Medium of instruction

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
(Redirected from
Language of instruction
)

A medium of instruction (plural: media of instruction, or mediums of instruction) is a

mother tongue is indeed a critical issue".[1] In post-secondary, university and special education settings, content may often be taught in a language that is not spoken in the students' homes. This is referred to as content based learning or content and language integrated learning (CLIL). In situations where the medium of instruction of academic disciplines is English when it is not the students' first language, the phenomenon is referred to as English-medium instruction (EMI).[2]

In different countries and regions

Africa

  • In Tanzania, Swahili is used in primary schools and adult education, whereas English is used in secondary schools and universities.[3]
  • In Zimbabwe, the use of English, Shona and Ndebele is established in education until the fourth grade; from the fourth grade, English is the medium of instruction.[4]
  • In
    isiZulu.[5]
  • In Nigeria, the medium of instruction at all levels of education (primary, secondary, universities and colleges) is English.
  • In the francophone states of Africa, education has typically been in French only.
  • In Ethiopia, Amharic, Oromo, and other Ethiopian languages serve as the medium of instruction in primary education, while English is used in secondary schools and universities (French had been the medium of instruction in public schools pre-1936).

Western Hemisphere

Brazil

Every public school uses Brazilian Portuguese as the medium of instruction, but no law prohibits the use of other languages in private schools. Many schools use other European languages (mainly because of the country's European heritage) such as English, German, Italian or French. Public schools also have mandatory English and Spanish but only once or twice a week.

Canada

United States

English is used, but in some schools, Spanish, French (in Louisiana), Hawaiian (in Hawaii), and local Native American/American Indian languages are used as well.

  • The Cherokee Nation instigated a 10-year language preservation plan that involved growing new fluent speakers of the Cherokee language from childhood on up through school immersion programs as well as a collaborative community effort to continue to use the language at home.[6] This plan was part of an ambitious goal that in 50 years, 80% or more of the Cherokee people will be fluent in the language.[7] The Cherokee Preservation Foundation has invested $3 million into opening schools, training teachers, and developing curricula for language education, as well as initiating community gatherings where the language can be actively used.[7] Formed in 2006, the Kituwah Preservation & Education Program (KPEP) on the Qualla Boundary focuses on language immersion programs for children from birth to fifth grade, developing cultural resources for the general public and community language programs to foster the Cherokee language among adults.[8] There is also a Cherokee language immersion school in Tahlequah, Oklahoma that educates students from pre-school through eighth grade.[9]

Asia

South East Asia

  • In the Philippines, English is the primary medium of instruction from preschool to university, except in the Philippine history and Filipino language subjects, in which Filipino is used.[14] Recently, regional languages have been introduced as the medium of instruction in public schools for grades K–3 as part of the Department of Education's mother tongue-based education policy.[15]
  • In Singapore, in pre-schools children learn in two languages: English and a mother tongue: Chinese, Malay or Tamil.[16] The medium of instruction is English in all schools following the national curriculum except in "mother-tongue" subjects. International and private schools may use other languages. See also Special Assistance Plan.
  • In Indonesia, Indonesian is the medium in most schools, including universities.
  • In Cambodia, Khmer is the medium in most schools, including universities.
  • In Vietnam, Vietnamese is the medium in most schools, including universities.
  • In Thailand, Thai is the medium in most schools, including universities.
  • In Laos, Lao is the medium in most schools, including universities.
  • In Malaysia, Malay is the medium of instruction in most schools. However, there are also Chinese and Indian schools serving the respective communities, which are allowed to use Mandarin and Tamil respectively as a medium of instruction, but Malay is still required to be taught as a subject. English-medium schools were present during the colonial period but were slowly phased out after independence. Today, all the former English-medium schools have since been converted to Malay-medium schools. Nevertheless, English continues to be a compulsory subject in all Malaysian schools.

