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UCML-AULC survey of IWLP activity in universities in the UK (2012 – 2013)

UCML-AULC survey of IWLP activity in universities in the UK (2012 – 2013). Caroline Campbell and Dr Peter Howarth (AULC) Dr John Morley (UCML) Dr Filippo Nereo (HEA). Aims. to gauge availability and demand for different IWLP languages

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UCML-AULC survey of IWLP activity in universities in the UK (2012 – 2013)

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  1. UCML-AULC survey of IWLP activity in universities in the UK (2012 – 2013) Caroline Campbell and Dr Peter Howarth (AULC) Dr John Morley (UCML) Dr Filippo Nereo (HEA)

  2. Aims • to gauge availability and demand for different IWLP languages • to ascertain the proportion of credit and non-credit provision • to note changing trends in terms of recruitment and demand for particular languages • to note any issues facing providers of IWLP languages • to gauge respondents’ views on prospects for IWLP

  3. Method • Simple electronic questionnaire (SelectSurvey.NET) emailed to AULC and UCML distribution lists • Respondents reminded by email and telephone • data collected from 62 HEIs in the UK, 20 of which were Russell Group universities

  4. Proportion of credit and non-credit students • Approx. 62% of IWLP students are studying for academic credit. • At some intuitions for-credit study is not an option • At some institutions not-for-credit study is not an option

  5. Main languages studied showing numbers reported

  6. Growth in Arabic and Chinese Other languages which have increased as a proportion of students are Japanese, Portuguese and Russian

  7. Numbers compared to previous academic year

  8. The four languages most reported as showing an increase compared to last year

  9. The four languages most reported as showing a decrease compared to last year

  10. Issues facing Institution-wide Language Provision Economics, finance and funding (n = 27) • Internal financial arrangements; • general economic situation; • financial insecurity Logistical problems: timetabling/space /resources(n = 27) • Timetabling (n = 19) Management/re-organisation/institutional support (n = 22) • some form of re-structuring; • lack of institutional clarity in objectives; • lack of top-level support

  11. Issues facing Institution-wide Language Provision Decrease/increasein student nos; unpredictability (n = 13) • Drop in both accredited and non-accredited numbers this year • Unpredictable numbers due to the entirely optional nature of the courses Difficulties in achieving/lack of support for internal promotion (n = 12) • The promotion of languages to all students in the university Staffing- teachers/workload (n = 12) • Ensuring all teachers are professionally trained language teachers • Retaining suitable teachers • Reliance on part-time tutors

  12. Issues facing Institution-wide Language Provision Academic/proficiency levels (n = 11) • difficulty of matching the levels at which they offer languages for credit and their university’s academic levels • standardising difficulty levels and progression across the languages

  13. Responses for ‘prospects for Institution-wide Language Provision’

  14. Can you say why this is?Reasons for positive outlook: Institutional support - employability and/or internationalisation strategy (n = 19) • the provision of languages: seen as an important part of the institution’s employability agenda and/or internationalisation agenda(s) Student demand (n= 8) • “Many students see language learning as an important part of their professional development, a trend that seems to be growing. There has definitely been growing awareness regarding the necessity of foreign languages over the last years”.

  15. Can you say why this is?Reasons for concerns/negative outlook: Concerns about the future (n = 10) • centred around the recent increase in fees and the impact on student numbers, the funding of electives and a lack of any positive indication that the future of language provision is secure. Negative outlook ( n = 11) • increase in fees in 2012-13 • overall drop in student numbers and funding • lack of institutional support was also cited.

  16. Conclusions • Overall picture mixed but broadly positive • Growth in non-European languages • Evidence of support at senior levels • Need for more comprehensive data • Need for information on: individual HEI policies, fees, duration of study, types of assessment, levels of proficiency attained, organisational structures

  17. REFERENCES • Byrne, N. and Abbot, J. (2007) Survey on university students choosing a language course as an extra-curricular activity. Results from the second year of a planned three-year survey conducted by AULC on behalf of the DIUS. November. Unpublished. Presentation based on this survey is available here: http://www.celelc.org/docs/byrne_new_multisubject_programmes_0.pdf (accessed on 7th January 2013) • Marshall, K. (2001) Survey of less specialist language learning in UK universities (1998-99) http://www.llas.ac.uk/resourcedownloads/614/KeithMarshall.pdf (accessed on 7th January 2013) • UCAS (2012) Applicants preferred subject choice and accepted applicants subject of acceptance (for 2011). http://www.ucas.com/about_us/stat_services/stats_online/data_tables/hesubject (accessed on 7th January 2013)

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