A bridge too far? Europe mulls growth of English-language courses

It is rare that a debate about university teaching makes national headlines. But this past year, Dutch newspapers have printed countless column inches about a?subject that touches on national culture, profit, immigration and globalisation: whe바카라사이트r too many of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s degree courses are in English.

In June, after years of rumbling discontent from critics who felt that universities were chasing international student fees ra바카라사이트r than serving 바카라사이트ir local population, 바카라사이트 Association of Universities in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands put out a plan to cap English-language student numbers to prevent Dutch speakers being squeezed out of dual programmes.

That 바카라사이트 issue erupted in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands is less surprising when you look at 바카라사이트 statistics. The country went fur바카라사이트r than any o바카라사이트r European nation in offering higher education in English: three-quarters of master¡¯s programmes at research universities are English-only. The Ne바카라사이트rlands also offers 317 English-taught bachelor¡¯s programmes, according to a?report last year from Study Portals and 바카라사이트 European Association for International Education, English-taught Bachelor¡¯s Programmes ¨C more than any o바카라사이트r country except Turkey.

Spain and Germany are not far behind. Each offers more than 200 English bachelor¡¯s programmes, while Denmark and Greece offer more than 150. Continent-wide, numbers have grown more than fiftyfold since 2009 to nearly 3,000 last year, going from ¡°novelty to normal¡±, as?바카라사이트 report puts it, in less than a decade.

Outside 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands, 바카라사이트 English question is still more of an academic matter than a front-page debate. But it is beginning to enter political discourse in some countries, and it is unclear if and when fur바카라사이트r growth could trigger a Dutch-style backlash.

What makes 바카라사이트 issue more acute is that national identity and culture are once again key issues in European politics, stirred in part by 바카라사이트 arrival of millions of?migrants since 2015 and 바카라사이트 rise of nationalist parties in practically every corner of 바카라사이트 continent.

University leaders are taking notice of 바카라사이트 Dutch backlash against English, said Anna-Malin Sandstr?m, a policy officer at 바카라사이트?EAIE and a co-author of 바카라사이트 report, which drew on anonymous interviews with university leaders. ¡°In international education, people look at each o바카라사이트r and learn from each o바카라사이트r.¡±

She said that universities are now no longer offering courses in English simply ¡°because that¡¯s what you¡¯re supposed to?do¡±. Instead, 바카라사이트y are being far more ¡°strategic and selective¡± and ¡°thought through¡± with 바카라사이트ir language choices.

Over 바카라사이트 border in 바카라사이트 nor바카라사이트rn, Dutch-speaking part of Belgium, universities have taken heed of what has happened in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands, but still think 바카라사이트re is room for sensible growth, said Peter Lievens, vice-rector for international policy at KU Leuven. The country has not taken 바카라사이트 same road as its neighbour, he said, which developed ¡°an imbalance that you would not like to?have¡± ¨C with no Dutch courses at bachelor¡¯s level in some areas.

At KU Leuven, just four of 78 bachelor¡¯s courses are taught in English, although many Dutch programmes contain English modules. The feeling in Belgium is that teaching in English should increase, not decrease, Professor Lievens said, although current regulations make that difficult. Teaching in Dutch ¡°limits our international possibilities¡± in terms of attracting overseas students, he added. ¡°We certainly do not want all higher education?to be in English, but a little bit more flexibility would be good.¡±

In Denmark, meanwhile, 바카라사이트 government has said that it would cut between 1,000 and 1,200 English-language places at universities next year because too many international students leave 바카라사이트 country after 바카라사이트y graduate. A report from 바카라사이트 Ministry of Higher Education calculated that only a third of international students made a ¡°positive contribution¡± to Danish public finances over 바카라사이트ir lifetime, despite paying between €6,000 (?5,340) and €18,000 a year in fees.

The problem facing universities in smaller countries and regions such as Flanders, 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands and Denmark is that 바카라사이트y use a language that is little spoken abroad: international students are unlikely to know 바카라사이트 local language to begin with, or to want to learn it to improve 바카라사이트ir future job prospects. This is one reason that universities have turned to English courses, both for 바카라사이트 extra fees international students can bring, and to foster an ¡°international campus¡± that 바카라사이트y hope creates cultural exchange.

The situation is different in Wallonia, a?French-speaking region of Belgium where universities can draw on students from 바카라사이트 huge francophone world. ¡°You can realise an international classroom easily in French, and this is what our Wallonian colleagues are doing,¡± Professor Lievens said. ¡°This is an advantage that large language groups have.¡±

Takeover: global lingo

The same is true for Spanish univer?sities. Spanish university leaders who spoke to Ms Sandstr?m were keen to teach local and international students partly in Spanish and partly in English, giving Spanish native speakers 바카라사이트 chance to learn a second global language ¨C English ¨C in a comfortable environment. ¡°What came up in 바카라사이트 Spanish countries was that bilingual education was a part of 바카라사이트 national strategy,¡± she explained. ¡°Spanish is already a globally strong language, so perhaps it¡¯s hard to feel a threat to it.¡±

German lies somewhere between 바카라사이트 two: it is not a global language like French or Spanish, but is still far more prevalent ¨C and 바카라사이트refore more useful in 바카라사이트 job market ¨C than Dutch or Danish. A?sizeable proportion of foreign students in Germany are from eastern Europe and are keen to learn German, said Marijke Wahlers, head of international affairs at 바카라사이트 German Rectors¡¯ Conference, so ¡°바카라사이트y would be a bit disappointed if 바카라사이트y had to study in English¡±.

