Abstract Luxembourg is officially a trilingual country with most indigenous Luxembourgers speaking Luxembourgish, German and French, even if not necessarily all to the same standard. A high proportion (44.5 %) of the population consists of immigrants whose different linguistic repertoires add other languages to the multilingual landscape of the country. Multilingualism is a highly salient feature of Luxembourg’s society and plays out differently in different domains, such as home, school, work or public institutions. The country’s university, the University of Luxembourg, founded in 2003, is one of Luxembourg’s multilingual institutions, with English, French and German as official languages but with currently no explicit language policy. Study schemes and diplomas should be at least bilingual and students as well as staff should master at least two of the official languages. Neither the country’s national language Luxembourgish, nor the language of the proportionally highest migrant community Portuguese are part of the university’s languages. Due to the lack of an explicit and official document regarding the University of Luxembourg’s language policy and planning, in this chapter, I will focus on the current language situation in the areas of teaching, research and administration. After looking into the use of different languages in these domains and studying the existing guidelines regarding language use, I will identify the different actors responsible for and influencing the language planning and policy at the University of Luxembourg and situate them on the micro, meso and macro level.
{"title":"Die Universität Luxemburg: eine dreisprachige Universität?","authors":"M. Wagner","doi":"10.1515/soci-2020-0008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/soci-2020-0008","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Luxembourg is officially a trilingual country with most indigenous Luxembourgers speaking Luxembourgish, German and French, even if not necessarily all to the same standard. A high proportion (44.5 %) of the population consists of immigrants whose different linguistic repertoires add other languages to the multilingual landscape of the country. Multilingualism is a highly salient feature of Luxembourg’s society and plays out differently in different domains, such as home, school, work or public institutions. The country’s university, the University of Luxembourg, founded in 2003, is one of Luxembourg’s multilingual institutions, with English, French and German as official languages but with currently no explicit language policy. Study schemes and diplomas should be at least bilingual and students as well as staff should master at least two of the official languages. Neither the country’s national language Luxembourgish, nor the language of the proportionally highest migrant community Portuguese are part of the university’s languages. Due to the lack of an explicit and official document regarding the University of Luxembourg’s language policy and planning, in this chapter, I will focus on the current language situation in the areas of teaching, research and administration. After looking into the use of different languages in these domains and studying the existing guidelines regarding language use, I will identify the different actors responsible for and influencing the language planning and policy at the University of Luxembourg and situate them on the micro, meso and macro level.","PeriodicalId":55923,"journal":{"name":"Treballs de Sociolinguistica Catalana","volume":"54 1","pages":"107 - 129"},"PeriodicalIF":0.3,"publicationDate":"2020-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"78723034","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
It is not the first time that Sociolinguistica devotes an issue to the topic of language use and language policy in educational settings. Volume 3 (published in 1989) was devoted to the use of dialects in school settings in Europe. Volume 7 (published in 1993) covered multilingual concepts in the schools of Europe. Volume 24 (published in 2010) tackled the topic of foreign languages in the schools of the European Union. The present volume expands the scenery in a number of ways. First of all, the focus is not on primary and secondary schools, but on higher education. Secondly, the case studies presented in this volume are not limited to Europe (with a focus on Austria, Belgium, Catalonia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, and Luxembourg), but also shed light on Asia (a case study on Westminster International University at Tashkent, Uzbekistan) and South Africa (with two contributions on the University of the Free State and one on the University of KwaZulu Natal). And thirdly, not all of the contributions deal with spoken languages. The present volume also contains a chapter on sign languages and, as such, clearly distinguishes itself from most of the previous issues of the series. With its focus on language diversity management in institutions of higher education, Sociolinguistica 34 connects to an expanding field of research. The first chapter contains an overview of the broad topics that are dealt with in applied linguistics, sociolinguistics and educational linguistics, including language teaching (practices), language learning, the role of languages (especially English) in the marketisation of higher education, biand multilingual universities, language ideologies in postcolonial settings, etc. Readers will notice that some of these topics are (either prominently or partially) reflected in the 11 thematic chapters of this volume. However, what sets the contributions apart from contributions in other volumes and what constitutes a leitmotif through a considerable part of the volume is the attention given to more practical aspects related to language diversity management in higher education. Chapter 2 (written by Jeroen Darquennes, Theo du Plessis and Josep Soler) sets the scene. Rooted in contemporary literature on university language policies and the internationalisation of higher education, it offers a comprehensive overview of the different levels, stakeholders, and contexts of language use in higher education. The overview is translated into an analytical framework that can serve as a guidepost for
