Preparing for Asia in the new age of globalisation: University language centres in face of changes in higher education

Abstract

British higher education is becoming more and more market-driven following the increase in tuition fees in 2012. As a result, universities need to respond more readily to the market, and student demand and the high employability of graduates are now a priority for most universities. With the growing importance of Asian economies in the new age of globalisation, there is an increasing interest in learning languages such as Chinese, especially among those who intend to seek Asia-related jobs upon the completion of their university studies. These diversified language needs represent both opportunities and challenges for university language centres, which are known for their responsiveness to changes in demand, innovativeness in their language teaching, and flexibility in their service provision. It is not uncommon that university language centres offer Asian language courses, but there is still a lot to be done if compared with their more established teaching practices in European languages. University language centres should consider working in a collaborative and coordinated manner, not only to assess, anticipate and prepare for changes in higher education, but also to manage and shape changes in language learning and teaching with a more diverse language profile.