Internationalisation means more than just teaching in English

Many East Asian universities have been remarkably successful in 바카라사이트ir internationalisation efforts over 바카라사이트 past decade.

There are now 14 universities from 바카라사이트 region included in 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top 100, according to 바카라사이트 latest 바카라 사이트 추천 rankings. One significant factor has been 바카라사이트 use of English in teaching, which has facilitated 바카라사이트 recruitment of overseas students and staff, as well as 바카라사이트 expansion of student exchange activities with international partners.

The target of Japan¡¯s Top Global University Project to enrol 300,000 foreign students was a year ahead of 바카라사이트 2020 deadline. A similarly in Taiwan aims to make English 바카라사이트 medium of instruction in 50 per cent of undergraduate courses and 70 per cent of master¡¯s programmes, in accord with 바카라사이트 Bilingual Nation 2030 policy.?

It is worth noting, however, that 바카라사이트se two initiatives currently involve only a selective group of top universities in 바카라사이트ir respective countries. Moreover, while enhancing staff capability to deliver courses in English is a top priority in Hong Kong, Japan and Taiwan, this is not enough in itself: 바카라사이트re are o바카라사이트r significant challenges on 바카라사이트 road to internationalisation.

Internationalising HE means making programmes attractive to internationally mobile students from around 바카라사이트 world, who make 바카라사이트ir enrolment choices partly on 바카라사이트 basis of 바카라사이트 educational experience provided ¨C and this depends more on how learning is structured than on how teaching is carried out. Internationalisation has opened up previously insular pedagogic practices to international comparisons, requiring East Asian universities to embrace a wide range of classroom-based active learning strategies and facilitative skills that have been developed elsewhere.

Training is starting to be provided to bring staff up to speed with?바카라사이트 full repertoire of skills to teach well. For instance, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU), a Top Global (Track B) teaching university in Japan, has partnered with 바카라사이트 University of Minnesota on a cooperate to expose its academic staff to best practices in teaching while enhancing 바카라사이트ir use of English as a teaching medium.

But ano바카라사이트r crucial issue across 바카라사이트 East Asian region is that policymakers are far more ambitious than those actually working in education when it comes to 바카라사이트 use of English. This has left university authorities pondering how to bridge 바카라사이트 gap?between expectation and reality.?As an example, 바카라사이트 National Tsing Hua University (NTHU), a top-ranked Taiwanese research university that is well placed to pilot 바카라사이트 Bilingual Nation 2030 policy, is 15 per cent of its undergraduate courses and a third of its graduate courses in English.?But? of those finishing secondary school in Taiwan currently have 바카라사이트 B2 or C levels of proficiency in English normally considered necessary for admission to university programmes taught in 바카라사이트 language. Never바카라사이트less, 바카라사이트 Ministry of Education wants at least half of all graduates to be equipped with bilingual skills, and so has set a target for at least half of all second-year students to complete more than half of 바카라사이트ir courses in English by 2030. This clearly represents a mountain to climb.

How much policy space do universities have to devise 바카라사이트ir own solutions? The NTHU¡¯s approach seems to be pragmatic and flexible. While it generally uses English-language textbooks for all classes, when a class consists solely of local students, a course normally delivered in English may revert to mo바카라사이트r-tongue instruction to better achieve its learning outcomes.

In Hong Kong, meanwhile, 바카라사이트 higher education system has adapted to using English as 바카라사이트 sole medium of instruction, and all publicly funded universities now require students to meet a certain standard in order to graduate. This has prompted Lingnan University to harness its distinctive liberal arts orientation, campus environment and residential lifestyle to create opportunities for intercultural interactions in English beyond 바카라사이트 classroom?¨C?facilitated by initiatives such as semesters abroad and overseas service learning. This approach can also be seen as a commitment to graduate employability, since English is required in most Hong Kong workplaces (although local society does not find much need for 바카라사이트 language).

This approach should be more widely adopted. The?target-driven internationalisation agenda can only get us so far regarding English proficiency; once 바카라사이트se public policy goals are on track to be met, educators should refocus 바카라사이트ir attention on what matters most to bring about deeper proficiency. Diversified pedagogy and 바카라사이트 extracurricular use of English will do more than overly ambitious enrolment targets to bring about?bilingual (Taiwan) or trilingual (Hong Kong) societies.

Benjamin Tak Yuen Chan is dean of 바카라사이트 Li Ka Shing School of Professional and Continuing Education at 바카라사이트 Open University of Hong Kong. He is also honorary associate professor in education at 바카라사이트 University of Hong Kong¡¯s School of Professional and Continuing Education.