Australia and Oceania

Europe

  • In Belarus, Russian is the main language of instruction. While schools using Belarusian schools are 53%, they are located mostly in rural areas, and the share of students who receive instruction in Belarusian is as low as 18%.[18]
  • In Belgium, Dutch and French (German in some parts of Eastern Belgium) are used.
  • In Croatia, besides Croatian-language education, education of the representatives of national minorities is carried out in 24 elementary schools, and the program is conducted in the language and writing of a relevant national minority, 61 elementary schools having classes with such programs.[19]
  • In Estonia, as of 2011, there were 463 Estonian-medium schools, 62 Russian-medium schools and 36 mixed medium schools, 25% of vocational education being in Russian while the remainder Estonian. In higher education, 90.2% is in Estonian, 7.8% in Russian and 1.85% in English.[20]
  • In
    Sami in the north. See also Mandatory Swedish
    .
  • In France, legislation restricts languages other than French in state schools. Other languages of France are the medium of instruction in non-state schools such as Diwan Breton language-medium schools and the Calandretas in the south that use Occitan. See Language policy in France
  • In Iceland, Icelandic is used at all levels of education. English is the first secondary language to be taught (even starting a bit as early as kindergarten), with Danish also required later. Some universities teach in part in English in topics popular with foreigners (and "Icelandic for foreign students" is also offered).
  • In Ireland, English is used in most schools with a growing number of gaelscoileanna (10%) using Irish.
  • In Italy, while Italian is official language throughout the territory, also French is official in Valle D'Aosta, German in South Tirol.
  • In
    Ministry of Foreign Affairs, education is available in eight national minority languages: Russian, Polish, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Lithuanian, Estonian, Hebrew and Romani.[21] Boris Tsilevitch, politician and former chair of PACE sub-commission on minorities, notes that all minority schools (except the Russian and Polish ones) offer education in either Latvian or Russian, with corresponding minority language and culture taught as subjects.[22] The network of Russian-language schools is being reduced. Some Polish-language schools were created after restoration of independence. Education in public minority high schools is conducted mostly in Latvian since 2004 despite wide protests by the Headquarters for the Protection of Russian Schools.[23][24]
  • In Lithuania, as at 2004/2005, 91.3% of pupils studied in Lithuanian, 5.3% in Russian and 3.6% in Polish in general education schools.[25]
  • In Moldova, Moldovan (Romanian) is used, but Russian is slowly being introduced.[citation needed]
  • In
    Ohrid Agreement to provide university level education in languages spoken by at least 20% of the population[26] (Albanian
    )
  • In Norway, the medium of instruction is Norwegian. The state undertakes to provide a substantial part of preschool education in Sami, at least pupils whose families request it in sufficient numbers.[27]
  • In Poland, the medium of instruction in most schools is Polish. However, in areas where national or ethnic minorities reside, there are as well public schools with minority language of instruction (such as German, Ukrainian, Belarusian, or Kashubian), or schools which offers classes of the minority language.[28]
  • In Romania, the medium of instruction is mostly Romanian, but the state undertakes to provide education in minority languages up to the following levels. In Russian, it is a substantial part of preschool education, at least to those pupils whose families request it in sufficient numbers. In Bulgarian and Czech, it is a substantial part of primary education. In Croatian, it is a substantial part of secondary education. In Serbian, Turkish, Ukrainian and Slovak, it is secondary education. In German and Hungarian, it is higher education.[27] There are also international schools where the medium of instruction is English.
  • In Russia, Russian is dominating in education. Approximately 6% of students learn at school in minority languages.[29] Besides, some tertiary education establishments use Tatar as a language of instruction alongside Russian.[30]
  • In Slovakia, education in minority languages must be provided in municipalities if Slovak citizens speaking respective language are more than 20% of population: higher, technical and vocational education in Hungarian, a substantial part of technical and vocational education in Ruthenian and Ukrainian, a substantial part of preschool education for those pupils whose families request it in sufficient numbers in Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, German, Polish and Roma.[27]
  • In Slovenia, the general medium of instruction is Slovene. In areas with the Hungarian ethnic minority, bilingual instruction in Slovene and Hungarian is compulsory. In the Italian ethnic community area, basic education can be provided in Slovene or Italian.[31]
  • In Switzerland, German, French, Italian and/or Romansh are used in most schools.
  • In Ukraine since the 2017 law "On Education" is language of instruction in Ukrainian schools is the state language, which is Ukrainian (national minorities are guaranteed the right to study in public educational facilities including their language alongside Ukrainian).[32]
Prior to the 2017 law "On Education" the mediums of instruction in pre-school education were Ukrainian, Russian, Hungarian, Romanian, Moldovan, Crimean Tatar, English, Polish and German; in general education, Ukrainian, Russian, Hungarian, Romanian, Moldovan, Crimean Tatar, Polish, Bulgarian and Slovak; in vocational training, Ukrainian and Russian; in higher education, Ukrainian, Russian, Hungarian, Romanian.[33]

