Medium Of Instruction In Schools Research Articles

From school to work: Coherence between learning in school and learning in workplaces for apprentices in the Media graphics programme in Norway

A key challenge in vocational education and training (VET) programmes is the lack of coherence between the school-based and the enterprise-based parts of learning. This study explores the conditions that are important for the perception of coherence between learning in school and workplaces by interviewing apprentices enrolled in the Media graphics programme in Norway. In addition to the views of apprentices, the study also includes the perspectives of other participants in the vocational education system, such as media teachers and instructors in the workplaces and apprenticeship training office. The interview data revealed that the media education in school had facilitated the students’ learning primarily by allowing them to work on authentic media productions. Despite this, however, some of the apprentices experi-enced a lack of coherence between learning in school and learning in enterprises, mainly because there were few opportunities to specialise in their chosen vocation in school, and limited cooperation between schools and workplaces about placement periods.

Medium of instruction in school: The indigenous language, the national language or the official language? A case study from multilingual deep rural Kenya

Abstract The connection between multilingualism and the school curriculum continues to engender debates on language preferences because of the potential to influence the amount of learning among learners. To understand language preferences among multilingual learners and their implications for the selection of the medium of instruction (MoI) in a multilingual country, data were collected through questionnaires and interviews among learners, teachers and head teachers in deep, rural Kenyan primary schools. These schools are located away from urban centres, with little or no basic infrastructure, hence the concept of “deep ruralness”. The participants were purposively sampled from among learners, teachers and head teachers to examine how learners’ affiliations with multilingualism could explain the preferred MoI, and the ways through which schools implement the use of an MoI in the curriculum. The findings show that Kiswahili and English were used as the MoI, even when the curriculum recommended indigenous languages and English. Moreover, learners’ multilingual affiliations and their spontaneous languages were their indigenous languages and Kiswahili. Based on these findings, we claim that the indigenous language, Kiswahili and English should be used as the languages of instruction in Kenyan schools.

The Sociolinguistics of Ethiopian Sign Language: A Study of Language Use and Attitudes by Eyasu Hailu Tamene

Reviewed by: The Sociolinguistics of Ethiopian Sign Language: A Study of Language Use and Attitudes by Eyasu Hailu Tamene Robert Bayley (bio) The Sociolinguistics of Ethiopian Sign Language: A Study of Language Use and Attitudes by Eyasu Hailu Tamene (Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press, 2017, 175 pp., Sociolinguistics in Deaf Communities Series 23, hardbound, $60.00. ISBN 978-1-944838-06-5) This volume is a welcome addition to the growing number of studies of signing communities around the world (e.g., Cooper and Rashid 2015; McCaskill et al. 2011; Pfau, Steinbach, and Woll 2012; Schembri and Lucas 2015). As is fitting for a pioneering study of Ethiopian Sign Language (EthSL), Tamene focuses on dimensions of language use, language attitudes, and services available to Deaf people throughout the country rather than on the detailed linguistic analysis that has characterized other recent studies of better known sign languages. The result is a volume that provides an overview of the linguistic resources available to Deaf people in Ethiopia and a foundation for future technical work on the linguistics of EthSL, the most commonly used sign language in the country. After a brief introductory chapter providing an overview of the structure of the book, chapter 2 summarizes sign language use and deaf education in Ethiopia. EthSL has a substantial number of users, although estimates vary widely, ranging from 250,000 (according to the World Federation of the Deaf) to 1,000,000 (according to the Ethiopian National Association of the Deaf; Simons and Fennig 2018). According to Tamene, the Ethiopian Deaf community was isolated and neglected until the arrival of missionaries from Sweden and the United States in the 1950s. In addition to preaching, the missionaries founded schools for the deaf, with the first school established in 1963. As a consequence, EthSL exhibits considerable influence from American [End Page 298] Sign Language (ASL). However, the author notes that despite the foreign influence, EthSL originated in Ethiopia. Tamene comments that older Deaf people in Addis Ababa recall regular social gatherings in Piassa, the city’s old town. Currently, although it is not one of the country’s officially recognized languages, EthSL is used as a medium of instruction in schools, in TV programs, and interpreting in parliament. The author notes that there are 290 special classes and twelve schools for Deaf children that use EthSL, located in nine different regions. In addition, although the language has not been as well studied as many of the spoken languages of the country, there is a highly productive program of research in the EthSL and Deaf Cultural Program at Addis Ababa University, with fifty bachelor’s theses completed on a variety of topics. Finally, a number of primers and dictionaries documenting the language have appeared. In the remainder of chapter 2, Tamene discusses efforts at standardization, offers an overview of EthSL use in a variety of domains, and discusses attitudes toward the language held by Deaf people themselves, as well as parents and the broader community. The chapter concludes with a discussion of a crucial question: Is EthSL one language or many? Tamene provides a preliminary analysis of data from four regions that suggest that, despite variation, EthSL is essentially one language. However, he acknowledges that the type of detailed study necessary to establish the parameters of variation has yet to be done. In chapter 3, Tamene outlines the methods of the current study. Overall, participant selection followed the methods used by Lucas, Bayley, and Valli (2001). Participants were recruited in eleven sites and included 110 Deaf signers as well as twenty-two teachers and twenty-two parents. In addition to gathering demographic data, researchers conducted interviews dealing with language use in a wide range of domains, including work, school, family, and so forth, as well as information about participants’ language skills in EthSL and spoken languages. The profiles of the different sites, as well as the discussion of the interview protocols, chapter are particularly valuable. Chapter 4 presents the results of Tamene’s study, including tables summarizing the responses to different interview topics, divided by responses from Deaf participants, parents, and students. Interestingly, the majority of participants who became deaf before the age of five...

