scholarly journals The Linguistic Situation of the Tribal Languages of Assam

Multi-linguistic and multi-ethnic people inhabit in Assam. Amongst these languages Assamese language is being used as a state-language as well as means of communication in Assam. Moreover, Assamese being the main medium of instruction in govt. schools, every student receive formal education in the Assamese language irrespective of their multilingualism. The tribal language of Assam is used among the particular tribe only. These languages lack heritage as there is no script for the same. Some languages are written with the help of the script of other languages. Albeit, the languages could not be opulent in case of written literature. Moreover, the languages have much adversity, for which languages face arduous challenges in the path of development. The current unprecedented development of science and technology, the expansion of transportation and communication as well as educational development etc. has made this challenge more forceful. Also the restricted use of the languages has led to their endangerment. In this case the current situation of these languages of Assam, the problems of tribal languages as well as the development of the language and the obligations towards nurturing these languages are discussed in this study. This paper also describes the degree of endangerment of the tribal languages of Assam and assesses its vitality with reference to the factors proposed by UNESCO. At the end of the study we can conclude in at to keep alive these languages, the govt. as well as the integrated tribe should make proper language planning and take all necessary steps. The only appropriate and useful reliable language for present and future will encourage and attract the future generation to use the same

Author(s):  
Fan (Gabriel) Fang

Currently, how English is being used as a lingua franca (ELF) has caused linguistic and cultural norms to be revisited in relation to language use. The issue of global citizenship has emerged when English is used as the main medium of instruction in higher education; as achieving global citizenship is a main goal of international universities, the ELF paradigm has assisted in the realization of this goal because English is used in a fluid and dynamic perspective. This paper uses interview data (N=6), which was collected from Chinese students from the Chaoshan area who obtained their master’s degrees abroad, to analyze how these students developed their senses of global citizenship. Although their ELF experiences play an important role in understanding global citizenship, many did not receive a formal education regarding global citizenship at home or abroad. This paper concludes by emphasizing how the ELF paradigm can aid higher education institutions raise people’s awareness of global citizenship. 


2008 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 153-172
Author(s):  
Y.A. Ankomah

language plays a pivotal role in educational provision and its quality as it is the main medium that facilitates communication between the learner and the teacher. Since the introduction of the first official school language policy in 1925, there has been the dilemma of what nature the policy is to take, spanning from first language as medium of instruction for the first three years of primary school, through first language usage for the first year only to an all-English usage for the first year only to an all –English usage throughout school. The study was a baseline cross-sectional survey on the perceptions of stakeholders on the language of instructions in Ghanaian basic schools. Eighty seven respondents comprising 36 pupils, 36 parents, nine teachers and three heads from three basic schools and six tutors from a college of education were interviewed on their views and perception on the used of the local language as medium of instruction in basic schools. The literature and the present study reveal that currently stakeholders will not support one exclusive language, English or Ghanaian first language, as medium of instruction at the early stages of school due to entrenched perceptions, not withstanding whatever possible advantages there may be. The obvious choice is a mother tongue-based bilingual arrangement that effectively combines the advantages of Ghanaian first language and English. But its success calls for commitment by policymakers and other stakeholders.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian M. Herrmann

This article describes the ideas behind and the experiences with the experimental e-learning platform SHRIMP. Developed and deployed at American Studies Leipzig, the platform is used for the introductory Literature and Culture I seminar in the American Studies Bachelor of Arts program, and it serves as the main medium of instruction for around 80 students per year. It breaks up the linear form of the original seminar reader and instead offers students a hypertext of interconnected, short segments, enriched with social media and gamification elements, as well as a learning analytics component that invites students to take control of their own study and learning experience. It is driven by a dual assumption about digitization: that the digital age changes how students interact with text, and that digital textuality offers rich affordances beyond linear reading. Both can be harnessed to improve learning outcomes.


2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-89
Author(s):  
Ruchira Das

Olchiki is the indigenous script of Santals, a dominant tribal community of West Bengal, formulated to promote and represent ‘adi’ cultural heritage and traditions in their mother tongue Santali. The script was recognised by the Government of West Bengal in 1978 and was introduced at the primary level of education. However, there have been contestations around its appropriateness as the medium of instruction for the migrant tribal community in the emerging context of the city and globalisation. These discourses have led to the formation of two distinct groups—those who support the introduction of Santali language in Olchiki as a means to formal education and those who resist usage of its script for schooling. In my article, I will present these conflicting views prevailing among the migrant Santals of a settlement called Santragachi, in Kolkata.