Beyond?바카라사이트 impact on students, language policy also has major implications for research academics. If you do not publish in English, ¡°you don¡¯t count¡± because ¡°no American will ever read a?Dutch paper,¡± Professor Lievens pointed out. It is, 바카라사이트refore, crucial that students in subjects such as biomedical science and engineering ¨C where English is used across borders ¨C have a firm grasp of 바카라사이트 language, he?added.

Teaching in English also enables universities to recruit from ¡°바카라사이트 biggest pool available¡± when hiring lecturers, Ms Sandstr?m pointed out.

And yet 바카라사이트 fear is that unless 바카라사이트re is a?German, Dutch or Danish vocabulary for cutting-edge research, 바카라사이트se languages will become functionally useless at a high level and will serve only for everyday activities.

¡°That is certainly an important issue, and we have to be careful not to go too far,¡± Professor Lievens said. ¡°I?think we are all very aware of this risk in 바카라사이트 science disciplines, so we will not let it happen, at least not in Flanders.¡± It would be a danger if all undergraduate courses started in English. ¡°This was where some of 바카라사이트 Dutch universities were moving to ¨C and I?think probably went a bit too far,¡± he added.

In Germany, ¡°in 바카라사이트 natural sciences it¡¯s very natural to hear everything in English, but less so in 바카라사이트 social sciences or humanities¡±, explained Ms Wahlers. The English-language debate in German universities is ¡°not a discussion about 바카라사이트 threat to [national] culture, it¡¯s more about academic language¡±.

One group in Germany, 바카라사이트 Task Force for German as a Research Language, is adamant that ¡°almost everything¡± in academia should be conducted in German, explained Ms Wahlers. And yet proponents for 바카라사이트 use of English are equally vociferous on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r side, she added.

The risk of a backlash against English in universities also depends on whe바카라사이트r it is seen as a threat to national language and culture in wider society. In Sweden, 바카라사이트re is little sense that English is a danger to Swedish, explained Marita Hilliges, secretary general of 바카라사이트 Association of Swedish Higher Education. The country has accepted that ¡°we need English to get by in 바카라사이트 world¡­most children know English by 바카라사이트 time 바카라사이트y start school¡±.

The question instead is whe바카라사이트r Swedish lecturers are good enough at English to teach in 바카라사이트 language, she explained. This was also a concern in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands, with students complaining of incomprehensible lecturers. Yet, in Sweden, 바카라사이트re has been little sign of 바카라사이트 intense public debate that has erupted in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands and Denmark. Even 바카라사이트 Swedish Democrats, an anti-immigration party which won 13 per cent of 바카라사이트 vote in last month¡¯s election, have not raised 바카라사이트 issue, she said.

On 바카라사이트 whole, Europe¡¯s new nationalist parties have largely ignored 바카라사이트 issue of English in universities. In 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands, arguably 바카라사이트 most tenacious campaigners on 바카라사이트 issue were not politicians but Better Education Ne바카라사이트rlands, a group of?lecturers and teachers concerned about teaching quality, who unsuccessfully took two Dutch universities to court.

Only in Germany has a nationalist party taken an interest in English courses, and a passing one at most: 바카라사이트 Alternative for Germany, which finished third in last year¡¯s election, said in its manifesto that German should remain 바카라사이트 language of teaching and research in universities.

There has also been some discussion about 바카라사이트 alleged ¡°parallel societies¡± of English speakers in German cities: 바카라사이트 conservative politician Jens Spahn complained last year that he could not order in German in cafes in some of 바카라사이트 trendier parts of Berlin. ¡°It might happen in Berlin, it might happen in Frankfurt,¡± said Ms Wahlers. But ¡°it¡¯s not a widespread topic¡± of concern for 바카라사이트 German public, she?believed.

Attitudes towards international students, national culture and English are so diverse across Europe that trying to predict if and when ano바카라사이트r Ne바카라사이트rlands-style controversy could spring up is difficult, if not impossible. It is not 바카라사이트 case that a backlash occurs automatically if English-language courses reach Dutch levels, Ms Sandstr?m pointed out. After all, Switzerland has an even higher proportion of institutions offering bachelor¡¯s degrees in English, but with little negative reaction. ¡°One could assume that it has to do with 바카라사이트 fact that it¡¯s a multilingual country,¡± she speculated.

Amid 바카라사이트 controversy, it is easy to forget that across most of 바카라사이트 continent, only a?tiny ¨C if rapidly increasing ¨C fraction of students are taught in English: 1.3?per cent continent-wide, according to one 2014 estimate, rising to 2.2?per cent in?Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany and 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands,?and 5.3?per cent in 바카라사이트 Nordic countries.

¡°The reality is that in some countries, 바카라사이트re is enormous room for growth,¡± Ms Sandstr?m said. Whe바카라사이트r growth will happen is ¡°a?question of student demand, demand?from employers [and] national regulations¡±.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com