The issue of the medium of instruction in Africa as an “inheritance situation”

One of the most crucial language planning decisions that a country can make is “the determination of a language to serve as the medium of instruction in school” (Fasold, 1984, p. 292). The issue of...

Common Tongue: The Impact of Language on Educational Outcomes

This article investigates the impact of official language policies on education using state formation in India. Colonial provinces consisted of some districts where the official language matched the district's language and some where it did not. Linguistically mismatched districts have 18.0 percent lower literacy rates and 20.1 percent lower college graduation rates, driven by difficulty in acquiring education due to a different medium of instruction in schools. Educational achievement caught up in mismatched districts after the 1956 reorganization of Indian states on linguistic lines, suggesting that political reorganization can mitigate the impact of mismatched language policies.

Learning Mandarin in Singapore Preschools: Laying the Foundation for Multilingualism

AbstractSingapore’s multilingual and multicultural sociolinguistic ecology probably makes it one of the best places in the world to nurture strong bilingualism. However, English is fast becoming the mother tongue of Singapore Chinese children. This is due to the fact that over the years of building the country’s economy, English has taken over as the medium of instruction in schools and the working language of the society, as well as the main language spoken in the homes. This paper examines the Chinese language education in Singapore preschools and explains how a change in preschool education policy can help children lay a better foundation for bilingualism, giving them a higher chance of success in later years (Yip and Matthews 2007.The bilingual child: early development and language contact. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press). This paper will address the issue of Mandarin in particular, although it is true for other ‘mother tongues’ (Malay and Tamil) as well.

English language learners' writing behaviours during literacy-enriched block play

Despite the rising number of linguistically diverse students in countries where English is the primary medium of instruction in schools, there is a relative lack of research on how these students learn to write in English and respond to common classroom literacy practices. One practice found in early childhood classrooms is literacy-enriched play, but little research explores how young English language learners respond to this particular intervention. This exploratory study examines three linguistically diverse kindergarten students' use of writing materials in a literacy-enriched block centre in their classroom. Observational notes and writing samples produced by the students during block play were analyzed to determine the frequency and variety of their writing behaviours. The results indicated that all the students, regardless of language background, incorporated drawing and writing into their block play with similar frequency, although they sometimes used different writing strategies. These findings indicated that literacy-enriched centres can provide linguistically diverse students with meaningful opportunities to practice writing.

