Language in Education Policy: The Perception of students about the status of languages in Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro

Abstract

Learning English as a Second language in Pakistan has remained an obstacle for most of the students in Higher Education. This study is a researcher’s observation as an English Language Teacher in Higher Education where most of the students in Sindh come from Rural areas. The aim of the study is to see the way language(s) are being used for teaching and learning in Mehran University of Engineering & Technology, Jamshoro. Three main languages i.e. Urdu, Sindhi and English, are being used as mediums/media of instruction throughout the educational diaspora in Sindh but English seems to be a long shot in this process as it hardly gets a sizable space in education up to the collegiate level. This thing gets quite complicated when it comes to the higher education because higher education throughout the country is controlled by the Higher Education Commission which categorically excludes local/vernacular languages as mediums of Teaching & learning. Due to this language-in-Education policy in higher Education, most of the students face numerous problems with Limited English Proficiency (LEP). This study analyzes students’ perceptions through questionnaires and concludes that the students usually can’t manage to handle the problem of medium of instruction at tertiary level due to the lack of atmosphere as well as of competence of the institutions, they face this problem at mega level in universities. The language barrier kills most of their capabilities and pushes them to adopt some shortcut measures i.e. cramming, plagiarism etc.