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Medium of instruction



 
 
Medium of instruction is the language
Language

A language is a form of symbol communication in which elements are combined to represents something other than themselves. Language can also refer to the use of such systems as a general phenomenon....
 that is used in teaching. It may or may not be the official language
Official language

An official language is a language that is given a special legal status in a particular country, state, or other territory. Typically a nation's official language will be the one used in that nation's courts, parliament and administration....
 of the territory.








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Medium of instruction is the language
Language

A language is a form of symbol communication in which elements are combined to represents something other than themselves. Language can also refer to the use of such systems as a general phenomenon....
 that is used in teaching. It may or may not be the official language
Official language

An official language is a language that is given a special legal status in a particular country, state, or other territory. Typically a nation's official language will be the one used in that nation's courts, parliament and administration....
 of the territory.

Media of instruction in different countries and regions

  • In Australia
    Australia

    Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
    , most schools use English.
  • In Belarus
    Belarus

    Belarus is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia to the north and east, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the north....
    , Russian is used since the government closed all Belarusian language
    Belarusian language

    The Belarusian language, or Belorussian is the language of the Belarusians and is spoken in Belarus and abroad, chiefly in Russia, Ukraine, and Poland....
     high schools.
  • In Belgium
    Belgium

    * A small German-speaking Community of Belgium exists in eastern Wallonia. Belgium's linguistic diversity and related political and cultural conflicts are reflected in the history of Belgium and a complex Communities and regions of Belgium....
    , French and Dutch (and German in some parts of Brussels) are used.
  • In Canada
    Canada

    Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
    , English (or French in Quebec
    Quebec

    Quebec , in French language, Qu?bec , is a Provinces and territories of Canada in the Central Canada and Eastern Canada regions of Canada....
    ) is the medium in most schools, but Inuit languages are used in the north. See French immersion
    French immersion

    French immersion is a form of bilingual education in which a child who does not speak French language as his or her first language receives instruction in school in French....
  • In the mainland
    Mainland China

    Mainland China, Continental China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China , excluding Hong Kong and Macau, which run on One Country, Two Systems....
     of the People's Republic of China
    People's Republic of China

    The People's Republic of China , commonly known as China, is the largest country in East Asia and the List of countries by population in the world with over 1.3 billion people, approximately a fifth of the world's population....
     (PRC), Mandarin Chinese is used as the medium of instruction in most schools. In elementary and secondary schools for ethnic minorities, the minority languages - such as Mongolian
    Mongolian language

    The Mongolian language is the best-known member of the Mongolic languages. It is the language of most residents of Mongolia and of many of the Mongolian residents of Inner Mongolia, totalling about 5.7 million speakers....
    , Tibetan
    Tibetan language

    The Tibetan languages are a cluster of mutually unintelligible Tibeto-Burman languages spoken primarily by Tibetan peoples who live across a wide area of eastern Central Asia bordering South Asia, including the Tibetan Plateau and the northern Indian subcontinent in Baltistan, Ladakh, Nepal, Sikkim, and Bhutan....
     and Korean
    Korean language

    Korean is the official language of North Korea and South Korea. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China....
     are also used. However, the two special administrative region
    Special administrative region

    A special administrative region, or SAR may be:People's Republic of China* Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, self-governing subnational entity in Hong Kong and Macau ...
    s (SAR) of the PRC have their own policies on the media of instruction:
    • In Hong Kong
      Hong Kong

      Hong Kong , officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located in Southern China in East Asia, bordering the province of Guangdong to the north and facing the South China Sea to the east, west and south....
      , either Cantonese Chinese or English is the medium in most schools at the primary and secondary level. English is used almost exclusively at the tertiary level.
    • In Macau
      Macau

      The Macau Special Administrative Region, , commonly known as Macau or Macao , is one of the two special administrative region of the People's Republic of China, the other being Hong Kong....
      , Chinese and Portuguese are the two official languages of the region. Chinese is used as the medium of instruction in many schools. When Chinese is used as the medium of instruction, Cantonese Chinese is usually spoken, though Mandarin Chinese is spoken in some schools. Portuguese is used in Portugal-backed schools. English, which is not an official language of the region, is also used in a lot of schools.
  • In Estonia
    Estonia

    Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Finland across the Gulf of Finland, to the west by Sweden across the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by the Russia ....
    , Estonian
    Estonian language

    Estonian is the official language of Estonia, spoken by about 1.1 million people in Estonia and tens of thousands in various ?migr? communities....
     is used with 26 schools in the south teaching Võro
    Voro language

    The Voro language can refer to two different languages:# Voro language ? an Adamawa languages language of Nigeria.# V?ro language ? a Finno-Ugric languages language of Estonia....
     once a week. The use of Russian is being limited since restoring independence.
  • In Finland
    Finland

    Finland , officially the Republic of Finland , is a Nordic countries situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. It borders Sweden on the west, Russia on the east, and Norway on the north, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland....
    , Finnish
    Finnish language

    Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland and by Finnish people outside of Finland. It is one of the official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden....
     is the language used in most schools, but Swedish
    Swedish language

