Acceso usuarios
Elizabeth J. Erling, Suzanne Hilgendorf
This paper analyzes the growing impact of English in German higher education. The analysis addresses the issues of higher education policy and practice, focusing on the discrepancies across these areas with respect to English use. The first part of the paper examines policy initiatives on the European Union (EU), federal, and institutional levels that reveal the lack of an explicit language policy. This is contrasted with an analysis of administrative measures that in fact are paving the way for the expanded functional range for English, such as the establishment of new degree programs specifically designated as auslandsorientiert or internationally oriented. The examination includes a closer look at the impact of English at one German institution, the Freie Universität Berlin (FUB). Finally, the paper addresses some of the political, financial and educational issues to be considered as a consequence of the expanding role of English in higher education.
