Language policy and language planning in Danish universities. English only?

1. Language policy and language planning in Danish universities. English only? Rita Cancino Department of Languages and Culture Aalborg University DENMARK

2. Strengthening of European investigation and education • The EU’s Bologna declaration (1999) and the Barcelona Declaration signed by the countries in the EU recognise the need of the strengthening of European investigation and education as a whole, as well as the strengthening of the general foreign language competences and intercultural knowledge •  In 2003, a new Danish University Act was introduced, and one of the main consequences was the strengthening of the internationalisation of study programmes. • The Danish universities are committed not only to doing research, but also to educating students so that they can occupy important positions in Danish society and abroad.

3. Danish official statements on language policy in English • Retningslinier for en dansk sprogpolitik.Dansk sprognævn 2003 (Guidelines for Danish Language Policy. Danish Language Council: 2003) • Sprog på spil. Kulturministeriet 2003 (Languages at Stake. Danish Ministry of Culture.2003) • Sprogpolitisk redegørelse. Regeringen 2004 (Statement of Language Policy. The Danish Government. 2004) • Sprogpolitik på de danske universiteter. Rektorkollegiet 2003 (Language Policy at Danish Universities. Universities Denmark (Association of the Danish Rectors). 2003) • Internationalisering af de danske universiteter. Rektorkollegiet 2004. (Internationalisation of the Danish Universities. Universities Denmark (Danish Universities. Association of The Danish Rectors). 2003) • Sprog til tiden. RegeringensSprogudvalg 2008 (Language on Time. Governmental Language Committee)

4. Denmark and a possible Language Policy • Denmark is a monolingual country. 5.5 mio. speakers • The linguistic situation has changed in recent years. Three main factors in this change are: • The spread of English as a result of globalisation and internationalisation • An increased number of languages as Denmark is no longer a homogeneous language community. • Generally increased demands for foreign languages because of the IT-society, but particularly English.

5. Language policy>< Language planning According to Dennis Ager, language policy is: • “the official planning, carried out by those in political authority” while language planning is • “the ways in which organized communities, united by religious, ethnic or political ties, consciously attempt to influence the language(s) their members use, the language in education, or the ways in which Academies or journalists make the language change (Ager 2005:5) • This means that language planning is the consequence of the political decision about language

6. Language planning • Language planning is constituted by three different processes, viz. status planning, corpus planning and acquisition planning. • Status planning is about the status of the language, i.e. how and in which contexts a language is used • Corpus planning deals with changes of the form of the language (corpus i.e. how the vocabulary, the syntax, etc. is changing). • Acquisition planning has to do with the acquisition of the language by the users, i.e. the acquisition of Danish by immigrants and refugees (Philipson, 2008). • “Corpus and status planning cannot be separated from each other: language planning policies are thus never exclusively corpus orientated or status orientated (Oakes 1984:51) • .

7. Changes in a language • Changes in the status of a language imply changes in its structure: • “it is, in fact, virtually impossible to separate the two activities. The fact is that any change in the character of a language is likely to result in a change in the use environment, and any change in the use environment is likely to induce a change in the character of the language (Kaplan and Baldauf 1997:28).

8. The power of a language The power of a language is reflected in its imagery. “English tends to be marketed as language of success, hedonism, and international mobility – which it is for many people”. (Philipson, 2001) • English as killer language (Anne Pakir) • English as Tyrannosaurus Rex (John Swales) • Linguistic cannibalism of this sort is a common feature of dominant languages.”Philipson (2001).

9. English in Denmark • The influence from English and the English-speaking world is one of the main ongoing debates concerning Danish language and culture. • Unlike other Nordic countries like Finland, Norway and Iceland, Danish authorities rarely recommend Danish words instead of English terms that appear in the language. (Council of Europe, 2009. Denmark/ 4.2). • English from above >< English from below (Preisler, 2003) • Code switching into English

10. Danish Universities – English as a language of instruction • In Danish universities, things are changing linguistically much more rapidly than expected. • A massive transition to English as the language of instruction is taking place in all Danish Universities. • At the Faculty of Life Science, LIFE,(former Royal Veterinary and Agricultural High School of Denmark), English will be the language of instruction for all 12 MSc-programmes offered during 2009 to 2010. • At Aalborg University (2009) more than 50 MSc-programmes are taught in English

11. Danish Universities – language of research • English is the predominant language in scientific literature, particularly in the technical and natural sciences. • In Denmark researchers have to publish in English in order to make their scientific results known outside Denmark • English is also required if Danish researchers are to participate in international networks and conferences, also often within Scandinavia if e.g. Finnish colleagues join the meetings • Communication of knowledge to Danish Society! • Transfer of knowledge to Danish Society! • “From Research to Invoice” • Quality of scientific articles!

