Authors: Manisha Kumari and Mitanjali Sahoo
Journal: Education and Society (UGC CARE Journal)
Volume: 48; Issue: 8
ISSN:2278-6864
Pages: 120-125
Publication Date: April-June 2024
This research paper studied the perspectives of the stakeholders (teachers, students, and parents) regarding the use of regional language as the medium of instruction in the Indian higher education through qualitative research. Formal and informal interview and focus group discussion was used to collect data from sixty (60) participants (20 students, 20 teachers, and 20 parents). The findings reveal that English language is the most preferred medium of instruction at the higher education level.
Higher education, regional language, medium of instruction, perception of stakeholders
Language is an innate gift to mankind through which they can express themselves. It is a tool which differentiates human beings from other creatures. Language plays a vital role in learning, as Meganathan (2019), has put forth in his book “Language Across the Curriculum” that both language and learning are interlaced together. Therefore, language is the instrument of learning (Meganathan, 2022). Language defines a population, a culture, or a community. India being a pluricultural and plurilingual country is home to 22 scheduled and 99 non-scheduled languages according to the 2011 census (Language Atlas, census, 2011, GoI). As per the Linguistic Diversity Index published by UNESCO in 2009, India is one of the most linguistically diverse countries in the world (Lightfoot et al., 2021). The 2011 census reports that there are 270 identifiable mother tongues in India (NDTV, July 2018). The mother tongue according to the census 2011 is a language spoken by more than 10,000 people. The mother tongue has always been a matter of social and political debate in Indian society due to social, emotional and political reasons. The debate over the mother tongue dates back to colonial times when Lord Macaulay’s English medium education policy was opposed by a section of Indian nationalists who were in favour of the mother tongue as the medium of instruction. Though there is a tried and tested language policy for the school education system, the higher education system lacks a strong and linguistically-inclusive language policy. Groff (2016), highlighted that Indian higher education policies have been greatly influenced and inspired by the colonial history of the country. English is the dominant language in higher education. New Education Policy 2020 recommends that regional languages should be used as the medium of instruction in higher education based on the argument that it would reduce dropout rates due to language barriers and help students in better comprehension (GoI, 2020). This paper examines the perspectives of various stakeholders regarding regional language as the medium of instruction in higher education. The paper also discusses the practical solution for the medium of instruction in a linguistically diverse and complex nation like India.
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Kumari, M., & Sahoo, M. (2024). The conundrum of the medium of instruction: The perspectives of the stakeholders. Education and Society (UGC CARE Journal), 48(2), 120-125. ISSN 2278-6864.