The Linguistic Obstacles in Higher Education During the COVID-19 Epidemic in a Multilingual Society: A Qualitative Evidence Synthesis (QES)

Abstract

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic in March 2020, indicating that the disease had spread to all continents. Many South African universities began implementing online-based learning to replace classroom lectures. The problem in a multilingual society is that there are numerous impediments to students learning online with English as a medium of instruction. The purpose of this study is to identify the language challenges that arose as a result of the introduction of online learning in higher education. This study's investigative activities were guided by the theories of Cognitivism and Connectivism. The study conducted a Qualitative Evidence Systematic Review a summary of research literature that focuses on a single question, and purports the role of systematic reviews within evidence-based practices. A qualitative meta-synthesis according to the (Population/Place; Intervention; Comparator; Outcome) PICO framework seek to answer the question: 'Could proper implementation of e-learning in institutions of higher learning during COVID-19 pandemic resolve challenges in a multilingual society in Gauteng Province?' Articles were critically appraised for eligibility using the PRISMA flow diagram, screening the relevance and removing duplicates through assessment tool called CASP – Critical Appraisal Skills Programme. This method provides an opportunity to analyse data both deductively using positivist approach while using interpretivist approach to understand phenomenon. The researcher has used purposive sampling to select a number of articles that must go into the study. Thematic analysis was performed on a sample of 20 articles. The articles that were considered for analysis are those that have received Ethical approval by the authors. The findings of this ongoing study are expected to contribute to the existing body of knowledge on the language challenge in higher education with students in a multilingual society. Recommendations would be aimed at informing language policy makers