Citing Rubagumya (1990), the author of the article asserts that a language can only be used as a medium of instruction if it is consented by all concerned parties, teachable, and utilitarian in domains outside the educational system. To some extent, parents’ perception of the language also matters. In a bid to discuss some of the factors governing the choice of a language for instruction, the author of the article divides the factors into two categories; national and individual factors. National factors that govern language encompass issues like unity, political power, and modernity. For a language to be considered as a medium of instruction it should have the potential to promote national unity. Again, to promote unity through a language the language picked should not belong to any of the local communities in a country- this is a referred to as neutrality in the article. Most importantly, the language should able to meet the needs of the country in local and international domain (Modernization). Individual factors as highlighted in the article pertains to issues like individual needs and expectations especially in light of higher education, ability to access global-technological information with much tranquillity while also being able to communicate with other people in the country.
Apart from national and individual factors, the choice of a language should, likewise, be moderated in light of availability of materials for use with the instructional language, availability of qualified teachers, and ability of the student to grapple the language.
Work Cited
“Language Planning in Education.” Sultan Qaboos University, n.d.: 1-9. Web. 12 Mar. 2012.
