English language in African higher education: A systematic review
Date
2021Author
Yallew, Addisalem Tebikew
Langa, Patrício Vitorino
Nkhoma, Nelson
Metadata
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One of the features of the internationalisation of higher education is the increasing use of
the English language as a medium of instruction and research in higher education. This growing use
of English spurs this article’s attempt at systematically reviewing literature focusing on African higher
education systems. The analysis of the selected literature focuses on assessing the main themes,
theoretical assumptions and core findings. As a result, 30 articles accessed through continental and
international research databases were included in the final analysis after a five-step selection process
using relevant keywords related to the topic and the context of the study. The findings indicate that
research on the English language in higher education in African contexts overwhelmingly focuses
on the language as a medium of teaching and learning. The other aspects, such as the role that
the language plays as a medium of research and archiving knowledge, seem to be overlooked. The
findings of the majority of both empirical and review papers seem to present critical and, at times,
unfavourable views on the role English plays in the specific contexts studied. In light of these findings,
the recommendation is that the role of the English language as a medium of instruction should be
expanded to cover issues related to research, publication and archiving knowledge.