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UNICA IRO MEETING 2008 Paris, 11 April 2008 Session Two Language & Mobility

5. UNICA IRO MEETING 2008 Paris, 11 April 2008 Session Two Language & Mobility Language preparation for students Wolfgang Mackiewicz Freie Universität Berlin (DE). Changes in mobility and affecting mobility Erasmus – more states / languages than ever before Erasmus Mundus

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UNICA IRO MEETING 2008 Paris, 11 April 2008 Session Two Language & Mobility

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  1. 5 UNICA IRO MEETING 2008 Paris, 11 April 2008 Session Two Language & Mobility Language preparation for students Wolfgang Mackiewicz Freie Universität Berlin (DE) UNICA IRO MEETING 2008 - Paris, 11 April 2008

  2. Changes in mobility and affecting mobility • Erasmus – more states / languages than ever before • Erasmus Mundus • Internationalisation of higher education • International competition among universities • Credit accumulation • Joint degree programmes / integrated study abroad • Vertical mobility • Internships abroad • Principle of reciprocity observed by UK universities UNICA IRO MEETING 2008 - Paris, 11 April 2008

  3. Aims of student mobility • Overarching educational / political / economic considerations (i) Outgoing • Personal development • Preparation for life and work in an integrated Europe • Enhancing graduates‘ opportunities on the European / international labour market • Enabling students to observe and appreciate the added value of different academic cultures (=> flexibility of mind) • Understanding foreign cultures (=> intercultural skills) • Enhancing students‘ foreign language skills • Enhancing the university‘s appeal to students UNICA IRO MEETING 2008 - Paris, 11 April 2008

  4. (ii) Incoming • Promoting understanding between peoples and cultures • Promoting one‘s own national / regional culture • Promoting one‘s own national / regional language • Enhancing the European / international image / standing of the institution • Creating and maintaining a European / an international climate in course programmes and classes • Collaboration with prestigeous universities abroad • Raising additional revenue (degree students; especially, but not only 2nd and 3rd cycle) • Attracting talent from other countries • Strengthening the university‘s research base (international graduate schools etc.) UNICA IRO MEETING 2008 - Paris, 11 April 2008

  5. 2) Through student eyes • Appeal of specific countries / regions / cities / universities • Direct relevance to subject / course studied (e.g. foreign languages) • General desire to learn / improve knowledge in the local foreign language / to live and study in a foreign country (intercultural experience) • Enhancing career prospects in general • Enhancing specific professional and / or academic career prospects (vertical mobility) • HOWEVER: NOT NECESSARILY ALL OF THESE TOGETHER. UNICA IRO MEETING 2008 - Paris, 11 April 2008

  6. How do languages fit into this? Some basic considerations • Increasing importance of English as an academic lingua franca • 90% of all students in upper secondary education are learning English (Eurobarometer) • Inequality of languages • Increasing awareness of the relevance of multilingual competence to employability / career prospects / competitiveness (including proficiency in so-called small languages) • Language(s) of instruction – subject-related differences • Language proficiency – general, academic, subject specific UNICA IRO MEETING 2008 - Paris, 11 April 2008

  7. A BASIC DILEMMA • Language requirements for mobility differ widely, depending on the specific parameters and aims of a given programme or individual project • A few illustrative examples • A fee-paying MBA course offered in English by a university situated in a non-English-speaking country • A student of art history intending to spend an Erasmus year abroad at an Italian university, and required by his/her home university to obtain credits with a view to having these transferred to and recognised by home institution. • A BA student of history intending to spend an Erasmus semester at a Polish state university – with minimal knowledge of Polish and keen to learn Polish (with his home university being satisfied with this arrangement) UNICA IRO MEETING 2008 - Paris, 11 April 2008

  8. WM‘s fundamental conviction • Adequate language proficiency and cultural awareness are of overarching importance for the quality and success of horizontal intra-European student mobility • for academic integration and success at the host institution, including credit transfer • for social integration • for progression in language learning during study abroad • for achieving heightened cultural awareness and acquiring enhanced intercultural skills • students, by and large, are keen to learn and use other languages (study conducted at FUB: code-switching galore) UNICA IRO MEETING 2008 - Paris, 11 April 2008

  9. A few basic principles regarding intra-European horizontal student mobility (I) (for example, between UNICA member institutions) • Duties of / recommendations directed at sending institutions • Some language preparation – including cultural preparation – must be offered in all the languages relevant to partner institutions with whom mobility agreements have been signed (not necessarily to be provided by the university in question itself). • For the sake of transparency, the learning outcomes of the courses / modules provided should be related to the proficiency levels of the Council of Europe‘s Common European Framework of Reference for languages (CEFR). UNICA IRO MEETING 2008 - Paris, 11 April 2008

