The Place of Language in the Curriculum Reform

Michael Syrotinski Barbara FennellSchool of Language and Literature

Melbourne CR broad principles

Principles informing the ‘breadth subjects’ that complement specialist education and training. Graduates should be:

Academically excellent Knowledgeable across disciplines Leaders in communities Attuned to cultural diversity Active global citizens.

Becoming more active global citizen/cultural diversity

By facilitating rich encounters between people from different cultures, the University can educate students simply by challenging the familiar, subverting preconceptions and allowing them to develop ways of relating across cultural boundaries. To facilitate learning about other cultures, the Melbourne Experience will feature increasing numbers of students participating in exchange and study abroad programs, particularly to U21 institutions (for which the University will aim to increase by 80 the number of participating students). Students will be encouraged to develop competence in a language other than English. Finally, the University will also aim for more active recognition of the presence of a diverse international cohort of students to promote cross-cultural engagement among students.

Melbourne Curriculum Commission report, 2006, p.26

Cultural diversity as defined by Melbourne CR Commission:

- Values different cultures- Informed citizens who contribute to

community, wherever they live- Understanding of social/cultural

diversity- Respect for indigenous knowledge

and culture

Becoming an active global citizen:- Knowledge of/sensitivity to globalization,

and cultures of the world- Regard for other cultures, languages,

religions- Very different cultural and geographical

context, but challenges are the same if we wish to be internationally competitive

Case for aiming for excellence in languages is an intellectually, politically and economically compelling one.

Not just ‘tourist’ language learning, but advanced proficiency develops analytical, critical skills and intellectual rigour.

If University of Aberdeen is to succeed in its aspiration to be a world-class institution, and to produce students who are also ‘world citizens’, the assumption is that linguistic competence and language learning will be high priorities.

Aberdeen fortunate to have a strong base from which to build with its language departments

French 5*A at last RAE Strong recent recruitment in School of

Language & Literature Expanding PGT programmes and PhD

recruitment, particularly in Linguistics Growing international recognition of

Aberdeen as centre of research excellence for its languages.

Developments within School of Language & Literature

Committee on Language Teaching Excellence, liaising with Language Centre.

LLAS brought in for consultation on developments in Language teaching and learning in HE.

Language programmes all undergoing extensive internal review of their own, transforming teaching structures and modes of delivery.

Languages and Linguistics taking the lead in developing cross-school and interdisciplinary initiatives, at UG and PG level (another of the key broad principles of Melbourne CR).

See earlier presentation for summary of MLitt in Comparative Literature and Thought, and level 2 Cross-school course ‘Literature, History, Thought 1848-9/11’)

Residence abroad for Literature in a World Context

Developing innovative interdisciplinary UG curriculum to serve needs of wide constituency of students within School of Language & Literature.

Debate about whether to make period of residence abroad compulsory element of this degree programme.

Excellent Erasmus exchange mechanisms in place, but Aberdeen losing out financially because of imbalance in exchanges (many more EU students coming to Aberdeen than Aberdeen students going abroad).

Importance of language, and advanced linguistic skills, to research and teaching of many other disciplines within CASS (Law, Divinity, History, History of Art, Philosophy, Anthropology, International Relations, Business, Politics, Sociology, etc.) and outside CASS (languages one of main elements of Medical Humanities).

Possibility of developing more teaching of advanced language for research purposes (cf ‘French for Reading’ at Yale)?

Meaning of what it is to be a thinking, culturally aware and active global citizen of the 21st century.

Aberdeen in a position to exploit very good reputation of its languages, and to make it truly a centre of excellence for language learning and teaching.

Real opportunity to expand its offerings, to address the challenges of globalization

The Role of English

380 million native speakers of English

At least 500 million learners of English as a Second Language

18% of US population currently and 40% by 2050 non-native speakers

350 million users of English as an auxiliary language in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan alone

China

1.3 billion Chinese 65 million in High School 650,000 on study abroad programmes

each year (and rising) C. 350 universities Only 32 have the power to grant PhDs in

English Need for cooperation in language study,

which is particularly great at MA and PhD level

India

Population 1.13 billion (CIA estimate) - will overtake China as largest population in next 50 years

Colonial links mean a greater number of English speakers

Great potential for MLitt/PhD recruitment with slightly better initial English performance

Global English: A Mixed Blessing?

For the English-speaking countries themselves, the emergence of English as an international lingua franca is not an unmixed blessing. For Britain especially, it masks the effects of the loss of imperial dominance, encourages complacency and perpetuates a sense of superiority as a result of a position in unequal international communication based simply on linguistic advantage but no longer corresponding to the realities of political and economic relations.

(Trim, 1999: 12)

The Curse of Monolingualism

British nationals' interaction can only be responsive: they cannot initiate communication on equal terms with other EU member states. In other words, they are less powerful than those who have greater linguistic skills

(Willis, 2003: 302)

Mobility

The European Union is built around the free movement of its citizens, capital and services. The citizen with good language skills is better able to take advantage of the freedom to work or study in another member state.

(Commission of the European Communities, 2003: 9)

Diversity

The more languages we study, the fuller our picture of the human linguistic options will be. Languages which are off the beaten track are especially important, as their isolation means they may have developed features which are not found in other languages

(Crystal, 2000: 55)

Critical Thinking

International and foreign language education is a break with the focus on our own society in order to find new perspectives which allow us to be critical of our assumptions (Byram, 2002: 47)

What kind of students?

Able to communicate locally, nationally and globally

Learn the transferable skills of international communication

Learn how to communicate in a multilingual context

Recognize and negotiate linguistic and cultural variation

What Languages?

English French, Spanish, German Gaelic Russian Chinese Arabic Hindi

Rationale for Language Choices

English – both as a subject of research and as a second or foreign language. Particularly important are Linguistics and Education

French, Spanish, German (maintain but revamp curriculum)

Gaelic – local minority language must be protected Russian important for History, Modern Thought and

other inter-disciplinary programmes Mandarin – important for international communication

and business – but no Confucius Institute Arabic – important for international communication,

security and business – links with Al Makhtoum – possibility to develop Institute of Arabic Studies

Hindi (Urdu) – there is no centre for these studies in Scotland; both community language and major world language for international business and communication