Compliance or Deviation? Investigating English Medium Instruction in the Universities of Sri Lanka.

Ryhana RaheemOpen University of Sri Lanka

Presentation on Sri Lanka

Sociopolitico-Linguistic details. Constitutional Provisions for

Language. Universities of Sri Lanka. Selected Universities,Faculties &

Media of Instruction. Status and Role of English and other

Languages.

Significant Socio-Politico-Linguistic Events 1830 –1833 Colebrooke Cameron

Commission to foster English as a medium of instruction

1948Independence from British rule Establishment of Free Education

1956Official Language Act (Makes Sinhala the only official language)

1958Tamil Language (Special Provisions) Act (Tamil accorded official status in North and East)

Significant Socio-Politico-Linguistic Events 1978 Sinhala and Tamil declared National

and Official languages. English not recognised officially.

1987 The Official Language of Sri Lanka shall be Sinhala.

Tamil shall also be an official language.

English shall be the link language”

The National Languages of Sri Lanka shall be Sinhala and Tamil.

Constitution of Sri Lanka. Chapter IV. Language

21. (1) A person shall be entitled to be educated through the medium of either of the National Languages.

Provided that the provisions of this paragraph shall not apply to an institution of higher education where the medium of instruction is a language other than a National language.

Constitution (contd.)21. (2) Where one Language is a

medium of instruction for or in any course, department or faculty of any University directly or indirectly financed by the State, the other National Language shall also be made a medium of instruction for….students who….were educated through the medium of such other National language.

Jaffna

ColomboSJP

OUSL

SEUPeradeniya

Location of SelectedUniversities

Universities in Sri Lanka Colombo Eastern University

of Sri Lanka Jaffna Kelaniya Moratuwa Open University of

Sri Lanka Performing Arts

Peradeniya Rajarata Ruhuna Sabaragamuwa Sri

Jayawardenepura South Eastern

University Uva-Wellassa Wayamba

Universities, Faculties & Media of Instruction

Faculty CBO. JAFFNA OUSL PDN SJP SEU

Arts S,T T E S,T,E S T

Agriculture -- E -- E -- --

Dental Science -- -- -- E -- --

Education S,T,E -- S,T -- -- --

Engineering -- -- E E -- --

Law S,T,E -- E -- -- --

Medicine E E -- E E --

Management -- E -- -- -- --

Science E E E E S,E E

Vet. Science -- -- -- E -- --

Grad. Studies E T,E -- -- -- --

Status of Languages in Sri Lankan Universities - Peradeniya

“All notices put up by the faculty are in English.Students also use English to announce sports activities-but they sometimes use Sinhala especially when they wish to announce cultural events or entertainment. The usage of Tamil is non-existent.”

Status of Languages..

“The library contains mostly English books but Sinhala books are available in the Sri Lanka section. Newspapers in all three languages are available to students.”

Status of Languages- Sri JP

“Sinhala has been the language of the university since its establishment. But English is used for interviews for recruitment of academic staff and circulars….The language policy of the university often depends on the choice of the Vice Chancellor”

Status of Languages - Peradeniya All Staff & Faculty Board meetings, Senate

meetings, Academic Sessions are in English. Most official correspondence is in English. All Union meetings and transactions are in

Sinhala. Counselling is conducted in the first

language. All Faculty handbooks are in English. “Campus language” is Sinhala –even for

Tamil students.

Status of Languages- SEU

“In the Faculty of Arts, almost all academic staff have done their undergraduate and postgraduate studies in Tamil. In the Faculties of Management and Applied Sciences, faculty have graduated in English.”

Status of Languages - Colombo

‘Even though lecturers in the Faculties of Arts and Law teach in either Sinhala or Tamil, they prepare lesson material and hand –outs in English.Most claimed it was easier to use English as all relevant up-to-date sources of information were in English.”

Status of Languages - Colombo

“The most common problem cited was the lack of precise vocabulary in Sinhala and Tamil. For example, Tamil scholars have not been able to agree on a single word for ‘State’.”

Status of Languages - Colombo

“All academic work (excluding teaching) such as material preparation, conducting examinations, research publications, conducting seminars and workshops is in English. But most informal work such as group discussions, group studies, communicating with lecturers is done bilingually or in the mother tongue or English.”

Status of Languages- Colombo

“Both lecturers and students prefer to engage in their academic work in the English language because they view English as a language which would enrich their studies and take them along the path of social advancement.”

Status of Languages ..

“Although there is transition from first language to English medium instruction.. there is no uniformity or consistency in its implementation”

Peradeniya

Status of Languages - Jaffna

“On the whole, though there is much talk on language issues and the political struggle to win the rights ( of Tamil people), where education is concerned, students as well as staff prefer English as the medium of education.”