Better taught in English

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• Better taught in English?
• Institutional language strategies in European
  higher education
• 23rd ACA European Policy Seminar
• Brussels, 4 December 2009
• Institutional language strategies a balancing
  act between the internationalisation of higher
  education, national and EU policies, and labour
  market expectations
• Wolfgang Mackiewicz
• Conseil européen pour les langues / European
  Language Council (CEL/ELC)

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• Conseil européen pour les langues /
• European Language Council (CEL/ELC)
• Founded in 1997 (in the wake of the now legendary
  SIGMA Scientific Committee on Languages, 1994-5).
• Overarching aim promotion of individual and
  societal multilingualism.
• Membership 160 universities and specialist
  organisations in Europe and beyond.
• New Articles of Association, brought into force
  earlier this year, extend the membership to
  enterprises, institutions, and organisations that
  support the CEL/ELCs aims and this anywhere in
  the world individuals now admitted as associate
  members.

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• Conseil européen pour les langues /
• European Language Council (CEL/ELC) (cont.)
• What is special about the CEL/ELC?
• An inclusive, policy-oriented concept of the area
  of languages in higher education.
• Follows an institutional approach.
• Two major fields of activity
• EU network, development, and research projects
• policy development
• Engaged in dialogue and co-operation with EC, EP,
  CoE, ACA, EUA, EURASHE, ESU etc.

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• Conseil européen pour les langues /
• European Language Council (CEL/ELC) (cont.)
• PROJECTS
• Three Thematic Network projects and two
  dissemination network projects in the area of
  language (Socrates-Erasmus Programme)
• principal aim to overcome the frequently
  observed disconnection of HE programmes and
  offerings from changing needs in the social,
  professional, and economic environments
• 2003-2007 TNP3 TNP3-D sub-project 2
  Languages for enhanced opportunities on the
  European labour market
• - Europe-wide on-line consultation of
  employers and graduates
• - conferences and workshops attended by
  invited employers / employer organisations

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• Conseil européen pour les langues /
• European Language Council (CEL/ELC) (cont.)
• Follow-on activities
• TechnoTN Forum 2009 Brussels, 5-6 June 2009
• WM external evaluator
• Business Platform for Multilingualism Brussels,
  22 September 2009
• WM chair
• Currently two LLP network projects LANQUA and
  MOLAN
• FP6 Integrated Project DYLAN (2006-2011)

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• Conseil européen pour les langues /
• European Language Council (CEL/ELC) (cont.)
• POLICY DEVELOPMENT
• Practically at all levels.
• Input to ECs A new framework strategy for
  multilingualism (2005).
• Report of ECs High Level Group of
  Multilingualism (2007).
• Also at national and institutional level.

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• Conseil européen pour les langues /
• European Language Council (CEL/ELC) (cont.)
• CORE THEME IN 2009
• The linguistic and intercultural implications of
  the internationalisation
• of higher education institutions in Europe
• CEL/ELC Forum Brussels, 5 December 2008
• ACA Annual Conference Warsaw, 14-15 May 2009
• Special Interest Group The Multilingual and
  Multiculural Classroom
• EUA Autumn Conference Giessen, 8-10 October
  2009
• SAGW Autumn Conference Berne, 12-13 November
  2009

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• Language constellation individual language
  profiles
• language use in Europe --
• Fundamental changes in the first decade of the
  21st century
• All European states now have multilingual and
  multicultural societies.
• More than 400 languages spoken in Europe.
• Many inhabitants are bilingual or multilingual.
• English used more widely than ever before.

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• CAUSES OF THESE DEVELOPMENTS
• increasing European integration and expansion
  leading to increasing intra-European mobility
• migration into Europe
• revival of the regions
• globalisation
• emergence of economic regions in other parts of
  the world
• rampant developments in ICT
• TENSION
• More languages more English than ever before

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• This is the external linguistic frame
• within which
• higher education and research in Europe
• are implemented.

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• Higher education institutions in Europe -
• National -gt European -gt international
  institutions
• Student and teaching staff mobility
• Pre-ERASMUS individual initiatives political
  causes
• ERASMUS (1987 -) horizontal student mobility
  short-period exchanges of teaching staff
• - linguistic and intercultural preparation and
  support
• - a core aim promotion of linguistic and
  cultural competences
• - however uneven mobility flows select courses
  taught in EN
• Bologna creation of a European Higher Education
  Area external dimension of Bologna

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• Student and teaching staff mobility
• Complete courses of study followed in another
  country
• - first-cycle courses, and vertical mobility
• - global competition for the brightest /
  best-endowed students
• - global competition for highly qualified
  teachers / researchers
• Major issue language(s) of instruction! More and
  more universities are offering courses taught
  wholly or partly in English (EN).
• North South divide
• Languages of science vs. LWULT languages
• Differences with regard to cycles (BA, MA, PhD)
• Differences between disciplines

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• Internationalisation of research
• After WWII dominant position of USA in hard
  sciences
• European Research Area (ERA) collaborative
  research
• Peer-reviewed journals bibliometric indicators
  global rankings open access
• Global competition for the best / most talented
  international post-docs and researchers
• National funding programmes for the promotion of
  the internationalisation of research (example
  the German Initiative for Excellence)
• This has led to an increasing use of EN in
  research publications hard sciences -gt social
  sciences -gt humanities (incl. interdisciplinary
  research).