An Overview of Models of Bilingual Education

Bilingual education is considered to be an effective way of learning a new language and in many countries of the world, it represents an increasingly popular pedagogic approach. In Europe, bilingual education using predominantly the Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) methodology has evolved as a response to the commonly recognized need for the development of plurilingual competence. In this article, we present forms of bilingual education that are recognized according to worldwide research as well as varying purposes behind using different languages as the medium of instruction in schools. We begin by outlining the emergence of bilingual education in general and by stating the different purposes that lead to the occurrence of various actual school systems of bilingual education. The paper focuses on a taxonomy of common patterns of bilingual education, based on worldwide research sources. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n6s1p186

An Exploratory Study of the Future Direction of Media Education in Schools : Focusing on Media Education Programs as Creative-Experiential Activities for Middle School Students

An Exploratory Study of the Future Direction of Media Education in Schools : Focusing on Media Education Programs as Creative-Experiential Activities for Middle School Students

Russia and Ukraine: Media Literacy Education Approaches

For many decades of the Soviet period the development of media education in Russia and Ukraine has been practically coinciding. Media educational lessons (mainly on the material of cinematography and the press) were of optional and focal character and depended on the enthusiasm of certain teachers. In theory and methodology the aesthetic and practical approaches predominated. In the 1960s-1980s the most active was the Kiev group of Ukrainian film educators. Besides study groups, elective courses (aesthetic approach) and film/photo/video studious, school and university amateur newspapers and magazines (practical approach) media education was developing in an integrating form – within the compulsory subjects as literature, history, Russian, Ukrainian and foreign languages. The situation changed in modern times: Russia is leading in media education literacy researches, and Ukraine – in the practical media education in schools.

Ghana language-in-education policy: The survival of two South Guan minority dialects

The paper investigates the survival of two South-Guan minority dialects, Leteh and Efutu, in the context of the Ghana language-in-education policy. The study is done from the perspective of the UNESCO Universal Declaration on Linguistic Rights (1996). In every multilingual state, the formulation of policies concerning language use has always presented challenges. The government has to decide which of the languages need to be promoted and for what purposes. In Ghana, since the introduction of formal education, English has indubitably been the language of education, trade, law, media, government and administration. However, there has always been a debate surrounding the language-in-education policy, especially at the basic level of education. The argument has always been whether English should be emphasised or Ghanaian languages. For purposes of formal education, the government of Ghana has promoted nine languages known as government-sponsored languages. These are languages which have literary tradition and can be used as media of instruction in schools. This decision was to the detriment of some Ghanaian languages; languages which are often described as minority languages, and which are not government-sponsored. The paper argues that, if language and culture are intertwined, and the culture of a people must be preserved, then language policymakers need to consider the linguistic rights of speakers of the so-called minority languages. Data for the study were sourced from language surveys and observation.

Towards a practical proposal for multilingualism in education in Kenya

This article proposes multilingualism in education, where indigenous languages are used alongside English as the media of instruction in schools to eventually promote their use in Kenya. It begins by stating Kenya’s language policy in education. It then states the responses given by some primary and secondary school teachers who were interviewed on the implementation of the language policy in schools and their attitude towards the possibility of using the mother tongues in teaching some subjects in primary schools and beyond. The differing situation from school to school shows inconsistency in the language policy implementation. Some teachers’ views show that indigenous languages should not be forgotten. The article suggests that the indigenous languages should be used more in education and should have an economic value. Finally, plurality is viewed as an African reality and the need to develop a language policy that will strengthen the position of indigenous languages is recognized.

Analysis of globalization and “Englishization” in Pakistan

Through framework of theories analyzing globalization, and secondary data, this paper asks, how globalization through “Englishization” affects Pakistani societies. Language is an important tool for globalization where the world is communicating in few dominant languages. English has become the language of globalization in many countries especially developing countries like Pakistan. Pakistan is a developing country with low rate of literacy. Despite the fact that about half of Pakistani population cannot read, write or speak English, English has been the official language of Pakistan. The desire to actively participate in national and international levels and the perception of the Pakistani people about English as a language of civilized people have also pushed Pakistan to focus on English as the medium of instruction in schools. However, as there is quality discrepancy within Pakistani schools, this policy is benefiting more to the powerful people who send their children to high-quality local and international schools, widening the gap between the powerful and less powerful societies. The paper provides an overview of changing patterns of globalization in connection with English language, and explores the moving patterns of society and education towards a dominant language in Pakistan.