{"title":"Language diversity management in higher education - introductory notes","authors":"J. Darquennes, Theodorus du Plessis, J. Soler","doi":"10.1515/soci-2020-0002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/soci-2020-0002","url":null,"abstract":"It is not the first time that Sociolinguistica devotes an issue to the topic of language use and language policy in educational settings. Volume 3 (published in 1989) was devoted to the use of dialects in school settings in Europe. Volume 7 (published in 1993) covered multilingual concepts in the schools of Europe. Volume 24 (published in 2010) tackled the topic of foreign languages in the schools of the European Union. The present volume expands the scenery in a number of ways. First of all, the focus is not on primary and secondary schools, but on higher education. Secondly, the case studies presented in this volume are not limited to Europe (with a focus on Austria, Belgium, Catalonia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, and Luxembourg), but also shed light on Asia (a case study on Westminster International University at Tashkent, Uzbekistan) and South Africa (with two contributions on the University of the Free State and one on the University of KwaZulu Natal). And thirdly, not all of the contributions deal with spoken languages. The present volume also contains a chapter on sign languages and, as such, clearly distinguishes itself from most of the previous issues of the series. With its focus on language diversity management in institutions of higher education, Sociolinguistica 34 connects to an expanding field of research. The first chapter contains an overview of the broad topics that are dealt with in applied linguistics, sociolinguistics and educational linguistics, including language teaching (practices), language learning, the role of languages (especially English) in the marketisation of higher education, biand multilingual universities, language ideologies in postcolonial settings, etc. Readers will notice that some of these topics are (either prominently or partially) reflected in the 11 thematic chapters of this volume. However, what sets the contributions apart from contributions in other volumes and what constitutes a leitmotif through a considerable part of the volume is the attention given to more practical aspects related to language diversity management in higher education. Chapter 2 (written by Jeroen Darquennes, Theo du Plessis and Josep Soler) sets the scene. Rooted in contemporary literature on university language policies and the internationalisation of higher education, it offers a comprehensive overview of the different levels, stakeholders, and contexts of language use in higher education. The overview is translated into an analytical framework that can serve as a guidepost for","PeriodicalId":55923,"journal":{"name":"Treballs de Sociolinguistica Catalana","volume":"41 1","pages":"1 - 6"},"PeriodicalIF":0.3,"publicationDate":"2020-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"87456604","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract This article discusses a number of linguistic aspects of the internationalisation and anglicisation of higher education in Flanders. We aim to combine an overview of the applicable legal measures with the most detailed and complete information to date on the actual linguistic practices in universities and university colleges. To this end, we collected the most recent available data from a variety of official reports and databases on parameters including the number of English bachelor and master programmes currently on offer, the relative share of students involved in these international programmes, as well as the extent to which students and professors meet official language requirements. Next to these English-focused aspects, we also supply new figures on the required mother tongue proficiency to enrol in the regular Dutch-based curriculum (theory versus practice). The situation in the Dutch-speaking community of Belgium is then compared to that of the French-speaking Community, once again based on figures and data that were collated from a variety of official sources. All data indicate that the actual impact of anglicisation in Flemish universities and university colleges remains limited and unproblematic, compared to the situation in many other medium-sized language communities. The closing discussion advocates a language policy for higher education in Flanders that combines a strong focus on mother tongue proficiency with a solid training in English for academic purposes.
{"title":"Language policy in higher education in Flanders: Legislation and actual practice","authors":"Wim Vandenbussche","doi":"10.1515/soci-2020-0006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/soci-2020-0006","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract This article discusses a number of linguistic aspects of the internationalisation and anglicisation of higher education in Flanders. We aim to combine an overview of the applicable legal measures with the most detailed and complete information to date on the actual linguistic practices in universities and university colleges. To this end, we collected the most recent available data from a variety of official reports and databases on parameters including the number of English bachelor and master programmes currently on offer, the relative share of students involved in these international programmes, as well as the extent to which students and professors meet official language requirements. Next to these English-focused aspects, we also supply new figures on the required mother tongue proficiency to enrol in the regular Dutch-based curriculum (theory versus practice). The situation in the Dutch-speaking community of Belgium is then compared to that of the French-speaking Community, once again based on figures and data that were collated from a variety of official sources. All data indicate that the actual impact of anglicisation in Flemish universities and university colleges remains limited and unproblematic, compared to the situation in many other medium-sized language communities. The closing discussion advocates a language policy for higher education in Flanders that combines a strong focus on mother tongue proficiency with a solid training in English for academic purposes.","PeriodicalId":55923,"journal":{"name":"Treballs de Sociolinguistica Catalana","volume":"1 1","pages":"71 - 87"},"PeriodicalIF":0.3,"publicationDate":"2020-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89643936","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract This article presents a practical project to develop a language policy for an English-Medium-Instruction university in Uzbekistan. Although the university is de facto English-only, it presents a complex language ecology, which in turn has led to confusion and disagreement about language use on campus. The project team investigated the experience, views and attitudes of over a thousand people, including faculty, students, administrative and maintenance staff, in order to arrive at a proposed policy which would serve the whole community, based on the principle of tolerance and pragmatism. After outlining the relevant language and educational context and setting out the methods and approach of the underpinning research project, the article goes on to present the key findings. One of the striking findings was an appetite for control and regulation of language behaviours. Language policies in Higher Education invariably fall down at the implementation stage because of a lack of will to follow through on their principles and their specific guidelines. Language policy in international business on the other hand is characterised by a control stage invariably lacking in language planning in education. Uzbekistan is a polity used to control measures following from policy implementation. The article concludes by suggesting that Higher Education in Central Asia may stand a better chance of seeing through language policies around English-Medium Instruction than, for example, in northern Europe, based on the tension between tolerance on the one hand and control on the other.