    Swedish is a North Germanic languages language, spoken by around 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along the coast and on the ?land islands....
    , which is also an official national language, is used in a number of schools along the coast and Abo Akademi. The right to education in Swedish is based in the constitution. There are also a few schools where education is given to some extent in Sami in the north. See also Mandatory Swedish
    Mandatory Swedish

    In Finland schools, Swedish language is a mandatory school subject for Finnish-speaking pupils from 13/14 until 15/16 years of age. It is also mandatory in high schools, vocational schools, and vocational university....
    .
  • In France
    France

    France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
    , legislation restricts languages other than French in state schools. Other languages of France are the medium of instruction in non-state schools such as Diwan
    Diwan (school)

    Diwan is a federation of Breton language-medium schools in Brittany ....
     Breton language
    Breton language

    The Breton language is a Celtic languages spoken by some of the inhabitants of Brittany in France....
    -medium schools and the Calendretas in the south that use Occitan. See Language policy in France
    Language policy in France

    France has one official language, the French language. The French government does not regulate the choice of language in publications by individuals but the use of French is required by law in commercial and workplace communications....
  • In Georgia
    Georgia (country)

    Georgia is a transcontinental country in the Caucasus region, located at the dividing line between Europe and Asia. It is bordered by the Russia to the north, Azerbaijan to the east, Armenia to the south, and Turkey to the southwest....
    , most schools conduct education in Georgian. The number of Azerbaijani schools is being reduced.
  • In India
    India

    India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, the List of countries by population country, and the most populous liberal democracy in the world....
    , media of instruction switch among English, Hindi
    Hindi

    Standard Hindi, also known as High Hindi, Nagari Hindi or Literary Hindi is a Standard language register of Hindi. It is one of the 22 official languages of India, and is used, along with English language, for administration of the central government....
    , and the respective states’ official languages. Private schools usually prefer one of the first two choices, while public schools tend to go with one of the last two.
    • In the state of Goa
      Goa

      Goa is India's smallest states and territories of India in terms of area and the List of states and territories of India by population. Located on the west coast of India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its western...
      , English or Konkani
      Konkani language

      Konkani is an Indo-Aryan languages belonging to the Indo-European languages family of languages spoken in the Konkan coast of India. It has approximately 7.6 million speakers of its two individual languages, Konkani and Goan Konkani....
       is used.
    • In the state of Maharashtra
      Maharashtra

      Maharashtra is a States and territories of India located on the western coast of India. Maharashtra is a part of Western India. It is India's List of states of India by area and List of states of India by population....
      , English or Marathi is used.
    • In the state of Andhra Pradesh
      Andhra Pradesh

      Andhra Pradesh , abbreviated A.P.,is a state situated on eastern coast of India. It is India's List of states of India by area and List of states of India by population....
      , English or Telugu is used.
  • In Ireland
    Ireland

    Ireland is the List of islands by area in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islet....
    , English is used in most schools with a growing number of gaelscoil
    Gaelscoil

    A gaelscoil is an Irish language-speaking school, often also co-educational, usually found in Ireland, but outside the Irish speaking Gaeltacht areas....
    eanna using Irish
    Irish language

    Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic languages of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people....
    .
  • In Latvia
    Latvia

    Latvia The Latvians are a Baltic peoples culturally related to the Estonians and Lithuanians, with the Latvian language having many similarities with Lithuanian language, but not with the Estonian language....
    , Latvian is used in most schools. The network of Russian-language schools is being reduced. Some Polish-language schools were created after restoration of independence. Education in public minority high schools is conducted mostly in Latvian since 2004, despite wide protests (Russian School Defense Staff
    Russian School Defense Staff

    Russian School Defense Staff or Headquarters for the Protection of Russian Schools ? movement in Latvia for protection of public secondary education in Russian....
    ).
  • In the Isle of Man
    Isle of Man

    The Isle of Man , or Mann , is a self-governing Crown dependency, located in the Irish Sea at the geographical centre of the British Isles....
    , English is used, but Manx
    Manx language

    Manx , also known as Manx Gaelic, is a Goidelic languages spoken on the Isle of Man. The last native speaker, Ned Maddrell, died in 1974, but in recent years it has been the subject of language revival efforts, and it is now the medium of education at the , a primary school for four- to eleven-year-olds in St....
     is being revived with one Manx-medium school at St. John’s.
  • In Moldova
    Moldova

    Moldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east and south....
    , Moldovan (Romanian) is used but Russian is slowly being introduced.
  • In New Zealand
    New Zealand

    New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous Islands of New Zealand, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands....
    , English is used in many schools, but a growing number of kohanga reo
    Kohanga reo

    By the 1980s, Maori leaders began to recognize the dangers of the loss of their language, and initiated Maori language recovery-programs such as the Kohanga Reo movement, which immersed infants in Maori from infancy to school age....
     (kindergarten) and kura kaupapa
    Kohanga reo

    By the 1980s, Maori leaders began to recognize the dangers of the loss of their language, and initiated Maori language recovery-programs such as the Kohanga Reo movement, which immersed infants in Maori from infancy to school age....
     (primary and secondary school) are using Maori
    Maori language

