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Post by Natalia Marrugat on Oct 25, 2010 3:12:27 GMT -5
The second symposium (Ljouwert, November 18-19 2010) is on Higher education and research on multilingualism: challenge or opportunity? and the discussion starts here!
Please read this introduction and then move on to the next message (still to be posted!!), which will present the first topic for discussion. We hope for the views of teachers, teacher trainers, employers, and organisations.
Participants should feel free to choose the language of their interventions.
"Universities’ role within their region is growing. ‘Learning regions’ models contribute to a region’s economic development, defining and exploring unique selling points, and serving the needs of its labour market, in an increasingly global and macroregional context. Research explores the interaction between the regional and the global level, can promote innovation and development, and needs to enhance linguistic diversity as of great relevance for society. Globalisation and reflexive modernity give new contexts to language and education in the polity. In a global economy language education needs change. Reflexive modernity gives new bases for identity, and language is important here. So social scientists should look at language issues in analysing the new social and global context. Universities need to develop comprehensive language policies to meet the needs of (a) their own students and staff and (b) others involved in exchanges. We will encourage provosts of partner institutions to set up special units for Multilingualism and Multiculturalism and instruct them to oversee policies, to ensure a coherent approach".
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glyn
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Post by glyn on Oct 26, 2010 9:31:08 GMT -5
In most Universities in the UK there is no language entry requirement. Yet all of those at University constantly use language, presumably non reflexively. If it follows that most of these are restricted to a knowledge of English it would, seemingly, betray an arrogance in so far as their restricted access to materials in their chosen discipline. On other hand it seems that the majority of often cited publications are published in English. Should all academics be encouraged to publish in English or should students be encouraged to learn languages other than English? What is the role of the University in supporting those not involved in language learning/teaching in their learning and use of languages?
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Post by Natalia Marrugat on Oct 29, 2010 2:49:10 GMT -5
1. How can we create and conduct a multilingual university without English? The second symposium (Ljouwert, November 18-19 2010) is on Higher education and research on multilingualism: challenge or opportunity? and the discussion starts here! Please read this introduction and then move on to the next message (still to be posted!!), which will present the first topic for discussion. We hope for the views of teachers, teacher trainers, employers, and organisations.
Participants should feel free to choose the language of their interventions."Universities’ role within their region is growing. ‘Learning regions’ models contribute to a region’s economic development, defining and exploring unique selling points, and serving the needs of its labour market, in an increasingly global and macroregional context. Research explores the interaction between the regional and the global level, can promote innovation and development, and needs to enhance linguistic diversity as of great relevance for society. Globalisation and reflexive modernity give new contexts to language and education in the polity. In a global economy language education needs change. Reflexive modernity gives new bases for identity, and language is important here. So social scientists should look at language issues in analysing the new social and global context. Universities need to develop comprehensive language policies to meet the needs of (a) their own students and staff and (b) others involved in exchanges. We will encourage provosts of partner institutions to set up special units for Multilingualism and Multiculturalism and instruct them to oversee policies, to ensure a coherent approach".
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Post by mstrubell on Oct 29, 2010 8:20:43 GMT -5
In most Universities in the UK there is no language entry requirement. Yet all of those at University constantly use language, presumably non reflexively. If it follows that most of these are restricted to a knowledge of English it would, seemingly, betray an arrogance in so far as their restricted access to materials in their chosen discipline. On other hand it seems that the majority of often cited publications are published in English. Should all academics be encouraged to publish in English or should students be encouraged to learn languages other than English? What is the role of the University in supporting those not involved in language learning/teaching in their learning and use of languages? This arrogance on the part of the Anglo-Saxon world is probably what has forced all the rest of the world to study English! There are also more "local" instances of arrogance, with other lingue franche. I'm thinking of the generalised insensitivity in Spain, where most Spanish-speakers - people and companies - are blissfully ignorant of the existence of any other languages, such as Galician, Basque and, above all, Catalan. Does anyone have examples of this arrogant attitude in other (multilingual) countries?My impression is also that all the top indexed academic journals are also in English or, if they accept articles in other languages, the presence English has steadily increased over the years. Does anyone know of multilingual journals? Are there any (simple) statistics of the use of languages in them over time?
