The possible effect of English language proficiency and the Gambian students' participation in higher education

In recent years the Gambian government has advocated the use of the first language (L1) as the medium of instruction for education (from primary school to tertiary level). However, English remains dominant (Igboanusi, 2014). The sole university in the Gambia (the University of the Gambia, UTG) uses English Medium of Instruction (EMI). There is a dearth of research exploring how English language proficiency might affect students’ access/participation in higher education (HE) in the Gambia (see Juffermans and McGlynn, 2009). This study aims to fill this gap in the literature. This presentation focuses on the results of the pilot study of this developing project. Ten secondary school students aged 16 to 18, of mixed gender, and from four different districts in the Gambia were surveyed and interviewed. Preliminary results highlight a complex web of intertwined factors such as socio-economic status, motivation, as well as linguistic barriers that students face in gaining access to higher education in the Gambia.