2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (8) ◽  
pp. 1340-1345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelsey C Hewitt ◽  
Meghan W Cody ◽  
Craig D Marker ◽  
David W Loring

Abstract Objective To investigate whether the General Educational Development (GED) certificate should be considered equivalent to a standard 12-year high school education when performing demographic corrections on neuropsychological performance levels. If the GED certificate and high school diploma reflect comparable levels of educational achievement, then performance on the Test of Premorbid Function (TOPF) and selected WAIS-IV indices should not differ between groups. Method Archival neuropsychology data were reviewed to identify patients who either (1) did not complete high school and did not subsequently obtain a GED, (2) did not complete high school but subsequently obtained a GED, or (3) completed high school and did not obtain any further formal education. Most patients were programmatic referrals for epilepsy surgery evaluation, although referrals from the general neurology clinic were also included. The primary dependent measures were the TOPF and WAIS-IV Full Scale IQ (FSIQ). Results High school graduates obtained higher scores on the TOPF (p < .01, partial η2 = 0.16) and FSIQ (p < .01, partial η2 = 0.14) as compared to both GED subjects and subjects withdrawing from high school with no GED. The non-GED group and the GED group did not differ from each other. Conclusions These findings demonstrate that the GED is not equivalent to a standard 12-year high school education when characterizing educational background. Although these data do not address what the appropriate year equivalent should be for the GED when adjusting performance for educational background, using 12 years will likely identify more areas of neuropsychological weakness simply by suggesting higher levels of premorbid ability.


Author(s):  
Sam Underwood

<p>Investment in educational initiatives as transitional or transformative mechanisms in societies trying to build peace is often limited by several assumptions. First, it is often held as that education is largely a tool of prevention, and that the impact of the initiatives cannot be measured. Second, children are considered only as the «future generation» who will «inherit» the society, reducing their value to their future potential and undermining their agency in the present. Third, since introducing sensitive issues into the formal education system is politically difficult and risks reopening old wounds, it is held that educational initiatives are dependent on, and thus secondary to, a sustained reconciliation or peacebuilding process. As a result of these assumptions, education is often shelved as a long-term, developmental issue in post-conflict societies, and does not benefit from the resources brought by the «peace dividend.» This article seeks to deconstruct these assumptions, and argue that educational initiatives in fact have an observable, measurable, transformative impact on individuals, groups and societies. If this impact is supported and sustained by economic and political investment, education can play a central role in peacebuilding and transformative initiatives.</p><p><strong>Received</strong>: 01 August 2015<br /><strong>Accepted</strong>: 15 October 2015<br /><strong>Published online</strong>: 11 December 2017</p>


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shakirat Bola Ogunbayo

The restoration of democracy in Nigeria, particularly after decades of military dictatorship that began in 1966, has impacted the country’s general growth, including the education system. However, it has grown more difficult to achieve democratic success because various societal qualities are required, particularly in educational development and funding. Citizens can only acquire these qualities through literacy if the country’s education sector is democratized and adequately funded. One of the most significant obstacles to achieving this goal is a lack of financing, a persistent problem in Nigeria, particularly under this democratic government. As a result, there is an increasing number of private educational institutions, and government authorities in charge of education cannot effectively monitor and manage their establishment. However, due to the country’s democratic structure, care must be taken to guarantee that quality is not compromised. Overall, because of its impact on individual and national development, making quality education accessible to all Nigerians should be one of the government’s top priorities. This study aims to examine the current situation of education, funding, and democracy in Nigeria. This is done to better grasp the Nigerian educational system and its finance during the country’s democratic era.


Author(s):  
Gordon Senanu Kwame Adika

<strong><strong></strong></strong><p align="LEFT">T<span style="font-family: DejaVuSerifCondensed; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: DejaVuSerifCondensed; font-size: small;">his paper provides snapshots of the growth of English in Ghana by reviewing </span></span>the debates that have characterised its usage, recapitulating the distinctive features of Ghanaian English (GhaE), and examining current directions of its growth. From its fi rst implantation in Ghana, then the Gold Coast, in the early part of the 16 <span style="font-family: DejaVuSerifCondensed; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: DejaVuSerifCondensed; font-size: xx-small;">th </span></span><span style="font-family: DejaVuSerifCondensed; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: DejaVuSerifCondensed; font-size: small;">century to date, English in Ghana, like in other West African countries </span></span>has shown formidable resilience as the language of formal education, and a medium for cross-ethnic communication in a predominantly multilingual environment. The tensions attendant upon which language to use as a medium of instruction at the lower levels of education appear to be yielding to the logic of complementarities and bilingualism within the local language ecology. English in Ghana, as an outercircle phenomenon, has been travelling the delicate expansionist path of innovation, adaptation, and maintenance of standards over the years. The distinctive Ghanaian linguistic and cultural colouration continues to permeate the English language on all levels, including vocabulary, idiomatic usage, and pronunciation.</p>


2021 ◽  
pp. 1200-1211
Author(s):  
Silvia Varbanova ◽  

The article discusses the peculiarities of the attitudes and expectations of students and parents about the impact of various extracurricular activities on individual educational development in the period of schooling. The influence of nonformal education on the development of students in formal education is analyzed through their view. The study was conducted through a semi-structured interview. 34 students, 32 parents and 15 teachers were interviewed. The successful influences and the existing barriers and limitations that prevent the realization of the positive effects of the connection of formal and non-formal education in the achievement of education as an individualized project are discussed


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