{"title":"Tolerance and Control. Developing a language policy for an EMI university in Uzbekistan","authors":"A. Linn, A. Bezborodova, Saida Radjabzade","doi":"10.1515/SOCI-2020-0013","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/SOCI-2020-0013","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract This article presents a practical project to develop a language policy for an English-Medium-Instruction university in Uzbekistan. Although the university is de facto English-only, it presents a complex language ecology, which in turn has led to confusion and disagreement about language use on campus. The project team investigated the experience, views and attitudes of over a thousand people, including faculty, students, administrative and maintenance staff, in order to arrive at a proposed policy which would serve the whole community, based on the principle of tolerance and pragmatism. After outlining the relevant language and educational context and setting out the methods and approach of the underpinning research project, the article goes on to present the key findings. One of the striking findings was an appetite for control and regulation of language behaviours. Language policies in Higher Education invariably fall down at the implementation stage because of a lack of will to follow through on their principles and their specific guidelines. Language policy in international business on the other hand is characterised by a control stage invariably lacking in language planning in education. Uzbekistan is a polity used to control measures following from policy implementation. The article concludes by suggesting that Higher Education in Central Asia may stand a better chance of seeing through language policies around English-Medium Instruction than, for example, in northern Europe, based on the tension between tolerance on the one hand and control on the other.","PeriodicalId":55923,"journal":{"name":"Treballs de Sociolinguistica Catalana","volume":"41 1","pages":"217 - 237"},"PeriodicalIF":0.3,"publicationDate":"2020-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"90451939","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract This paper is devoted to several ways in which the language of instruction in Czech universities is managed. One of the key issues in this context is the fact that programs accredited in the Czech language are tuition-free, while those in foreign languages are paid. On the one hand, it is deemed desirable by certain actors to integrate greater numbers of students from abroad, conform to the discourse of internationalization, and even earn money through courses in English. On the other hand, it is also viewed as necessary by other actors to cultivate the Czech language and provide a solid education for local students. These multiple and often opposing interests, as well as a number of language ideologies, guide individual management acts. Utilizing the language management framework (Jernudd/Neustupný 1987; Fairbrother/Nekvapil/Sloboda 2018), I explore three selected examples of the management of the language of instruction. In the first, I show how many Czech university programs are accredited in the Czech language, but offer many classes in English. In the second, I examine one case of financial motivation for foreign-language courses through university teaching development projects. In the third, I point to the differences between the language of accreditation of some Ph.D. programs and the languages actually used in their realization. Finally, I consider the fact that all of these cases of management involve some sort of compromise between the interests of certain groups, which means that the only way forward is an increased awareness of all aspects of the management processes.
