Language Skills for Higher Education in Tanzania

Abstract

This paper examines the language proficiency problem in higher  education in Tanzania and shows that this is a familiar problem in  countries that use a foreign or second language in education. It argues  that the much utilized ' University of Dar es Salaam Model ' of  Communications Skills courses has not had the expected impact on this  problem and calls for a radical departure from current practice. The  paper proposes two policy options to the higher education establishment  in Tanzania with regard to the issue of the languages of education. The  first option requires the establishment of a strict filtering mechanism in  order to exclude all applicants who do not possess the English language  skills required in an English medium university. The second option  seeks to develop a bilingual language policy for higher education. This  would allow partial use of Kiswahili in the system e.g. in lectures,seminar discussions and examinations, even while most literature has  to be accessed in English.Key words: language proficiency, English medium university, strict  filtering mechanism, bilingual language policy for higher education,  Kiswahili