The Issue of Making English the Medium of Instruction in Contemporary Education
✍🏻 Muhammad Aadil Arariavi
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Respected Readers, in the current era, language has been made the primary measure to assess the quality of education, and especially the English language has come to be regarded as a symbol of successful education and mental development. Under this notion, most subjects are being taught in English in contemporary educational institutions, although this attitude is giving rise to several educational and intellectual problems. This article examines this misconception and attempts to clarify the fact that the real success of knowledge depends not on language but on understanding and comprehension. In the present era, it has become a common perception in contemporary educational institutions that the success of education and the mental and intellectual development of the student depend entirely on the English language. It is undeniable that English currently holds the status of a global language, and the extent and acceptance it has gained worldwide is unmatched by any other language. However, it is a major misconception in our view to conclude from this fact that it is essential to teach every subject to a child in English from the very beginning in order to master all modern sciences and arts. Neither is complete command of the English language necessary to understand and learn science, mathematics, social sciences, Islamic studies, and other subjects, nor is it impossible to acquire these sciences without knowing English. There are many developed countries in the world where all these subjects are taught in their national and mother tongues, and there are very positive and effective results emerging from it.
The reality is that the importance of the English language in the modern education system is not greater than other subjects. The requirement should be that English should also be taught as an independent subject like science, mathematics, and social sciences, and not that the education, understanding, and transmission of all sciences should be made dependent on this language, as is generally being done these days. The biggest disadvantage of this approach is that the child is burdened from the beginning with learning a foreign and non-native language. As a result, the child's mental energies and efforts, which should actually be spent on understanding other sciences and arts, are wasted in understanding the words, sentences, and meanings of the English language. Thus, the student does not acquire the skill, ability, and depth in other subjects that he urgently needs. For example, if a child in the elementary grades has to be taught that two and two make four, then when the same thing is taught in English through "two plus two is four," the child will have to learn three foreign words and their meanings to understand this simple concept: "two," "plus," and "four." This is just a very simple example; as the level of education rises, these difficulties increase further. We have observed many schools and academies; we have seen many children merely rote learning the words of science and other subject books. The child gets tired of constantly rote learning, but the words are not properly stored in his mind, and even if they are memorized, they do not last long, and even if they remain to some extent, the understanding of their true meaning and concept is very far from him. On the contrary, if the concept of science or any other subject is explained to the child in his mother tongue or national language in a simple and clear manner, then even if he cannot memorize the specific terms, the real purpose is easily achieved. Furthermore, the child also acquires the ability to express the same concept in different synonymous words of his language.
In conclusion, making the standard of contemporary science education completely dependent on the English language is an entirely wrong attitude. This issue needs serious thought and review, and in this regard, intellectuals and responsible sections should play an effective role.
O Allah, Lord of Majesty, grant us beneficial knowledge, grant us the ability to understand and act correctly, and accept our efforts. Amen, Lord of the Worlds.