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Post by sbenedictus on Nov 5, 2010 9:02:40 GMT -5
In addition to Glyn's question ("Should all academics be encouraged to publish in English or should students be encouraged to learn languages other than English?") one might ask the following question:
Which is the minimal number of languages to be used in everyday practices in Higher Education (to be outlined as vision): two or three?
This is a valid question; it is not feasible to completely stop using English within research and higher education. However, the dominance of English should not mean that all other languages are disregarded.
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Post by Natalia Marrugat on Nov 9, 2010 4:33:31 GMT -5
Thank you all for all your entries and comments..I will spread them within and outside the EUNoM network so we can have more opinions
Now that the debate is activated we could now move on to the next issue:
2. How can we create and conduct a multilingual university with lesser used languages as means of communication?
and you also get ready for the third issue I will post on friday 12 nov and which I advance here..: 3. What can universities and schools in general do to promote multiculturalism and bi- and multilingualism? (although we can consider this one a two issue question!)
Again, thank you all...
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glyn
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Post by glyn on Nov 9, 2010 7:09:44 GMT -5
I understand that at long last the different Universities in Wales are activating an on-line trans-instituitonal structure that will allow students from all of the respective Universities to take courses through the medium of Welsh. Previously they were restricted to the limited number of available Welsh medium courses in their specific University. Now the choice should be much broader. In principle there is no reason why such a structure could not be extended across Europe, allowing all courses within European Universities to be taken in any language.
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Post by johanderks on Nov 10, 2010 7:54:41 GMT -5
The administrator wrote: "Universities need to develop comprehensive language policies to meet the needs of (a) their own students and staff and (b) others involved in exchanges." The drive of universities and higher education to allure foreign students to their institutes, as I can judge, is often inspired by economic profit (the more students the more state subsidy) and prestige. Another case is that of setting up a high-level interdisciplinary institute, for which does not exist sufficient national 'brains'. But then such an institute should be at lesat bilingual, in order to promote and save intellectual exchange. As for the teaching of students it would be better to focus on 1) teaching in the own national language (as to ascertain the creation of vocabulary in the motherlanguage, which is being understood without problem and optimizing the quality of communication between teachers and students) 2) offering intensive language courses in at least wto of the great languages English or Spanish or Portuguese or Chinese. There is enough time in a life time of a student and more ffectiveness for the institute to learn/teach the specific scientific vocabulary later on, after their scientific knowledge has been secured through their native language.
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glyn
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Post by glyn on Nov 10, 2010 12:33:28 GMT -5
How does this relate to the need for Universities and students to use (including to teach in) languages oither than either the mother tongue or the state language? If we have an effective language learning environment in the school system where some subjects are taught through the medium of 'foreign' languages surely this should be continued in HE. Minority or regional languages are only part of the problem, the real problem is the state language. Within a global context it is not good enough.
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glyn
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Post by glyn on Nov 11, 2010 4:54:25 GMT -5
I suspect that the issue of a University through the medium of a regional language is now outdated and a red herring. What we should consider is how to elaborate a multlingual education where it is possible to conduct the different acts of knowledge - reading, writting, listening, contributing/discussing, translating, etc. through the medium of a variety of languages so that the different kinds of reflexivities associated with each act can be maximised thereby contributing to an enhanced understanding of 'knowledge'. What each reflexive practice contributes in relation to different languages could be a useful research undertaking.
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Post by Miquel Strubell on Nov 12, 2010 3:14:46 GMT -5
I suspect that the issue of a University through the medium of a regional language is now outdated and a red herring. What we should consider is how to elaborate a multlingual education where it is possible to conduct the different acts of knowledge - reading, writting, listening, contributing/discussing, translating, etc. through the medium of a variety of languages so that the different kinds of reflexivities associated with each act can be maximised thereby contributing to an enhanced understanding of 'knowledge'. What each reflexive practice contributes in relation to different languages could be a useful research undertaking.
