Challenges from Language Shift: Advocating Intercultural Dialogue as a Commitment Principle for the Millennium Development Goals;approved for oral presentation: Bugema International Multi-Disciplinary Conference, September 28-29, 2015.

Abstract

Emanating from language shift would be challenges such as involvement in intercultural dialogue on local and global angles. In intercultural dialogue there are open interactions between individuals from different cultural backgrounds that bring about understanding each other’s world views, similarities and differences. Intercultural dialogue then is part of the commitments of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations and the United Nations Academic Impact in support of the Millennium Development Goals. For reasons of socio-economic progress, Rwanda had shifted from French to advocating the English language said to be the universal medium of communication. Anchored on such direction, this study embarked on investigating empirically the effects of the English language as a medium of instruction in selected institutions of higher learning in Rwanda. The findings showed that the learners’ performance in the English language needed to be effectively implemented in the process of learning.