{"title":"Differing interests in the management of multilingualism in Czech higher education","authors":"Tamah Sherman","doi":"10.1515/soci-2020-0007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/soci-2020-0007","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract This paper is devoted to several ways in which the language of instruction in Czech universities is managed. One of the key issues in this context is the fact that programs accredited in the Czech language are tuition-free, while those in foreign languages are paid. On the one hand, it is deemed desirable by certain actors to integrate greater numbers of students from abroad, conform to the discourse of internationalization, and even earn money through courses in English. On the other hand, it is also viewed as necessary by other actors to cultivate the Czech language and provide a solid education for local students. These multiple and often opposing interests, as well as a number of language ideologies, guide individual management acts. Utilizing the language management framework (Jernudd/Neustupný 1987; Fairbrother/Nekvapil/Sloboda 2018), I explore three selected examples of the management of the language of instruction. In the first, I show how many Czech university programs are accredited in the Czech language, but offer many classes in English. In the second, I examine one case of financial motivation for foreign-language courses through university teaching development projects. In the third, I point to the differences between the language of accreditation of some Ph.D. programs and the languages actually used in their realization. Finally, I consider the fact that all of these cases of management involve some sort of compromise between the interests of certain groups, which means that the only way forward is an increased awareness of all aspects of the management processes.","PeriodicalId":55923,"journal":{"name":"Treballs de Sociolinguistica Catalana","volume":"191 1","pages":"89 - 106"},"PeriodicalIF":0.3,"publicationDate":"2020-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"77573648","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Simpson, Andrew (2019): Language and Society: An Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. xii + 476 p.","authors":"J. Božović","doi":"10.1515/soci-2020-0017","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/soci-2020-0017","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":55923,"journal":{"name":"Treballs de Sociolinguistica Catalana","volume":"84 1","pages":"259 - 263"},"PeriodicalIF":0.3,"publicationDate":"2020-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"73431593","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract This paper focuses on issues related to sign language policies in Higher Educational Institutes (HEIs) in Europe. Drawing on the analytical framework proposed by Darquennes/Du Plessis/Soler (2020, i. e. this volume), which serves to address HEI language planning issues at macro, meso and micro levels, we carry out an inventory of how these issues play out for sign languages across Europe. Our investigation reveals the scarcity of information about sign language policies in HEIs, relating to both sign language as a language of instruction and as a subject of study. What becomes clear is that language planning activities (sign language acquisition, sign language status and corpus planning) are taking place in many countries but tend to go undocumented and unresearched. Given the increase in formal recognition of sign languages across Europe, coupled with the ratification of the UN’s Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006) by all EU member states, it would seem logical to expect that the status and prestige of sign languages would rise, with greater visibility of, and planning for, incorporation of sign languages in HEIs. However, the reality of the situation is unclear, suggesting the need for coordinated effort, supported by key pan-European bodies like the Council of Europe, the European Centre for Modern Languages and the European Commission, to ensure that sign language policy is on the agenda as parts of a rights-based response to deaf communities and the sign languages of Europe. Equally important is the need for European HEIs to embrace sign languages and ensure that they are part of the linguistic landscape. This will support and promote the status planning of sign languages and open up access to HEIs for deaf communities, a group that remains under-represented in academia.
{"title":"(What we don’t know about) Sign Languages in Higher Education in Europe: Mapping Policy and Practice to an analytical framework","authors":"L. Leeson, Beppie van den Bogaerde","doi":"10.1515/soci-2020-0004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/soci-2020-0004","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract This paper focuses on issues related to sign language policies in Higher Educational Institutes (HEIs) in Europe. Drawing on the analytical framework proposed by Darquennes/Du Plessis/Soler (2020, i. e. this volume), which serves to address HEI language planning issues at macro, meso and micro levels, we carry out an inventory of how these issues play out for sign languages across Europe. Our investigation reveals the scarcity of information about sign language policies in HEIs, relating to both sign language as a language of instruction and as a subject of study. What becomes clear is that language planning activities (sign language acquisition, sign language status and corpus planning) are taking place in many countries but tend to go undocumented and unresearched. Given the increase in formal recognition of sign languages across Europe, coupled with the ratification of the UN’s Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006) by all EU member states, it would seem logical to expect that the status and prestige of sign languages would rise, with greater visibility of, and planning for, incorporation of sign languages in HEIs. However, the reality of the situation is unclear, suggesting the need for coordinated effort, supported by key pan-European bodies like the Council of Europe, the European Centre for Modern Languages and the European Commission, to ensure that sign language policy is on the agenda as parts of a rights-based response to deaf communities and the sign languages of Europe. Equally important is the need for European HEIs to embrace sign languages and ensure that they are part of the linguistic landscape. This will support and promote the status planning of sign languages and open up access to HEIs for deaf communities, a group that remains under-represented in academia.","PeriodicalId":55923,"journal":{"name":"Treballs de Sociolinguistica Catalana","volume":"3 1","pages":"31 - 56"},"PeriodicalIF":0.3,"publicationDate":"2020-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"73122517","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract Linguistic diversity and its management have become increasingly significant for higher education institutions around the world. Indeed, in the context of a growing student and staff mobility, information exchange, and networked multilateral interactions, the multiplicity of languages used by university stakeholders in more and more contexts has steadily grown over the past decades. A wide range of scholars (from applied and sociolinguists to higher education researchers) have responded with an equal growing attention to this phenomenon. In this paper, we funnel some of the relevant recent scholarship on the language-planning dimension of the internationalization of higher education, providing as a result an analytical framework that attempts to capture the complex sociolinguistic nature of present-day universities. To date, with only a handful of exceptions, few attempts have been made to provide a comprehensive overview of the different levels, stakeholders, and contexts of language use in higher education. Given the rapid changing nature of language matters in such context, the framework we present in this paper should be useful to both sociolinguists interested in language issues in higher education and to on-the-ground university administrators actively engaged in language planning initiatives in their institutions. The framework, however, is not conceived of as a closed-end solution to language problems at universities today, but rather as a guiding roadmap to think productively about such issues.
