Despite growing understanding and recognition of the need to offer education in the
mother tongue or in a familiar language, there is a growing trend to adopt a foreign
language (more particularly English) as a language of instruction in the name of
gaining access to quality and prestige. In Nepal, language of instruction (English vs
Nepali) has been one of the major factors that distinguish private schools from the
state schools. In recent years, however, there is a new trend among government
schools to switch to English as a language of instruction. In this context, the current
study sought to critically examine the role of English as a language of instruction in
Nepal’s education and how it can affect the quality of teaching and learning.
This study is the result of a qualitative field research conducted in three cities in
Nepal (viz. Kathmandu, Pokhara and Surkhet) in June 2014. The study includes the
voices of practicing teachers that are supplemented by the researcher’s observation
notes and interactions with gatekeepers and local contacts. Drawing on from the
theories of educational transformation as well as language and empowerment, the
study aimed at finding out the classroom realties and how teaching/learning has been
affected by the use of English as opposed to a familiar language (Nepali). Although
Nepal’s English medium schools have been able to secure good examination results
for their students, the results of the study indicate that adoption of English as a
language of instruction has not only limited students’ creativity, but has also hindered
implementation of student centered classroom teaching. Lack of teachers’
proficiency and sub-standard text materials have further compounded the problem
thereby seriously limiting classroom interaction, and dialogue. The conclusion of this
study is that the current trend of growth of budget English medium schools and
expansion of English as a language of instruction to government schools does not
address the need to educational reform and end the two-tier inequality so as to
contribute to a post-conflict transformation.