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• EU policy underpinning these developments
• The Lisbon agenda designed to meet the challenges
  of globalisation and of the emergence of a
  knowledge-based society / economy
• Emphasis on the economic and societal importance
  of higher education and research, i.e. to
  achieving the Lisbon goals
• - economic growth and competitiveness
• - sustainable development
• - social cohesion and inclusion
• - better opportunities on the labour market
• Just a reminder the famous knowledge triagle of
  education, research, and innovation. Universities
  as drivers of innovation.

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• Another reminder
• The Dublin Descriptors and the increasing
  importance of communication
• BAs can communicate information, ideas, problems
  and solutions to both specialist and
  non-specialist audiences
• MAs can communicate their conclusions, and the
  knowledge and rationale underpinning these, to
  specialist and non-specialist audiences clearly
  and unambiguously
• PhDs can communicate with their peers, the
  larger scholarly community and with society in
  general about their areas of expertise
• Question In which languages(s) should our
  students be able to communicate?

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• Entre penethèse
• Deutsch ist das Problem
• An interview conducted by the German weekly Die
  Zeit in April this year with Wolfgang A.
  Herrmann, president of Technische Universität
  München (TUM) , and Ligiu Meng, vice president of
  TUM responsible for internationalisation
• Successful in the first round of the Initiative
  for Excellence
• Motto At home in Bavaria - successful in the
  world
• 25 of students following first-cycle courses
  from outside Germany
• 824 students from China
• Goal TUM gt MIT of Bavaria

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• Language of instruction
• The principal obstacle to internationalisation
  German as language of instruction.
• German students must accept English as language
  of instruction.
• Exams would continue to be in German.
• The introduction and use of English as language
  of instruction will require additional funds.
• Questions
• What are the challenges regarding EN as LoI?
• What role for regional / national languages?

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• Challenges
• English (EN) one of the most difficult European
  languages
• Because of the specific structure of EN
  temptation to pour the grammar and lexis of ones
  first language into EN
• Anecdote Wolfgang at an DG EAC expert meeting
• Important to define and ensure the level
  competence in EN required for study programmes
  wholely or partly taught in EN -
• - national / European / international students
• - teaching staff
• - young researchers (post-docs)
• - leaders of research teams
• Anecdote WM about to hire a project manager
  from SE
• Fundamental difference between most European HEIs
  and HEIs in
• AU, USA, NZ etc.

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• Challenges (cont.)
• - administrative staff
• - student services
• - governance
• - university Web sites
• National students have to be bi-literate.
• Many older research publications in humanities
  and social sciences only available in other
  languages of science, e.g. DE and FR.
• gt Full literacy in English a core quality
  criterion in internationalisation of HE ability
  to adequately present / discuss scientific and
  scholarly issues orally and in writing

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• What role for regional / national languages?
• need of European / international students,
  postdocs, academic staff to have / improve /
  acquire competence in national / regional
  language(s)
• to follow study programmes taught wholly or
  partly in host language
• for social integration
• for paving the way for an academic / professional
  career in host country
• gt complicating factors diversity of entry
  levels, schedules, subjects, prior learning
  experiences, learning goals, status

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• Responsibility of universities for maintaining
  vitality of regional / national languages a
  European core value.
• Transmission of knowledge at regional / national
  level, e.g. in school education and society at
  large.
• Danger populism.

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• Language learning for studying, living and
  working in an international environment and in a
  globalised world
• National students
• - to integrate, and collaborate with European /
  international students
• You cannot be an international university / have
  a thousand students from China and not provide an
  opportunity for your own students and other
  students to learn Chinese.
• - Give due consideration to the cultural
  dimension associated with languages.
• All students
• - to acquire a key qualification for work in the
  European / international labour market

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• Students preparing for professions that will
  bring them into contact with migrant communities
  (e.g. future medical doctors and teachers)
• - to acquire oral proficiency in a relevant
  migrant language
• Example from Berlin demand for Turkish

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• Languages for competitiveness and for enhanced
  opportunities on the labour market
• Commission studies and reports
• - ELAN study (2006)
• - HLGM report (09/2007)
• - recommendations from the Business Forum for
  Multilingualism (2008)
• gt Ability to communicate in several languages
  a key competence for lifelong learning important
  for employability and for competitiveness.
• TNP3 TNP3-D asked which languages and which
  skills?
• More than 50 of graduate respondents had worked
  abroad
• - EN is a must
• - graduates German, French, Spanish, Russian,
  Italian, Chinese, Polish, Dutch, Arabic and
  Portuguese (in descending order)
• - general skills competences that allow them
  to perform in and adapt to a variety of
  situations of communicative language use

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• - general skills for undertaking professional
  tasks and interacting in the work place
• - communicative oral and writing skills,
  including interaction within teams project
  management presentations negotiation analysis
  and synthesis, and focused writing ability to
  undertake activities via "distance technology
• - requires a new type of HE language teacher
• 2009 TechnTN Forum
• employers 80 generic skills, including ability
  to write concise reports in English
• Intercultural skills awareness of ones own
  values and the values of international partners
• Importance of integration into foreign
  societies (not just communication at the work
  place)

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• Language provision for students who are not
  literate in their first language(s)
• Failure of many school systems to cater for
  children of mobile / migrant parents.
• Languages such as Arabic, Russian, Turkish but,
  depending on the concrete educational situation,
  also EU languages.
• Important for employability and competitiveness.