{"title":"Language diversity management in higher education: towards an analytical framework","authors":"J. Darquennes, Theodorus du Plessis, J. Soler","doi":"10.1515/soci-2020-0003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/soci-2020-0003","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Linguistic diversity and its management have become increasingly significant for higher education institutions around the world. Indeed, in the context of a growing student and staff mobility, information exchange, and networked multilateral interactions, the multiplicity of languages used by university stakeholders in more and more contexts has steadily grown over the past decades. A wide range of scholars (from applied and sociolinguists to higher education researchers) have responded with an equal growing attention to this phenomenon. In this paper, we funnel some of the relevant recent scholarship on the language-planning dimension of the internationalization of higher education, providing as a result an analytical framework that attempts to capture the complex sociolinguistic nature of present-day universities. To date, with only a handful of exceptions, few attempts have been made to provide a comprehensive overview of the different levels, stakeholders, and contexts of language use in higher education. Given the rapid changing nature of language matters in such context, the framework we present in this paper should be useful to both sociolinguists interested in language issues in higher education and to on-the-ground university administrators actively engaged in language planning initiatives in their institutions. The framework, however, is not conceived of as a closed-end solution to language problems at universities today, but rather as a guiding roadmap to think productively about such issues.","PeriodicalId":55923,"journal":{"name":"Treballs de Sociolinguistica Catalana","volume":"04 1","pages":"7 - 29"},"PeriodicalIF":0.3,"publicationDate":"2020-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"88762804","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract Within the context of the internationalisation of higher education, language matters have become increasingly prominent for universities across a wide variety of contexts. This has made the higher education domain an attractive site for applied linguists and sociolinguists to investigate in close detail. One relatively consolidated idea is that contexts in which English has made further incursions in universities are more internationalised than those settings where English has penetrated to a lesser extent. In line with that, a supposed north-south divide in European higher education has been conceived of, with universities in the north leading in terms of internationalisation efforts, while those in the south lag behind. In this article, I problematise this idea and suggest instead that a narrower and more focused contrastive analysis between language ecologies across different countries and contexts might be more useful. In doing that, we can thus avoid the dangers of binarism and lumping that can come associated to holding preconceived geographical borders. In particular, the comparative analysis proposed here allows us to highlight two key issues that seem to be highly pressing in present-day higher education domains: the language-ideological and the socio-economic. I build the argument in the paper by utilising empirical material from Estonia and Catalonia, two contexts that have been at the centre of my own work in recent years.
{"title":"University language policy in Estonia and Catalonia. Is there a north-south divide in European higher education?","authors":"J. Soler","doi":"10.1515/soci-2020-0005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/soci-2020-0005","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Within the context of the internationalisation of higher education, language matters have become increasingly prominent for universities across a wide variety of contexts. This has made the higher education domain an attractive site for applied linguists and sociolinguists to investigate in close detail. One relatively consolidated idea is that contexts in which English has made further incursions in universities are more internationalised than those settings where English has penetrated to a lesser extent. In line with that, a supposed north-south divide in European higher education has been conceived of, with universities in the north leading in terms of internationalisation efforts, while those in the south lag behind. In this article, I problematise this idea and suggest instead that a narrower and more focused contrastive analysis between language ecologies across different countries and contexts might be more useful. In doing that, we can thus avoid the dangers of binarism and lumping that can come associated to holding preconceived geographical borders. In particular, the comparative analysis proposed here allows us to highlight two key issues that seem to be highly pressing in present-day higher education domains: the language-ideological and the socio-economic. I build the argument in the paper by utilising empirical material from Estonia and Catalonia, two contexts that have been at the centre of my own work in recent years.","PeriodicalId":55923,"journal":{"name":"Treballs de Sociolinguistica Catalana","volume":"89 1","pages":"57 - 70"},"PeriodicalIF":0.3,"publicationDate":"2020-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"88266122","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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