Is there a place for languages in education?Towards a new framework for the role of languages of the

wider world in the global university

Anne Pauwels

Languages in Crisis? “ a sad day for languages” Andrew Hall, CE -AQA

exam board, August 2010 Relatively low % of students who undertake any

form of foreign language learning beyond the compulsory stage

Decrease in number of students who include a foreign language in their final secondary level exam

Growing linguistic diversity in societies around the world is not reflected in language offerings at school and universities

Contraction and closure of language departments in universities

‘There is an oversupply of Language Depts in our universities’

Malaise in University Language Departments

“The consultation revealed a community which feels itself to be vulnerable -and, indeed ,

beleaguered. There is a strong sense that the importance and the value of languages are not

properly understood and recognised either by Government or by potential students. It was

also clear that different language groups, and , indeed, different disciplinary groups, often

argue from different perspectives and with different views of the future” (Worton 2009:3)

Reshaping Language Education in University Language Departments

“In the context of globalization and in the post 9/11 environment, then, the usefulness of

studying languages other than English is no longer contested. The goals and means of

language study, however, continue to be hotly debated.” …The MLA is prepared to lead the

way in the reorganization of language and cultural education…’ (MLA 2007:1)

A new shape for languages education in the 21st century

Abandon the discourse of crisisEngage through a discourse of renewal

and changeWillingness to engage critically with the

current state of play in order to understand how to move forward

Probing questions around main components of the study of languages

The Learner

What do we know about learners of languages?

How do we accommodate them in our teaching?

Change in Profile of Language Learners

Much greater diversity than a few decades ago

Increased diversity in linguistic background

Diverse levels of linguistic competence Diversity in educational achievements Increased diversity in socio-economic

background

Accommodating to the new profile?

Diversity is perceived in many departments as presenting obstacles

For discussion: Should we consider reorganisation of language

learning structures according to language competence rather than year of study?

How can we gain a better understanding of the linguistic capacities AND limitations that background speakers bring to language learning?

What are the particular challenges for dealing with ‘dialect’ speakers?

Language learning at university: goals and purpose

Desired outcome of language learning - skills component? Native-like proficiency in target language Near - native competence

For discussion: Is the ‘native speaker’ an appropriate reference point

or model for language learning in the 21st Century? Is NS - NSS interaction still the dominant context for

language learners: are changes occurring? Does the romantic notion of one language=one nation

still underlie our concept of ‘foreign’ language learning?

Should language teaching and learning practices in universities accommodate these changes in communicative contexts? How?

Moving towards a plurilingual language pedagogy

‘Une didactique plurilingue dans le sens profound du terme… viserait moins ce qui est, et plutôt ce qu’on fait et comment accéder à une position qui permet de faire. Donc, moins un enseignement de la langue, de la culture, de l’identité, mais plutôt une formation qui tient compte des pratiques langagières, ainsi que des idologies, des intérêts et des relations de pouvoir qui les sous-tendent’ (Heller 2003)

Accommodating new communicative cultures

Impact of the digital revolution on communication modes and cultures

Texting - SMSOn line chatroomFacebook etc.Audio and

videophone

Beyond traditional modes of communication: Questions to ponder

To what extent are new communicative modes, practices and cultures reflected in the language learning curricula of universities?

Are students familiarised with these new practices as they affect the cultures associated with the target language?

Many new communicative practices rely on writing skills, how is that accommodated in the curricula?

Do these developments in the technologisation of communicative practices affect different languages in different ways?

The state of the discipline of languages in universities

‘In the context of globalization and in the post -9/11 environment, then, the usefulness of studying languages other than English is no longer contested. The goals and means of language study, however, continue to be hotly debated. Divergent views concerning language and its many functions are reflected in differing approaches to the study of language. At one end, language is considered to be principally instrumental, a skill to use for communicating thought and information. At the opposite end, language is understood as an essential element of a human being’s thought processes, perceptions and self-expressions; and as such it is considered to be at the core of translingual and transcultural competence.’ [MLA 2007]

The state of the discipline of languages in universities

‘The two-tiered configuration has outlived its usefulness and needs to evolve. The critical moment in which language departments find themselves is therefore also an opportunity. Replacing the two-tiered language-literature structure with a broader and more coherent curriculum in which language, culture, and literature are taught as a continuous whole…’

‘In our view, foreign language departments, if they are to be meaningful players in higher education—or, indeed, if they are to thrive as autonomous units – must transform their programs and structure. [MLA 2007]

Dealing with new knowledges emerging out of language departments

New knowledges associated with the cultural and literary component in the study of languages Cultural studies

Film and media studies

Textual Studies

Moving new knowledges out of language departments

Loss of language-specific focus

Loss of research training and language specific research

Implications for Languages of the Wider World in Universities

Precarious state of LWW

Chequered history

Small enrolments

Limited ‘Nachwuchs’

Precarious state requires creative and innovative thinking and initiatives

Pioneering role in the reshaping of the study of languages in universities

Curriculum

Delivery and design

Teacher training