Internationalization and the Adoption of English Language as a Medium of Instruction at Somali National University

Abstract

The adoption of English as a delivery language of instructions entails the utilization of English to deliver other subjects other than English itself in countries where the first language of natives is not English. However, the implementation of the same has been unsuccessful and this is partly due to lack of implementation framework. This study specifically aimed to investigate the influence of internationalization on the adoption of English language as a medium of instruction at Somali National University. The study was informed by the structural-functionalism theoretical approach. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. Its target population comprised of lecturers, students, senior management staff and the Director of Higher Education. A sample of 88 lecturers and 30 students were sampled through proportionate stratified and simple random sampling respectively; while, purposive sampling technique was employed in coming up with 15 Senior Management Officers and the Director of Education. The data for the study was gathered using questionnaires, focused group discussions and interviews. The reliability of data was tested using Cronbach’s Alpha. Percentages and regression were utilized in the analysis. The study’s results indicated that Somali National University lacked policies and frameworks for supporting the adoption of English as an instructional language. The study indicated that curriculums, equality and competitive advantages were among the aspects used to gauge internationalization. It concluded that there exists a positive and substantial link between internationalization and the adoption of English as an instructional language at Somali National University. The study recommended that language policies should be implemented effectively and adequate funds should be directed towards supporting the implementation process.