Language and identity in a post-Soviet world: language of education and linguistic identity among Azerbaijani students

Azerbaijan's complex history has weaved a tapestry of linguistic, cultural, and national identities among Azerbaijanis through centuries of political, social, and linguistic integration. In the current post-Soviet era, this identity is undergoing another period of change, with influences from intra-state ethnic, religious, and sociopolitical institutions as well as from regional and international powers. This article centers on linguistic identity among Azerbaijani youth at three types of schools: Azerbaijani-medium, Russian-medium, and English-medium. The authors seek to discover whether and to what extent the language of instruction in each type of school affects linguistic identity, which in turn has implications for national identity. The article first discusses the existing literature on language and identity in second language acquisition and socio-educational linguistics. It then examines Azerbaijan's linguistic and political history through the lens of the latter framework, as a context for an analysis of the data from surveys and focus groups. The article analyzes the relationship between medium of instruction in school and students' perceptions of language and identification with various language groups, and discusses the findings of a significant correlation between language of instruction and linguistic identity, with its implications for national identity.

미디어 교육 경험과 미디어 리터러시가 비판적 사고 성향에 미치는 영향 : 중고등학생의 사례를 중심으로

이 연구는 청소년의 미디어 소비가 급증하고 있는 상황에서 미디어 교육 경험과 미디어를 제대로 이해하고 활용할 수 있는 능력인 미디어 리터러시가 비판적 사고 성향에 어떠한 영향을 주는지에 초점을 맞추고 있다. 연구 결과, 미디어 교육 경험은 비판적 사고 성향에 긍정적 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다. 특히 학교에서의 미디어 교육 경험은 비판적 사고 성향의 모든 하위 영역에 긍정적인 영향을 미쳤고, 가정에서의 미디어 교육 경험도 진실 추구성을 제외한 모든 영역에 긍정적인 영향을 미쳤다. 그리고 미디어 리터러시 구성 요소 중에서 산업적 동기는 비판적 사고 성향의 모든 하위 영역에 영향을 주는 것으로 나타났다. 기술적 활용 능력은 체계성을 제외한 나머지 영역에 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났고, 자아 표현은 탐구성, 객관성, 체계성, 자기 신뢰성에 영향을 주었다. 수용자는 개방성, 체계성, 자기 신뢰성에 영향을 미치고 있었으며, 미디어 언어는 진실 추구성, 개방성, 객관성에 영향을 주는 것으로 나타났다. The aim of this study is to confirm the effect of the experience of media education and the media literacy, the ability to understand and use media rightly. In the research results in this study, the experience of media education has a positive effect on the critical thinking disposition. Especially, the experience of media education in school influences all constituents of the critical thinking disposition positively and the experience of media education in home also does the constituents except for only truth-seeking positively. The industrial motivation, one of factors of the media literacy, has influence on all constituents of the critical thinking disposition, and the technical use ability, one of them, does the constituents except for systematicity. And inquisitiveness, objectivity, systematicity, and self-confidence of the critical thinking disposition are affected by the self-expression of the media literacy. The media audience factor has open-mindness, systematicity, and self-confidence of the disposition, and the media language factor does truth-seeking, open-mindness, and objectivity.

Diversity in education: Kenyan sign language as a medium of instruction in schools for the deaf in Kenya

In Kenya, the only official document that deals with the use of mother tongue (MT) in Schools is the 1967 Gachathi report. The report has clear-cut guidance and policy regarding MT use by the hearing children. However, for deaf children, no such policy exists; therefore, the use of the deaf child's MT (Kenyan Sign Language (KSL)) in schools for the deaf has largely been ignored and there is a continued insistence on the use of the “oral” method of communication that puts emphasis on teaching deaf children how to speak. This continued denial of the use of KSL in schools for the deaf is tantamount to destruction of language and culture of a people and a violation of the deaf children's rights that fundamentally undermines their ability to acquire appropriate education. This is in direct contravention of article 26 of the universal declaration on Human Rights. Similarly, by denying the deaf in Kenya - a language minority the use of KSL - their MT, we are actually squandering a linguistic resource that can be used to impart the knowledge and skills necessary for their survival. This article therefore examines the importance of MT (KSL) in the education of the deaf in learning 2nd and 3rd languages and the way forward.