  10. Duties of / recommendations directed at sending institutions (cont.) • Along with the transcript of record, sending institutions should provide a clear statement on a given student‘s level of proficiency in the language of instruction at the host institution.This should also apply to language students. • Language competence must be a selection criterion. • If the language of instruction is a language other than the language of the region / state in which the host situation is based, would-be mobile students should all the same have more than a basic knowledge of the language of the region / state. • Would-be Erasmus students have to be informed about the language requirements laid down by the various partner insitutions. UNICA IRO MEETING 2008 - Paris, 11 April 2008

  11. Duties of / recommendations directed at sending institutions (cont.) • Universities should provide opportunities for returning students to continue learning the language of the host country. • If at all possible, students should receive credits for successful language learning potentially relevant to mobility. • Full use should be made of opportunities for non-formal language learning, especially of less widely used and less taught languages • self-learning materials • language tandems • Learning advice • Key factor: motivation to learn the language in question UNICA IRO MEETING 2008 - Paris, 11 April 2008

  12. Example One Languages as part of the 30-credit General professional skills strand of FUB bachelor programmes • Up 15 credits = 3 modules of 5 credits each • Credits only awarded upon successful completion of Module 2 UNICA IRO MEETING 2008 - Paris, 11 April 2008

  13. Languages in General professional skills strand UNICA IRO MEETING 2008 - Paris, 11 April 2008

  14. Example Two Subsidiary subjects in FUB multiple-subject bachelor programmes Emphasis on practical language studies 60-credit subject: 42 credits in applied languages 30-credit subject: 24 credits in applied languages UNICA IRO MEETING 2008 - Paris, 11 April 2008

  15. Ab initio subsidiary subjects in multi-subject bachelor programmes UNICA IRO MEETING 2008 - Paris, 11 April 2008

  16. A few basic principles regarding intra-European horizontal student mobility (II) • Duties of / recommendations directed at receiving institutions • Institutions have to lay down requirements for the language(s) of instruction; these may differ between subject areas. These requirements should be expressed in reference to the CEFR or to internationally recognised proficiency tests. • WM: For humanities / social sciences, > level B2 of CEFR should be required for admission to seminars. • Host institutions should offer intensive pre-sessional courses in language of instruction at different levels (other than English). Ideally, these courses would lift students to level B2 CEFR. • Host institutions should provide linguistic support accompanying courses of study. If at all possible, credits should be awarded for successfully completed language study. UNICA IRO MEETING 2008 - Paris, 11 April 2008

  17. Example Three FUB pre-semester courses in German as a foreign language • Frequency: before semesters 1 & 2 • Length: 6 weeks = 120 contact hours; 10 ECTS • Fee: 460.00 euro • Courses offered at the following entry levels: zero, A2, B1.1, B2.1, C1 • Placement: on-line pre-test & on-site test administered on 1st day of course • Programmes tuned to semester programme • Students encouraged to use independent language learning centre • Number of participants a year: 260 UNICA IRO MEETING 2008 - Paris, 11 April 2008

  18. Example Four FUB German-as-a-foreign language courses taught during semester time • Free of charge • On-line placement test administered before beginning of semester • ECTS credits • Thematic variety • Emphasis on different skills, including academic writing and oral presentation skills • SoSe 2008: a total of 19 courses catering for 420 students; total number of contact hours: 88 • WS 2007-8: 500 participants => State of play SoSe 2008: UNICA IRO MEETING 2008 - Paris, 11 April 2008

  19. UNICA IRO MEETING 2008 - Paris, 11 April 2008

  20. A few basic principles regarding intra-European horizontal student mobility (III) • Mobile students should be issued with a certificate stating the level of proficiency reached in the language of instruction / of the non-academic environment. • Universities should consider the following measures: • Creation of environments for indepedent language learning • Creation of language tandem systems • Launch of local European / international projects accompanying academic study UNICA IRO MEETING 2008 - Paris, 11 April 2008

  21. Example Four FUB Language Tandem Programme WS 2007-8 • Number of tandems formed: 302 • Number of languages involved: 28 + German • Number of students unable to find a partner: 150 • Tandems made up of DE + a European language: DA: 2; EN: 111; FI: 4; FR: 134; EL: 12; HU: 2; IT: 77; NL: 10; PL: 18; PT: 12; SE: 4, ES: 94, TR: 12 (number of students involved) UNICA IRO MEETING 2008 - Paris, 11 April 2008

  22. Internationalisation of European higher education The issue of languages revisited • It may be inevitable for universities based in countries with LWULT languages to offer courses / portions of courses in English. [=> Erasmus Mundus; joint degrees] • WM: portions of courses would be preferable. • Sending and host institutions should provide opportunities and incentives for learning the language of the host community. The crucial issue of motivation. • Continuing education / professional masters – a special case UNICA IRO MEETING 2008 - Paris, 11 April 2008

  23. Thank you. UNICA IRO MEETING 2008 - Paris, 11 April 2008

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