Abstract
Learning in formal education is delivered through the medium of a language. With the use of a language, knowledge is delivered and imparted from the teacher to the students. Because there are many languages that students bring to the learning environment, teaching and learning become a problem as a result of differences in languages. Although learning can take place in all known human languages, the use of a common language facilitates communication, especially when the students come with their different languages.
Using English as a medium of instruction (EMI) has therefore contributed to the promotion of learning, especially in multilingual countries, there is however a minimal use of indigenous languages. The demand for education through EMI by students and countries as a whole is gaining currency and its importance as a globalized medium of communication in a multilingual world is clear. The English language today is undoubtedly the world’s common medium of communication and is sought after to enable individuals and nations to participate in global communication. This importance is further extended by the importance of English education for personal and national development.
EMI promotes scholarship, science and technology and international commerce, and it is the catalyst of modernization that has been adopted in many countries across the globe, including Nigeria. In the post-colonial era, some countries are promoting the use of indigenous languages for similar purposes because these languages are spoken by a majority of their citizens. The adoption of EMI in Nigeria has so far proved to be...
D.Litt. et Phil. (Applied Linguistics)