    Maori or te reo Maori, also commonly shortened to te reo , functions as one of the official languages of New Zealand. Linguists classify it within the Eastern Polynesian languages as closely related to Cook Islands Maori, Tuamotuan language and Tahitian language; somewhat less closely to Hawaiian language and Marquesan language; a...
     instead.
  • In Norway
    Norway

    Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a constitutional monarchy in Northern Europe that occupies the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula....
    , the medium of instruction is Norwegian
    Norwegian language

    Norwegian is a North Germanic languages language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is an official language. It is also spoken as a second language among Norwegian-Americans in the United States of America, especially in the central northern states....
    .
  • In Pakistan
    Pakistan

    Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia and borders Central Asia and the Middle East. It has a 1,046 kilometre coastline along the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman in the south, and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and People's Republic of China in th...
    , most schools and all universities use English as a medium of instruction.
  • In the Taiwan Area of the Republic of China
    Republic of China

    The Republic of China , also known as Nationalist China is a country in East Asia that has evolved from a single-party state with full global recognition into a multi-party democratic state with Political status of Taiwan....
     (ROC), Mandarin Chinese is used as the medium of instruction.
  • In Romania
    Romania

    Romania is a country located in Southeastern Europe Central Europe, North of the Balkan Peninsula, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian Mountains, bordering on the Black Sea....
    , the medium of instruction is Romanian but minorities, such as Hungarian and German, are allowed to teach in their respective languages.
  • In the United States
    United States

    The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
    , English is used, but in some schools, Spanish, French (in Louisiana
    Louisiana

    The State of Louisiana is a U.S. state located in the U.S. Southern States of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans....
    ,) Hawaiian
    Hawaiian language

    The Hawaiian language is an Austronesian languages that takes its name from Hawaii , the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed....
     (in Hawaii
    Hawaii

    File:Pahoehoe and Aa flows at Hawaii.jpgThe State of Hawaii is a U.S. state in the United States, located on an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of Australia....
    ) and local Indian languages are used as well.
  • In Scotland
    Scotland

    conventional_long_name = ScotlandAlba|common_name= Scotland|image_flag = Flag of Scotland.svg|flag_width = 130px...
    , English is the primary language of instruction although Gaelic medium education
    Gaelic medium education

    Gaelic medium education Scottish Gaelic: F?ghlam tro Mheadhan na G?idhlig is a form of education in Scotland that sees pupils taught primarily via the medium of Scottish Gaelic with English language being taught as the secondary language....
     is also available. There is little or no use of Lowland Scots
    Lowland Scots

    Lowland Scots can refer to:* people of Lowland Scotland* Scots language...
     as a medium of education.
  • In Slovenia
    Slovenia

    Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in southern Central Europe bordering Italy to the west, the Adriatic Sea to the southwest, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north....
    , Slovenian is used throughout the country, but the Hungarian and Italian minority are entitled to primary and secondary education in their language.
  • In Switzerland
    Switzerland

    Switzerland is a landlocked Swiss Alps country of roughly 7.7 million people in Western Europe with an area of 41,285 km?. Switzerland is a federal republic consisting of 26 states called Cantons of Switzerland....
    , German, French, Italian, and/or Romansh are used in most schools.
  • In Tanzania
    Tanzania

    Tanzania , officially the United Republic of Tanzania , is a country in East Africa that is bordered by Kenya and Uganda on the north, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the west, and Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique on the south....
    , Swahili is used in primary schools (seven years), whereas English is used secondary school
    Secondary school

    Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of compulsory schooling, known as secondary education, takes place....
    s (four to six years) and universities
    University

    A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education....
    .
  • In Wales
    Wales

    native_name = Cymru|conventional_long_name = Wales|common_name = Wales|image_flag = Flag of Wales 2.svg|national_motto = ...
    , while the majority of schools teach through the medium of English, an increasing number teach through the medium of Welsh
    Welsh language

    Welsh ]], is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, in England by some along the Welsh Marches and in the Welsh settlement in Argentina in the Chubut Valley in Argentina Patagonia....
    .


See also

  • Bilingual education
    Bilingual education

    Bilingual education involves teaching most subjects in school through two different languages - in the United States, instruction occurs in English and a minority language, such as Spanish or Chinese, with varying amounts of each language used in accordance with the program model....
  • Native-language instruction
    Native-language instruction

    Native-language instruction is the practice of teaching schoolchildren in their native language instead of in the official language of their country of residence....
  • English medium education
    English medium education

    An English medium education system is one that uses English language as the primary medium of instruction. A medium of instruction is the language that is used in teaching....
  • Language policy
    Language policy

    Many countries have a language policy designed to favour or discourage the use of a particular language or set of languages. Although nations historically have used language policies most often to promote one official language at the expense of others, many countries now have policies designed to protect and promote regional and ethnic langu...
  • Language revival
    Language revival

    Language revitalization, language revival or reversing language shift is the attempt by interested parties, including individuals, cultural or community groups, governments, or political authorities, to reverse the decline of a language....


External links


  • — recommendation Nr. 1740 (2006) by PACE