LANGUAGE ISSUES AND MULTILINGUAL LEARNING IN UNIVERSITIES

Transkriptio

1 LANGUAGE ISSUES AND MULTILINGUAL LEARNING IN UNIVERSITIES Chair: Taina Saarinen Speakers: Inkeri Lehtimaja, Charles Mathies

2 Main question (Why) should international students (not) learn Finnish as a part of their studies? Taina Saarinen: Universities, international students and language supply Inkeri Lehtimaja: Use of Finnish at university by international doctoral students and researchers Charles Mathies: International students & their returns in the Finnish labour market

3 Universities, international students and domestic language supply

4 Background Finland has a tradition of separate international study programs that are nowadays offered mainly in English. The presentation problematizes the position of local language(s) in these programs and, consequently, the whole concept of international student in time of increased long-term and short-term mobility and migration for a diversity of reasons This presentation problematizes the Finnish practice of teaching (or not teaching) the "national languages" (Finnish and Swedish) for international students

5 Finnish HE system Higher education policy promotes the idea of international students being needed for the Finnish labour market (Strategy for internationalisation ), but working life and language teaching practices do not necessarily support these practices. Introduction of study fees for non EU-EEU students will further impact the situation. Finland is one of the biggest organizers of English language study programmes in Europe (Brenn-White and Faethe 2013). This, combined with the international students varying educational and linguistic backgrounds inevitably highlight the need to focus on the role of language(s) in higher education policy.

6 Survey Supply of local languages at universities and UASs The data consists of documentation (statistics, degree descriptions and strategy documents) from Finnish universities and universities of applied sciences (UASs) (N= 39), a survey sent to the Language Centres and Student Service Offices of all Finnish HEIs (N= 78) in spring 2016 (92% of HEIs answered at least the other survey), and interviews and additional material in selected case institutions (N= 9). The case studies were individual and group interviews at different types and sizes of HEIs in different parts of Finland. Altogether 32 people were interviewed, e.g. Heads of the International Offices, Heads of Language Centres, Heads of Student and Academic Services, Finnish as a second language teachers and international students.

7 Summary There is need for knowledge of Finnish (and Swedish) languages for international students particularly when it comes to labour market integration (Shumilova et al 2012) But there are not adequate courses particularly at the universities.

8 Summary the whole concept of "international student" (and domestic or local student, for that matter) is under flux: as the nature of international mobility changes, so does our understanding of what is "international student" or what is "national language". These reconceptualizations ultimately make problematic the understanding of the current tensions between "national" and "international" in higher education in particular and in global mobilities in general

9 Finnish: Students, courses, levels Student Elementary survival-courses: 22% of international UAS students 37% of international university students Often exchange student Level A1-A2 courses 68% of international UAS students 47% of international university students Level B1-B2 8 % international UAS students 10 % of international university students Level C1 3 % of international university students

10 Finnish: Students, courses, levels Courses offered Elementary UAS: 20% Universities: 29% A1-A2 level Finnish courses UAS: 67% Universities: 42% B1-B2 level Finnish courses UAS: 12% Universities: 15% C level courses at universities: 8%

11 Compulsory or optional? Exchange students: Finnish / Swedish mostly voluntary Bachelor (UAS) Finnish compulsory in all (75%) or some (25%) programmes Master (universities): Finnish compulsory in all (13%) or some (22%) programmes Doctoral students No compusory Finnish or Swedish courses

12 Interim question: Who are international programmes meant for? Alexander (2008) and the typology of English language programmes: 1. Replacement (local language replaced with English) 2. Cumulative (English language teaching increases gradually) 3. Additional (English language teaching decreases gradually)

13 Who is an international student? Need for re-definition, re-conceptualisation Short-term, long term? Intending to stay in Finnish labour market or not? original reason for coming to Finland other than (international) study? Finnish basic education vs education from outside Finland? Etc etc

14 Questions 1. Access to courses? Relatively more supply for UAS students (Bachelor level) For university students (Masters student) more elementary courses (and less room for courses in degree programme). No offer for doctoral students? Preparatory courses for students with other background than that of traditional international student?

15 Questions 2. Working life needs? Integration of language and content - Working life needs relevant in many ways? - More need for preparatory university courses for migrants

16 Questions Who s an international student? Is the division into local and international students relevant, with the students linguistic background becoming more varied? Who are international programmes designed for? Do universities and UASs have a vision of their students?

17 Kiitos!

18 Aineisto kaksi kyselyä kaikille korkeakouluille (maaliskuu 2016) tapaustutkimukset: yksilö- ja ryhmähaastattelut (maalis-huhtikuu 2016) korkeakoulujen kieli- ja kansainvälistymisstrategiat kielikurssien kurssikuvaukset ja tutkinto-ohjelmien vaatimukset korkeakoulutusta koskevat tilastot turvapaikanhakijoihin liittyvät korkeakoulujen tiedotteet ja media-aineisto

19 Kyselyt kielikeskus tai vastaava S2 + R2 kotimaisten kielten tarjonta kansainvälisille opiskelijoille kurssit ja niiden kehittäminen, tarjonnan ja osallistumisen volyymi, kielikoulutuksen tavoitteet ja yhteistyö opinto- tai opiskelijapalvelut S2 + R2 kansainvälisten koulutusohjelmien kieliopintovaatimukset ja korkeakoulujen kielilinjaukset ja -strategiat kansainvälisten opiskelijoiden ja koulutusohjelmien määrät, korkeakoulun linjaukset, kieliopintojen pakollisuus, yhteistyö molemmissa kyselyissä turvapaikanhakijatilanteen aiheuttamat toimet

20 Kyselyihin vastaajat kyselyt lähetettiin kaikkiaan 14 yliopistoon ja 25 ammattikorkeakouluun kielikeskuskyselyyn vastanneet: 14 yliopistoa (100 %) 19 ammattikorkeakoulua (76%) opintopalvelukyselyyn vastanneet: 11 yliopistoa (79 %) 19 ammattikorkeakoulua (76 %) 27/39 korkeakoulua vastasi molempiin kyselyihin yhteensä 36/39 korkeakoulua vastasi toiseen tai kumpaankin kyselyyn

21 Tapaustutkimukset tapaustutkimukset 6 yliopistoa 3 ammattikorkeakoulua tapaustutkimusten kohteiden valinta: kyselystä nousseet aiheet eri tyyppiset ja erikokoiset korkeakoulut eri puolilta Suomea haastateltavia yhteensä 32 esim. korkeakoulujen kansainvälisten asioiden päälliköitä, kielikeskusten johtajia, opintopäälliköitä, S2-opettajia, S2-opiskelijoita yksilö- ja ryhmähaastatteluja