See also

References

  1. ^ Results of the 7th consultation of member states on the implementation of the Convention and Recommendation against discrimination in education. Para. 41
  2. ISSN 0261-4448
    .
  3. ^ "Kiswahili". Archived from the original on April 17, 2001. Retrieved 2001-04-17. Tanzania National Website
  4. ^ 5.1.9 Language laws Archived 2014-07-14 at the Wayback Machine // Zimbabwe. International Database of Cultural Policies
  5. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-09-12. Retrieved 2014-12-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. ^ "Native Now : Language: Cherokee". We Shall Remain - American Experience - PBS. 2008. Archived from the original on April 7, 2014. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
  7. ^ a b "Cherokee Language Revitalization". Cherokee Preservation Foundation. 2014. Archived from the original on April 7, 2014. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
  8. ^ Kituwah Preservation & Education Program Powerpoint, by Renissa Walker (2012)'. 2012. Print.
  9. ^ Chavez, Will (April 5, 2012). "Immersion students win trophies at language fair". Cherokeephoenix.org. Retrieved April 8, 2013.
  10. ^ Olinda Hassan Education in Transition: English based learning in Bangladesh today Forum, The Daily Star
  11. .
  12. ^ Alternative report on the implementation by Georgia of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities in the region of Kvemo Kartli — p. 59
  13. ^ 18 colleges declared 'English medium'
  14. ^ Enclosure No. 1 to "Department of Education Order No. 74, 2009" (PDF). Archived from the original on June 16, 2012. Retrieved 2012-06-16.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  15. ^ "DepEd adds 7 languages to mother tongue-based education for Kinder to Grade 3". GMA News Online. July 13, 2013. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
  16. ^ Pre-school Education
  17. ^ Constitution of Vanuatu Article 3
  18. ^ Почему белорусcких школ становится всё меньше? Белорусский Партизан 2010(in Russian)[dead link]
  19. ^ Elementary Education Archived 2012-05-11 at the Wayback Machine Ministry of Education of Croatia
  20. ^ National system overview on education systems in Europe, Estonia (PDF). EURYDICE. 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-05-25.
  21. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia
    . June 5, 2018.
  22. ^ Comments by Mr Boriss Cilevics, Member of the Latvian Delegation Archived 2009-11-30 at the Wayback Machine Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe 2006 — Para. 13
  23. ^ Eglitis, Aaron (11 September 2003). "Protesters rally against education reform". The Baltic Times. Retrieved 24 June 2008.
  24. ^ Eglitis, Aaron (29 January 2004). "School reform amendment sparks outrage". The Baltic Times. Retrieved 24 June 2008.
  25. ^ Education in Lithuania. Facts and Figures pp. 42-43
  26. Ohrid Agreement
  27. ^ a b c List of declarations made with respect to treaty No. 148 Archived 2015-02-25 at the Wayback Machine Council of Europe
  28. ^ Koziński, Bartosz (2013). "Wybrane Aspekty Edukacji Mniejszości Narodowych i Etnicznych we Współczesnej Polsce". Forum Pedagogiczne UKSW. 1.
  29. ^ Об исполнении Российской Федерацией Рамочной конвенции о защите национальных меньшинств. Альтернативный доклад НПО Москва, 2006 — § 331 (in Russian)
  30. ^ Сулейманова Д. Языковая ситуация в Республике Татарстан 2009(in Russian)
  31. ^ Compulsory basic education in Slovenia Archived 2011-09-14 at the Wayback Machine Ministry of Education and Sport of Slovenia
  32. ^ Beyond the scandal: what is Ukraine’s new education law really about?
    on language provisions of Ukraine’s education law not over – minister
    Ukraine agrees to concessions to Hungary in language row
  33. ^ Third report submitted by Ukraine pursuant to Article 25, Paragraph 2 of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities pp. 42-43

External links