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<h1 class="gmail-page-heading">Proficiency in English by college graduates is tenable
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<span class="gmail-article-author-name">By <div class="gmail-field gmail-field-name-field-op-author gmail-field-type-node-reference gmail-field-label-hidden"><div class="gmail-field-items"><div class="gmail-field-item even" rel="rnews:creator schema:creator"><a href="https://www.newtimes.co.rw/node/868255">Frank Tanganika </a></div></div></div></span> <span class="gmail-article-date"> Published : October 03, 2018 | Updated : October 03, 2018 </span>
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<img id="gmail-large-push-image" class="gmail-img-responsive" src="https://www.newtimes.co.rw/sites/default/files/styles/mystyle/public/main/articles/2018/10/03/education.jpg?itok=UxkTTZXV" alt="" title="Proficiency in English by college graduates is tenable" width="873" height="491"><div class="gmail-article-caption">University
of Rwanda graduands follow the proceedings of the graduation ceremony
held at Amahoro National Stadium. / Sam Ngendahimana<span class="gmail-article-cradit"></span></div> <div class="gmail-article-image-gallery">
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<div class="gmail-field gmail-field-name-body gmail-field-type-text-with-summary gmail-field-label-hidden"><div class="gmail-field-items"><div class="gmail-field-item even"><p><img alt="" src="https://www.newtimes.co.rw/sites/default/files/tanganyika-photo.jpg" style="width: 190px; height: 270px; float: right;">On
March 23, this year, the Minister for Education, Eugene Mutimura,
decried the low level of competence in English language by graduates
from our tertiary institutions during a meeting with officials from
higher education institutions.</p>
<p>The minister, who is a known scientist and researcher, had identified a problem that needed to be addressed.</p>
<p>Some institutions have since formed committees to address the issue,
and have devised strategies to raise proficiency in English, the all
important language of instruction, international communication, science,
diplomacy and business.</p>
<p>For English, or any other language skills to be acquired fast and
effectively some conditions are prerequisite. One of the conditions is
the learning environment.</p>
<p>I recently visited the Adventist University of East Africa at its
Masoro Campus in Kigali. The campus is beautiful, with well kept gardens
and imposing buildings, but what impressed me most was not the serene
environment but the language policy.</p>
<p>Right from the entrance everyone I met spoke to me in English.</p>
<p>As I waited to see the dean of education, the lecturers I found in
office talked to me in English. It was evident from their accents that
some had grown up and been educated in Francophone environments, but all
communicated confidently and effectively.</p>
<p>Even students spoke English amongst themselves and to their teachers.
The university provides a conducive environment to perfect skills in
the target language. That is an effective strategy that should be
replicated in other institutions.</p>
<p>English has been used as a language of instruction in Rwanda since
1995 alongside French and became the exclusive language of instruction
in 2008. It is hoped that after two decades of exposure to the language,
there are sufficient numbers of young teachers and lecturers who are
proficient in English.</p>
<p>As was suggested in the March meeting, instructors in our education
system should demonstrate a certain level of proficiency in English.
This is important for all subject teachers as one of the hindrances of
acquisition of skills in English is code-switching.</p>
<p>In simple terms, this means the use of more than one language within a
single utterance. To sustain enabling environment for English language
learning, other subject teachers (except teachers for other languages)
should minimise use of Kinyarwanda and encourage learners to use English
in all school activities.</p>
<p>If it happens at Victory Nursery and Primary School in Matimba,
Nyagatare District, it can work in our secondary schools and tertiary
institutions.</p>
<p>Motivation is another factor. The benefits are many; employment
locally and internationally, self esteem in work places, access to
creative industry such as writing, film, music and many more.</p>
<p>Our artists, journalists and other professionals would benefit from
the wider market if English is their language of communication.
Nollywood films in English have long been a hot cake in Rwanda and
elsewhere in Africa.</p>
<p>It is hoped that, with introduction of film schools at East African
University, Nyagatare and Kwetu Film Institute in Kigali, our film
industry will grow and share the African market. </p>
<p>Over a decade ago, a group of Rwandans found me at a university in South Africa.</p>
<p>Most had been trained in Francophone system. They did not only have
to earn their masters’ degrees in stipulated time, but also had to get a
long in a city where English was the only language they could use.</p>
<p>They were motivated to work hard on their English lessons, and
cherished occasions where they could interact with people who did not
speak their mother tongue. Practice makes perfect.</p>
<p>The scenarios in Masoro and South Africa demonstrate that, with
appropriate policies and approaches, proficiency in English achievable.</p>
<p>For remedy, one has to start from universities, where our teachers
are trained. When universities churn out teachers whose proficiency in
the language of instruction is below standard, it has a spiral effect.</p>
<p>If teachers who are not proficient in English are recruited as
instructors in primary teachers’ colleges, the deficiency is transmitted
to learners at lower levels. It is therefore imperative that
appropriate approaches aimed at improving proficiency in English at all
levels are redesigned.</p>
<p>Kigali Institute of Education (renamed College of Education, now
under the University of Rwanda) had a fully-fledged department of
English. It is the norm in countries where English is a language of
instruction.</p>
<p>The department recognised that English was crucial for knowledge
acquisition, development of skills and helped learners to develop
educationally, and used effective methodologies to good effect.</p>
<p>But, for some strange reasons, English was combined with other
languages like Kiswahili, Kinyarwanda, and French to form one
department. Subsequently, the teaching of English reverted to old
methodologies when it was taught as a secondary language.</p>
<p>Rwandan researchers have worked on the issue and suggested recommendations. Education managers only need to own the problem.</p>
<p>Quality teachers, quality books, paying attention to cross-curricular
approaches to teaching English, integrating Literature in language
teaching, and interactive approaches have been recommended.</p>
<p>It is worthwhile to note that, in the context of improving standards,
university leaders traditionally serve limited tenures, to allow new
ideas and innovations. Change has a canny way of dealing with
prejudicial attitudes.</p>
<p>As leadership in universities is rotational, dons in leadership
positions even outside the academia, later return to their professorial
chairs comfortably. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><em>The writer is an Academician based in Kigali. </em></strong><strong><em>The views expressed in this article are of the authors.</em></strong></p>
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<div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"> Harold F. Schiffman<br><br>Professor Emeritus of <br> Dravidian Linguistics and Culture <br>Dept. of South Asia Studies <br>University of Pennsylvania<br>Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305<br><br>Phone: (215) 898-7475<br>Fax: (215) 573-2138 <br><br>Email: <a href="mailto:haroldfs@gmail.com" target="_blank">haroldfs@gmail.com</a><br><a href="http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/" target="_blank">http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/</a> <br><br>-------------------------------------------------</div></div>