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Post by mstrubell on Nov 12, 2010 3:27:18 GMT -5
I suspect that the issue of a University through the medium of a regional language is now outdated and a red herring. What we should consider is how to elaborate a multlingual education where it is possible to conduct the different acts of knowledge - reading, writting, listening, contributing/discussing, translating, etc. through the medium of a variety of languages so that the different kinds of reflexivities associated with each act can be maximised thereby contributing to an enhanced understanding of 'knowledge'. What each reflexive practice contributes in relation to different languages could be a useful research undertaking. When we/you say "regional" I suppose we should include all medium-sized languages. Czech, Norwegian or Bulgarian, say, face the same kind (if not scale) of pressure to teach through "international" languages. Will this not mean that there is a real risk that future professionals will come out of these countries' universities without having/knowing the terminology they need in their language? Who will develop such new terminology and how? And by what means, if not the university, will it be disseminated? Unless this is dealt with, the colonisation of these languages by English and, perhaps, a handful of other languages, will continue unabated. You can see it happening in South American translations into Spanish of textbooks written in English. So I don't think this is a red herring issue, though I agree with you, Glyn, that using varius languages to enhance understanding of 'knowledge' is a key topic, and a real opportunity for research into those language communities that are (already) bi- or trilingual from an early age. Do we have this reflexive practice, this insight into meaning, that can give a competitive advantage in terms of creativity and what Edward de Bono (himself a Maltese-English bilingual!) calls "lateral thinking"? Is there evidence that this is of real benefit to us (or some of us) in our work?
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Post by mstrubell on Nov 12, 2010 3:38:30 GMT -5
In addition to Glyn's question ("Should all academics be encouraged to publish in English or should students be encouraged to learn languages other than English?") one might ask the following question: Which is the minimal number of languages to be used in everyday practices in Higher Education (to be outlined as vision): two or three?This is a valid question; it is not feasible to completely stop using English within research and higher education. However, the dominance of English should not mean that all other languages are disregarded. One of the "everyday practices in Higher Education" is research. As our Irish EUNoM colleague Eugene McKendry, www.qub.ac.uk/schools/SchoolofEducation/Staff/Academic/DrEugeneMcKendry/ has pointed out elsewhere, academics need to publish in order to further their career. And not just anywhere. In the "good" journals". The problem is, who defines what a "good" journal is? As might be expected, the main benchmarkers are all from English-speaking countries and traditions, and the lists they produce show that they are blissfully ignorant of the existence of anything published in languages other than English (and a few in German, French or Spanish, perhaps...). This forces researchers in most fields to publish in English. It's as simple as that. Have the higher education authorities in your country, dear reader, developed their own lists of indexed journals of excellence, (for the purpose of professional promotion or qualification) including those in your country's language(s), other than English?
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Post by Natalia Marrugat on Nov 12, 2010 3:53:53 GMT -5
Remember the next symposium (Ljouwert 18-19 Nov) topic:
"Universities’ role within their region is growing. ‘Learning regions’ models contribute to a region’s economic development, defining and exploring unique selling points, and serving the needs of its labour market, in an increasingly global and macroregional context. Research explores the interaction between the regional and the global level, can promote innovation and development, and needs to enhance linguistic diversity as of great relevance for society. Globalisation and reflexive modernity give new contexts to language and education in the polity. In a global economy language education needs change. Reflexive modernity gives new bases for identity, and language is important here. So social scientists should look at language issues in analysing the new social and global context. Universities need to develop comprehensive language policies to meet the needs of (a) their own students and staff and (b) others involved in exchanges. We will encourage provosts of partner institutions to set up special units for Multilingualism and Multiculturalism and instruct them to oversee policies, to ensure a coherent approach".
Today we post the third and last issue: 3. What can universities and schools in general do to promote multiculturalism and bi- and multilingualism?
Thank you for your comments!
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Post by mstrubell on Nov 12, 2010 6:07:22 GMT -5
What can universities and schools in general do to promote multiculturalism and bi- and multilingualism? Well, the first thing they have to do is to reach a position in which they can regard the multiculturalism and bi- and multilingualism within their classrooms and lecture halls as an asset, an opportunity. This means, of course, that staff have to feel they are in control, which in some places is rather hard, when as happens now in Barcelona, new arrivals from all over the world aged 8, 12 or 15 are more or less dumped into schools, right the way through the school year. Staff have to be helped (by colleagues from other schools, probably using seminar and workshop formats) to learn about best classroom management practice, on the one hand, and about the potential value of linguistic and cultural diversity. Do you, dear reader, know of such examples, at school or university level in your conuntry?
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