Inspire Action · Brad Carter

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Teaching in English

At African Christian College, English is our only common language. Even students from the same country have different mother tongue languages. This is why we are able to attract and teach students from throughout (the former English-ruled parts) Africa.

As Chapple writes in International Education Studies (2015):

“The use of English as the lingua franca medium of instruction at higher education institutions across the globe is today considered the most significant trend in educational internationalisation.”

Why English?

In Chapple’s context in Japan, using English for instruction is built on an assumption that students attending courses in English will improve their English language skills and further prepare them for our shrinking world. (Plus the financial incentives in attracting students who only speak English.)

His publication title reveals his results: “Teaching in English Is Not Necessarily the Teaching of English.”

Students may have conversational skills in English, but this does not adequately prepare them for academic work. So they frequently found themselves left unable to keep up or comprehend. Instead of improving their English through the course (which wasn’t significant), they failed to learn the content of the course they were in. Oops.

This is true even when with English proficiency requirements in place before enrolling.

Instead of recommending elimination of English as a medium of instruction altogether, Chapple recommends abandoning using content courses to increase English proficiency.

Chapple offers suggestions “to incorporate intercultural discussion opportunities and activities as well as linguistic enhancement activities throughout a course.” Give texts in English and the local language; and stop lectures to consider what is being communicated in both languages.

He also points out that using English as the medium of teaching to non-native speakers requires support for students and also support systems and skill development for instructors.

What can we do at African Christian College?

There is great value in mother tongue instruction. Many of our faith heritage’s diploma-level schools in Africa teach primarily in local languages. But our students come from over a dozen different tribes and language groups across Africa.

English may be our only path to providing quality, Christian higher education in Africa.

The option of removing English as our medium is not viable given our current diversity and vision. Adding competent lecturers to teach all subjects in the mother tongue of our students is also not an option for the near future.

Here are some questions we should be answering:

  1. How can we help our students meet expectations of becoming ‘excellent communicators’ in English without expecting it to ‘just happen’ by attending class in English?
  2. How can we increase the use of intercultural dialogue in our classes and help students apply what they are hearing and learning to their own contexts?
  3. What new things – aside from our English language courses and Writing Support Centre – can we do to help students with their English proficiency?
  4. How do we better prepare our African and non-African faculty around this issue?
  5. English proficiency is already an entrance qualification, but what other measures might be used to ensure students can use English beyond conversation?

Reinventions, indeed

Another link from Twitter…

Higher Education and Innovation in Africa (Mesele Araya and Habtamu Legas), 10Feb14

It’s a research paper; open at your own risk.

Here’s what I highlighted:

African higher [education] institutions devoid of any productive innovation is that the existing low quality of education and unmatched educational curriculum. The deteriorated quality and outdated curriculum are among the main bottlenecks that hinder the African higher institutions to be a center of innovation and development. For this reason, Juma stresses that the educational landscape that Africa does have nowadays is so poor and does not go with the need of the contemporary world. Most of the African university graduates are now unfit to the ever changing demand of the contemporary labor market in particular and the whole economy in general.

As a response to this outdated education system and lack of innovation, many scholars — of whom Prof. Juma is a prime one — overwhelmingly believe that African higher institutions of learning need to be reinvented in a way that graduated young people will be equipped well with adequate skills that enable them to boost innovation, economic growth and competitiveness of the region. (page 3; emphasis added)

Then after showing that only 3 African universities (all in South Africa) are on the list of the top 400 universities in the world, these quotes:

The standards that African institutions of higher learning do have are believed to be lower in quality and unable to go with the emergence of a new institutional type around the globe. (page 4-5)

There is an urgent need that higher institutions of Africa have to provide relevant skills to the labor market and enhance community development based on science, technology and innovation, particularly in the field of agriculture, for the fact that majority of the African people support their livelihoods through this sector. (page 5)

Agreed. And though we’re trying on some level, we’ve got a long way to go at ACC.

The transition from preacher’s school and Bible college to Christian college and Christian university may be even harder than the transition from poor/mediocre institutions of higher learning to relevant ones.

Reinvention, indeed.

It’s hard to let go of the preacher’s school roots. And I’m not talking about desiring to lose our Christian foundations and theological underpinnings.

It’s difficult to move a reputation from “training preachers” to equipping leaders for today in recruiting students (and faculty).

It’s difficult to change classroom content beyond just studying books of the Bible — even when developing new courses with new descriptions and objectives beyond studying a particular text in the Good Book.

But, as the authors here suggest (and I agree), to really prepare African women and men for the challenges they are and will face will require a different college, curricula, and work. than what we’re seeing in most places. Onward we go!

New hope for accreditating bodies

I’m one of the complainers and trash talkers of accreditation. I’ll admit it. I believe accrediting bodies do have a tendency to stifle innovation. But I also look at the accreditation standards we’re trying to meet and realize that some of these ideas don’t make sense.

However, to show I’m not totally negative all the time about accreditation, here’s a promising and positive article about accreditation from Inside Higher Ed.

Inside Higher Ed : “An Innovation Stifler?”

It uses the news from last week about University of the People earning accreditation as a note that all accrediting bodies are trying to squash innovation. When I saw this news last week, my thoughts about partnering with U-People began to grow even more fonder. (Their name has been on a note on my desk for a few months to pursue more information). But now I’m wondering…

Why shouldn’t ACC start connecting our students with U-People and get an accredited degree and we provide spiritual formation and academic support services along the way?