Globalisation is a reality of the twenty-first century. Its influence in higher education through the role of the English language and international knowledge networks are often beyond the control of academic institutions. Due to the pervasive nature of the English language in academia, English proficiency has become foundational to meeting the demand for higher education, regardless of the subject of study. In some cases, the influence of the English language extends even to programs offered in languages other than English.
Higher education providers and programs have increased exponentially in the Maldives in the last decade. While the majority of these programs are conducted in English, a handful of courses are offered in the medium of Dhivehi – the national language of the country. Nevertheless, due to the lack of academic resources published in Dhivehi, and a shortage of professionals trained to teach in the local language, students are expected to encounter the use of the English language to varying degrees during the course of their studies.
Given this situation, the objective of this study was two-fold. First, it aimed to understand the extent to which postgraduate students enrolled in Dhivehi-medium programs had to use the English language for their academic activities. Second, it aimed to find out how these students perceived the dependence on English for their learning.
A questionnaire was used to collect data from 75 students enrolled in two Dhivehi-medium postgraduate programs. The findings indicated that while the programs were meant to be taught through the medium of the Dhivehi language, the English language was used for some of the teaching, and that almost all reading material and instructional resources were provided in English. Students recognized the importance of English, but found this dependence on English to be a barrier to their academic success. The need for clearer educational language policies was evident from this study.