12. Key concepts in the language debate • Will Danish remain a complete language? • Will it be a society supportivelanguage? • Language domain: English or Danish? • Monolingualism: Danish only >< English only? • Multilingualism: What about the ‘other’ languages? • Parallel lingualism: English and Danish= a bilingual Denmark de facto ? 19-01-2010

13. Is Danish language ‘under threat’? • “Since 2003 there is growing dominance of English in higher education and therefore an increasing risk that in few years Danish will no longer be a complete and a society supportive language” (Danish Language Council 2007) • “Luckily, Danish as a common language for speaking and writing is not in a threatened position. Luckily, because of all the languages in the world Danish is the one specifically adapted to the needs for expression that Danes have” (Governmental Linguistic Committee sprogudvalg, 2008) 19-01-2010

14. Examples of English displacing Danish and otherforeignlanguages in highereducation • 136 of 810 university studies were offered in English only in 2007. The number is increasing. • English spreads downward into high school and secondary school • Other foreign language studies e.g. German and French are cut back in universities and business schools • Number of Ph.D. dissertations in Danish (2001) • technical university 4%, natural science 22%, social sciences 37%, humanities 72% Source: Governmental reports (Sprogpåspil 2003, Sprogtiltiden 2008) 19-01-2010

15. Aalborg University strategic basis 2005-2010 : • The University will encourage the further development of international research collaboration as well as exchanges of research results, researchers, and other relevant staff (ENGLISH ONLY). • ‘We will ensure that graduates, teachers, and researchers have the international competencies that are necessary in order to be able to function professionally, linguistically, and socially in an international and multi-cultural environment. (International means English at Aalborg University!) • Aalborg University will ensure the freedom of its staff to express themselves in Danish and English as equal working languages. (Yes, but how?)

16. Language Policy • The aim of Aalborg University’s language policy is to contribute to the enhancement of the communicative competence of the university’s research and teaching through maintaining and developing the Danish language as thebasic written and spoken language of research and teaching at the university, and to use English and other relevant foreign languages where required to maintain and develop Aalborg University as an active partner and co-player in the global scientific society. (AAU 2009). • The university’s undergraduate programmes are conducted in Danish unless the programme has a specific international aim. However courses in English may be offered in connection with the undergraduate programmes. (Example: Art and Technology) • Project supervision may be conducted in English if the group comprises foreign students and/or teachers.

17. Language Policy • Graduate programmes with a specific international aim or comprising foreign students and/or teachers are conducted in English. • Aalborg University’s employees and students are free to use Danish and English as equal working languages. • Employees are offered courses in English and Danish with a view to enhancing their communicative competencesdependent on the purpose, e.g. lectures, supervision, conferences, papers, or participation in international research projects. • A language resource centre (SprogligtRådgivningsCenter - SRC) has been established. The centre takes care of upgrading AAU researchers’ and teachers’ abilities to teach in English and other relevant foreign languages.

18. The English Reality at Aalborg University – • MA- programmes in English offered to foreign students : 61 • MA-programmes in Danish for Danish students: 86 • BA-programmes in English: 5 • BA-programmes in Danish: 89 • Several courses and international programmes in English • Many teachers have to teach/are forced to teach in English • Most of the university homepages are in English • Most information in English. None in other languages

19. University of Copenhagen: Language Policy • The University of Copenhagen uses English in its role as a participant in the international academic community and must therefore ensure that all employees have the necessary English language skills which are a prerequisite for being able to function optimally in such an environment. • At the same time, however, the University is determined to fulfil its obligations in continuing to serve Danish society by disseminating new knowledge through the medium of Danish at an equally optimal level

20. University of Copenhagen - Centre for Internationalisation and Parallel Language Use • .Language policy based on the use of Danish and English as parallel languages • The use of parallel languages refers to a situation in which two languages are considered equal in a particular domain, and where the choice of language depends on what is deemed most appropriate and efficient in a specific situation

21. Conclusion • Costs of anglicising the research domain • Democracy costs – increasing gap between researchers and population – weakening of public debate • Lower quality in research and teaching – imprecision, miscommunications, loss of nuances • Power issue – asymmetric relations of native and non-native English speakers/writers • English is not enough – not English only!