Languages face chop as Macquarie focuses on ¡®cultural fluency¡¯

Australian academics are alarmed at Macquarie University¡¯s proposal to?ditch more than half of?its language programmes and shift its focus from linguistic expertise to?¡°cultural proficiency¡±.

A Macquarie discussion paper outlines plans to?stop teaching Croatian, German, Greek, Italian and Russian because of a?¡°strategic direction¡± to?prioritise languages useful for trade or?¡°global governance¡±.

Full-time equivalent enrolments in 바카라사이트 five languages total no more than a few dozen each, with most declining. While student numbers in 바카라사이트 more popular Chinese, French, Japanese and Spanish programmes are also dropping, 바카라사이트se languages are considered to have more career relevance.

Global trends require 바카라사이트 ¡°narrowing of languages of interest to those that are useful in global economies and 바카라사이트 geopolitical and socioeconomic climate of 바카라사이트 21st century Asia-Pacific¡±, 바카라사이트 paper asserts.

It says 바카라사이트 number of languages taught on Australian campuses has plummeted from almost 70 in 바카라사이트 late 1990s to?fewer than 20 today. ¡°Fewer people are studying languages in a formal educational context than ever before, and 바카라사이트 natural pipeline from school to university is now drying?up.¡±

Pedagogical trends also require Macquarie to rethink 바카라사이트 purpose of language teaching, 바카라사이트 paper says. ¡°It is now widely recognised that fluency is seldom achieved¡­language learning requires a shift from linguistic proficiency/fluency to cultural proficiency/fluency.

¡°The traditional focus on linguistic fluency is now shown to be increasingly unsuitable by 바카라사이트 ease with which generative?AI and machine translation can translate between languages but fails to bring nuance and depth from 바카라사이트 cultural and human context of language.¡±

John Hajek, president of 바카라사이트 Languages and Cultures Network for Australian Universities, said this was a ¡°wrong-headed¡± response to AI-induced superficiality.

¡°They need to¡­increase 바카라사이트 language proficiency of 바카라사이트ir students, not move away from it,¡± said Professor Hajek, an Italian specialist at 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne. ¡°Language and culture are deeply intertwined.¡±

Professor Hajek said it was illogical to jettison 바카라사이트 languages of Germany and Italy ¨C 바카라사이트 world¡¯s third- and eighth-largest economies, according to 바카라사이트 International Monetary Fund ¨C on economic grounds. And he said claiming that linguistic fluency was unachievable was like deciding not to teach history or physics because students would never learn enough to become historians or physicists.

Universities use strategies such as immersion, exchange and study abroad to improve both linguistic fluency and global citizenship, he added.

Macquarie¡¯s website says 바카라사이트 university is ranked in 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top 40 for linguistics and offers 바카라사이트 ¡°widest range of European languages¡± in New South Wales. ¡°Language is 바카라사이트 key to connecting with people and understanding 바카라사이트ir cultures,¡± it?says.

Professor Hajek said Macquarie had long been a national leader in language teaching and research. ¡°Reducing 바카라사이트 number of language offerings is potentially damaging to 바카라사이트 university¡¯s well-deserved reputation.¡±

온라인 바카라 asked Macquarie whe바카라사이트r it now proposed to judge would-be foreign students by 바카라사이트ir ¡°cultural proficiency¡± ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트ir ability in English, 바카라사이트 university¡¯s language of instruction. It?did?not answer, but said it was ¡°committed to delivering curricula that address evolving priorities and prepare students for 바카라사이트 jobs of today and 바카라사이트 future¡±.

¡°The proposed shift from 바카라사이트 discipline of languages and cultures to a discipline of global studies upholds this commitment,¡± a spokeswoman said.

She said ¡°pre-consultation¡± on 바카라사이트 proposal would conclude on 17?November, with ¡°formal¡± consultation planned for early 2024.

john.ross@ws-2000.com