Past Progressive, Future Perfect Some models for bilingual education

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Past Progressive, Future PerfectSome models for
bilingual education

• Virve Vihman Birute Klaas
• University of Tartu
• Bi- and Multilingual Universities Conference
• 2 September, 2005
• University of Helsinki

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Past Progressive UTs Multilingual History

• University of Tartu founded 1632
• Latin period, 1632-1710
• German period, 1802-1893
• Russian period, 1893-1918
• Estonian since 1919
• Soviet period parallel Estonian and Russian
  curricula

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Russian curricula until 2000

• Covered most main fields of study at UT
• Medicine, including Sports Medicine Exercise
  Sport Sciences
• Russian Slavic Philology Economics
• Physics Mathematics
• Duplication of Estonian and Russian language
  curricula
• Russian-language secondary school graduates
• Language study
• Estonian as a Foreign Language obligatory for
  Russian-based students, avg. 1-2 yrs, regardless
  of field of study
• Russian as a Foreign Language obligatory for
  Estonian-based students, avg. 1-2 years,
  regardless of field of study

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Since 2000 Russian Students at UT

• 2000 Ministry of Education declares Estonian the
  official language of study, with certain
  exceptions
• Russian students 17-18 of the student body,
  growing along with the general student population
• Russian students studying in Estonian
• Optional year of Estonian language study
• Need for additional year of language study is
  decreasing
• Also possible to study Estonian as an optional
  subject

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Estonian language year

• Available for all graduates of non-Estonian
  schools, whose national language exam score was
  less than 60 (B-level)
• 2 semesters, 20 hours a week
• 103 students have taken the course since 2000-01
• PLUS Intensive language study, immersion
• Preparation for Estonian study in particular
  subject
• of students needing Estonian language year has
  decreased, whereas students of non-Estonian
  background have increased
• Safe environment for integration into
  university life
• BUT Lengthens period of study
• Postpones concentration in particular field of
  study
• Heterogenous classes in level of Estonian

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Simple Present Tense Bilingual Study at UT (I)

• NARVA COLLEGE
• NE Estonia Vastly Russian-speaking region
• Teacher training for Russian-based schools
• 2000 only Russ. 2002 35 Est. 2005 over 50
• Basic principles guiding the change-over
• Maintain and guarantee quality (teaching
  language)
• Minimal number of successful students must be
  reached
• Also important to maintain high-level knowledge
  of Russian language and culture, and to support
  the large Russian-speaking minority (34.8 of
  Estonian pop. as of 1999 census)

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Simple Present Tense Bilingual Study at UT (I)

• NARVA COLLEGE
• 2 models
• I. Courses in 3 languages (Russian, Estonian,
  Eng.) simultaneous study in different languages
  highly useful for developing language skills in
  context
• II. 1 semester of subject-specific Estonian (e.g.
  public administration), followed by mostly
  Estonian-based education study in Estonian
  strongly supports language learning, part of the
  integration process of Estonias Russian-speaking
  minority

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Simple Present Tense Bilingual Study at UT (II)

• Faculty of MEDICINE
• Target group mostly Finnish students (Estonian
  language learning not difficult)
• First 2 years fully taught in English
• Estonian language courses alongside medical
  training (40 hours per semester)
• 3rd yr., Finnish students join Estonian groups
• Numbers and success rates increasing

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Simple Present Tense Bilingual Study at UT (III)

• Both NC and Med. Fac. draw on successful past
  experiences of bilingual education
• Both lead to Estonian language study
• Assimilation, not diversification
• BUT The University Strategic Plan (2008) sets
  internationalisation as a priority
• Includes international education for home
  students, teaching in foreign languages and mixed
  classrooms
• No obligatory language study anymore (in any
  field)

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Simple Present Tense English-language Study at
UT

• Bachelor-level
• 8 semester programmes (Social Sciences, Law,
  Humanities, Languages, Theology, Natural Science)
• Including 30 courses in English per semester,
  available for both international and Estonian
  students
• Masters-level
• Baltic Studies MA (from fall 2005), English
  Philology MA
• Around 50 courses taught in English
• Doctoral studies
• Truly bi- or multilingual all doctoral
  programmes include some international
  collaboration, seminars in English, etc.
• 6 doctoral schools, all with international
  partners, visiting lecturers and organisation of
  international seminars

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Future Perfect Strategy and Development

• General Aims of Internationalisation
• Maintaining and improving academic quality
• Top-level international research (not the focus
  of this talk)
• Openness, tolerance
• Internationalisation at home multicultural
  experience at UT
• Graduates prepared to enter the global workforce
• Measurable indicators
• 1000 international students (2008)
• 15 Masters programmes in foreign languages (2008)
• volume of international and industrial contracts
  gt 150M EEK
• Join the top 100 European research universities

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Future Perfect Developing English Options

• Priorities
• Developing full masters degree programmes in
  English
• Developing joint degrees
• Emphasis on including English courses in core
  subjects
• Maintenance of Estonian as language of higher
  education
• Approved Masters programmes, from 2006
• Biomedicine (Biology-Geography Medicine)
• Public Health Management (Medicine Economics)

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Perceived Internal Strengths

• Reputation for quality and tradition
• World-class research in certain fields
• All basic subjects taught, competence in broad
  range of fields
• International networks
• Crucial in small country
• Academic and administrative support
• Traditions of multilingual teaching
• Great strategic importance placed on
  internationalisation
• Tartu, university town
• compact cosy, with choice variety

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Perceived External Opportunities

• European Union
• Accession in 2004 simplifies access to Estonian
  higher education
• Opportunities for participation in EU projects
  for education and research
• European Higher Education Reform
• Estonian participation in the Bologna process
• New curricula support and motivate mobility,
  programmes for funding mobility
• Estonia
• Uniqueness, distinction Interest in
  Estonian-specific language culture
• Demographic situation will force
  internationalisation, Estonias population
  demographics are particularly critical, with
  numbers of graduates finishing secondary
  education in 2008 dropping by 30 of todays
  number

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Perceived Internal Weaknesses

• Motivation
• Staff overloaded with extra workload
• Research given priority over teaching development
• Money
• English language proficiency
• Concerns regarding quality control
• Confidence levels of staff with little experience
  in teaching in English
• National University
• Flagbearer of Estonian HE, upholding Estonian
  teaching
• Perceived threat of English-language teaching to
  Estonian

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Perceived External Threats

• Demographic Situation
• Both a plus and a minus
• Increasingly competitive and aggressive
  international education
• Estonia is not a top (obvious) destination for
  study abroad
• Isolation and homogeneity of Tartu
• Estonia as the periphery of Europe
• Tartu as the provinces in Estonia, no direct
  access (through Tallinn)
• National policy-making
• Difficulties associated with visas and residence
  permits
• Small support for internationalisation activities
• State-funded places in universities

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The Way Forward

• Combined curricula added value
• Internationalisation through people
• Both top-down and bottom-up processes are crucial
• Maintenance and support of Estonian as a
  sustainable language of HE research

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Kiitos!