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• FOUR FIELDS FOR ACTION
• Languages constitute one of the most important
  transversal skills.
• Should NOT be considered a soft skill.
• English for internationalisation of higher
  education and research, and for employability and
  competitiveness
• National / regional language(s) for HE teaching
  and study and for social and professional
  integration
• Other languages for student mobility,
  integration, employability, and competitiveness
• Languages for students who are not literate in
  their first language(s)

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• There is no ONE FITS ALL
• We need a conceptual framework.
• We need a code of conduct.
• We need reference points.
• KEY STATEMENTS
• HEIs have to acknowledge that their mission has
  to include an institutional language policy
  (Dondelinger, 2007). WM no laissez-faire,
  please.
• Language provision should become part of
  curriculum development.
• (Dondelinger, 2007).
• Consideration needs to be given to the specific
  learning outcomes of language programmes for
  non-specialists (Dondelinger, 2007).

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• Multilingual competence includes L1 competence.
• All four fields for action require the definition
  and observance of quality criteria.
• Language modules for non-specilists should be
  offered free of charge.
• The following recommendations should be
  understood as examples of good and promising
  practice, designed to stimulate reflection and
  action on the part of HEIs and other
  stakeholders.

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• ENGLISH
• Internationalisation in education and research
• Requires a coherent institutional strategy.
• English language support for national, European,
  and international students.
• as I said before definition of competence
  standards for admission to specific programmes
  taught wholly or partly in English
• objective competence tests
• EN content modules included in practically all BA
  programmes
• optional credited language modules for learning
  how to prepare and deliver oral presentations,
  and draft academic papers and reports in EN

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• special support for PhD students preparing their
  theses in EN
• Training programmes for HE teachers who want /
  need to improve their EN.
• Training for admin staff.
• Introduction of bilingual study programmes
  followed by national and international students
  who may well have different skill-specific levels
  of competence in the national / regional language
  and EN.
• Employability and competitiveness
• All students to be offered the opportunity to do
  content modules in EN and to acquire relevant
  skills. (Convergence of internationali-sation of
  HEIs and of business.)

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• National / regional language(s)
• European / international students
• Definition of competence standards for admission
  to specific programmes taught in national /
  regional language.
• Credit-bearing courses for undergraduate and
  possibly graduate students.
• Facilitating the formation of language tandems /
  trios
• Independent learning, supported by learner advice
• Creation of extracurricular structures and
  activities
• 2) International academic staff
• Mentoring system
• Special support for international staff in
  governance positions

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• Other languages for student mobility,
  integration, employability, and competitiveness
• Optional credit-bearing language modules for
  non-specialists (first - and second cycle) lt x
  number of credits out of a total of y number of
  credits.
• Subsidiary subjects in multi-subject programmes
  focused on language study.
• Emphasis on learning techniques and on the use of
  tools and resources.
• Wide range of languages, possibly offered in
  cooperation with external providers.
• Curriculum development / learning outcomes lt
  internship reports, career tracking of graduates,
  consultation with enterprises, including SMEs

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• TNP3-D Closing Conference Brussels, 09/2007
• Representative of an international corporation
• engineers frequently do not have any EN
• emphasis on what staff can do in EN or in another
  language
• universities still put too much emphasis on
  grammar
• register and politeness of great importance
• Need for awareness raising among SMEs
• new Business Platform for Multilingualism to
  disseminate concrete examples that show that SMEs
  benefit from the multilingual profiles of their
  staff

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• Languages for students who are not literate in
  their first language(s)
• is becoming a big issue
• HLGM report
• a point taken up at the recent SAGW conference
• initiative of students at Freie Universität Berlin

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• HOW WELL PREPARED ARE OUR UNIVERSITIES FOR MUCH
  NEEDED ACTION
• Varies from Member State to Member State, and
  from university to university.
• A major issue the quality of modern languages at
  primary and secondary level.
• Important changes most universities do not hold
  the view any more that you can only learn a
  language properly in a target-language country.
• Most universities have come to realise that
  students cannot learn languages in classes of 80
  or even more students.
• And yet soft skills and underfunded.

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• HOW WELL PREPARED ARE OUR STUDENTS
• Motivation varies enormously.
• What normally helps
• presence of European / international students
• study and internships abroad
• internships in businesses engaged in cross-border
  trade and cooperation, and in international
  organisations
• Just an afterthought
• The situation in the UK is rather special.

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• THANK YOU
• FOR YOUR ATTENTION