Language Diversity: Perceptions of Students towards Multilingual Instruction in Higher Education Pedagogy under NEP 2020

Speaking multiple languages can take the aplomb at high level. The quality of teaching completely depends on the instruction given by the teacher in the classroom that enable students in acquiring the subject knowledge. Linguistic barrier sometimes occurs when students are taught in the classroom using a language that cannot be understood by the students. It is observed that students from different places get disconnected due to different native languages. In order to overcome such issues that are encountered by the students, the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in India has brought a transformative change in the educational landscape, focusing on the importance of multilingualism in higher education. The policy focuses on the use of mother tongue and regional languages as mediums of classroom instruction. Some prior findings suggest that majorly students possess positive attitude towards multilingualism in education, associating it with vitrified comprehension and retention. However, the research also highlights significant concerns that cannot be neglected. Students expressed worries about the practical implementation of multilingual instruction in higher education due to the varying proficiency levels. There are also some significant concerns about the competency of teachers in executing multilingual approach in classroom instruction as it requires training.