Multilingual Classroom ◽  
K 12

This descriptive observational study examined the implementation of Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB MLE) language policy to the classroom practices of a grade three multilingual classroom in the Philippines. The constructive alignment of the said language policy implementation was evaluated in terms of: (1) Mother Tongue (MT) as a subject area, examining specifically the coherence of the teaching and learning activities and assessment criteria used; and (2) MT as a medium of instruction. Findings revealed that there were discrepancies, incongruences, and insufficiencies in the administration of assessments in the alignment of MT as a subject area. These issues resulted in the underdevelopment of the four macro skills of the learners and caused misalignment of the classroom implementation to the language policy. The same is true with the implementation of MT as a medium of instruction in the classroom; however, the use of translation and code-switching of L1, L2, and L3 helped in the comprehension and participation of the students. These findings call for the attention of the policymakers and teachers for a rigorous review of the policy and its actual implementation as it significantly affects the holistic development of the students. This study further contributes to the continuous improvement of the educational system in the country particularly in the K-12 and MTB MLE implementation.

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.

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