Medium of instruction: a historical outlook
THIS is with reference to the letter ‘Medium of instruction’ (Nov 22). No nation has prospered without the effective use of its own language. Arabs preserved all learning of the ancient world in Arabic translation and thus produced great scientists, physicians, historians and others of the Middle Ages. They did not resort to learning the Greek language to become the greatest scholars in various fields.
Perhaps if they had, they would not have left the intellectual impression on Europe and paved the way for modern civilisation.
In the Middle Ages, universities in Muslim lands were the greatest centres of learning and European scholars attended them. This period is remembered as the Dark Ages by Europeans. This era of intellectual ascendancy lasted 800 years from the 5th century to the 13th century.
Then it was the turn of the Europeans — the pupils of Arabs. They did not learn Arabic for their intellectual pursuits but translated all Arabic literature into European languages. This exercise of translation continued in the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries and the centres were Toledo in Spain and Sicily in Italy.
Through Arabic translation they accessed Greek literature as well. All scientific activities that existed in Europe were confined to assimilating Arabic learning.
For ages the works of Muslim scientists were taught in European universities. Then these Europeans started producing their own textbooks. With the publication of their scientific work they took lead in scientific field.
The result of it all was the 15th century Renaissance. Now they are the world leaders.
Let us take the example of present-day China and Russia. The intellectual base of these nations is their own languages. We have already wasted 65 years in teaching English as a second language in the hope of producing scholars in the field of learning.
Instead we have produced managers with O/A level background, thus creating social stratification. The result is that there are no meaningful scientific activities that characterised the Muslims of the Middle Ages.
I suggest that instruction, as well as textbooks, should be in Urdu with technical terms in English till we translate them. The descriptive part is easy to translate and this is where lies the problem. English should be taught as a subject from Class VI onwards while retaining Urdu as a medium of instruction. Sweden also uses mother tongue for medium of instruction with a second language as a subject.
M. HANIF KHAN
Karachi
Urdu was forced upon pakistan. Neither of the four provinces speak the language. At the time of partition it was a toss up of which language should be the “mother tongue” and since jinnah couldn’t understand any of the provincial languages he chose urdu perhaps because of Liaquat Ali, even though he couldn’t speak that either. If he had chosen english, which by now has become the language of the world like it or not, our mother tongue would have been english and we would have been far more advanced then we are now.
I think that is the way to go. I have delivered several lectures in geology using english language. I felt that kids were having difficulty in absorbing the substance. When I taught in Urdu there was more interest shown by the students. However, you can’t do without English so keep the terms in english with explanation in Urdu.
I do agree that the education is best delivered and effective in mother tongue. However, please name 5 Muslim/Arab scientists and their discoveries of 8th – 11th century. And even if you can name them what relevant do these people have with Urdu and Pakistan?
You need to start living in real world; stop all non0sensical comparison with other civilazation.
I agree with Khan. Mother tongue should be the medium of instruction. If children are to study in any other language than their mother tongue then English should be the selected as most books, research, material on internet, and other information is in English. It will be a burden on children to learn Urdu on top of their mother tongue and English (Even if they study in Urdu they’ll have to learn English for the reason mentioned above so, why not by pass Urdu and just go to English.
Urdu is a foreign language to all of us except the Indian immigrants who make up less than 10% of Pak population. Imposing urdu upon those who have their own languages is racism. English should be the official language of Pakistan, urdu an optional, and all mother tongues should be taught as compulsory languages in the schools up to 10th grade.
Use of Urdu as medium of instruction has no value regardless of Greek or Chinese experience. Look at Indian experience which is relevant and recent. Pakistan has some advantage of having English as medium of instructions. There are elements in the society that want to eliminate this slight advantage so that we can live comfortably in the stone age.
Your own language, if substantially developed, should be the medium of instruction, as it happened in Muslim Universities in middle ages, but it is possible only when a nation has its own inventions or scientists and philosophers with original ideas, not when you have to learn every thing from China and America or Europe.
Instead of suggesting urdu as medium of instruction, we should propose the mother tongue as medium of instruction. I have studied in urdu medium schools while my mother tongue (and all of my class-fellows) was pashto. We had the same problem as urdu was an alien language to us. UN charter on education also propose the use of mother tongue as medium of instruction. I agree that technical terms should be kept in original language (scientific or english)
Your suggestion = A giant leap backward