The Melting Pot of the Malays as a Majority Group with Three Minority Muslim Ethnic Groups – The Indian Muslims, Chinese Muslims and Mirik people of Malaysia: An Evaluation of Ethnic Changes

This research is concerning the melting pot of three minority Muslim ethnic groups; namely the Indian Muslims, the Chinese Muslims and the Mirik people of Sarawak as well as the Malays as the majority group in Malaysia. The methodology makes use of the theory of assimilation and preservation of individual group identities in the dynamic changes of ethnic behaviours as applied to the USA in the 19th century. In Malaysia, a survey is conducted on the Indian Muslims, the Chinese Muslims and the Mirik people to find out the changes experienced by these three minority Muslim groups with regard to the Malays. The results show that Islam is a very important attribute of the Malays and it has the impact of pulling the minority Muslim groups into the ways of the Malays. When the Chinese, Indian and Mirik people embrace Islam, they acquire a common identity with the Malays. When they practise Islam, like performing the five daily prayers, fasting, paying alms and going on the pilgrimage, they are gradually integrating into the Malays’ way of life. They also have common festivals with the Malays after conversion and the men frequently go to the mosque for Friday prayer. Assimilation is also accelerated by intermarriage between the Chinese and Indian Muslims with the Malays. As the sole medium of instruction in schools and universities, the Malay language also helps the Chinese and Indian Muslims to blend into the Malay’s lifestyle. However, non-assimilation is also taking place when the Indian Muslims marry spouses from India and both the Chinese and Indian Muslims send their children to their ethnic schools and universities in Taiwan/China or India respectively to preserve their ethnicity. While the Mirik people have totally assimilated into the Malays’ way of life, for the Chinese and Indian Muslims, both assimilation and preservation of their individual identity are still taking place.

Media education in the context of informatization of school education in Poland unde conditions of European integration

This article presents the analysis of the theoretical aspect of media education in the context of informatization in secondary schools in Poland under the conditions of European integration process. Distribution of information, development of information and communication technologies promotes the process of further media education in secondary schools in Poland. It is concluded that media education serves an instrument of intellectual maturity of a modern European citizen and the rapid changes in media education in Poland are related to public education, socio-oriented communication media, democratization and globalization of society. The process of media education lasts a lifetime, but it is not limited by school study, as the forms and information transferring technologies are changing and society is being under constant transformation. The nature and purposes of media education in school have been determined by Polish scientists and media pedagogical researchers. Critical perception of media content expands the user's needs and cultivates a respectful attitude towards media culture, shapes media competencies of Polish schoolchildren. Significant prospects for further research of media education in Polish schools through participation in international projects of the European Community are described in the article.

>English in African politics of education: capital or capital illusion?

This article considers human, economic and social capital, and considers the relationship between these and linguistic and language capital in the context of development in Sub-Saharan Africa. Evidence is adduced concerning the negative effects of the policy of employing English as a medium of instruction in schools. It is claimed that the policy adds nothing of value to linguistic or language capital, and therefore fails to generate significant human, economic and social capital.

An Analysis of Kenyan Learners’ Proficiency in English Based on Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary

In Kenya, English is the medium of instruction in schools and the official language of the country, although the majority of the learners are first additional language speakers of English. The study on which this article is based aimed to assess grade 10 Kenyan learners’ proficiency in English by examining their performance in comprehension and vocabulary on the basis of three tests incorporating multiple choice and interpretative questions. The data were collected from 422 grade 10 learners representing 16 schools in four provinces of Kenya. Learners were assessed on three comprehension passages which were selected from different genres. The results revealed that a large percentage of Kenyan learners encountered challenges with comprehension and vocabulary which impacted on their English language proficiency. The implications of the study is that there is a need for a reading skills development programme incorporating word analysis, recognition of the purpose of the text and tone, and the enhancement of inferential as well as predictive and interpretive skills. Journal of NELTA, Vol. 17 No. 1-2, December 2012, Page 1-13 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/nelta.v17i1-2.8088