Language In Higher Education Research Articles

Issues in introducing indigenous languages in higher education in Africa

Abstract As the most populous African nation, with one of the most diverse, and problematic, ethnolinguistic profiles in the world, Nigeria provides a case study for the potential introduction of indigenous languages in (higher) education delivery in once colonised territories. We argue that increased enrolment in higher education will become necessary for Nigeria to attain its developmental goals. We then discuss the limits to what the Nigerian educational system can be expected to achieve using English as the medium of instruction. Once these limits are surpassed, the gradual addition of a limited number of Nigerian languages will become inevitable. We propose to make use of a distinction between languages as designed (or intellectualized) and languages as discerned, inspired by the terminology of ‘Ausbau’ and ‘Abstand’ languages as used by Kloss. The article briefly reviews the complex linguistic makeup of Nigeria and outlines a number of principles that could guide rational language choices in this area, such as ease of acquisition and inclusivity. It ends with suggesting a number of concrete steps that should be taken over the coming years in order to make the introduction of indigenous languages into higher education in Nigeria a practical possibility.

Qualitative analysis of the use of non-sexist language in higher education: the case of the University of Málaga from the professor’s perspective

We live in a fast-changing society where social, economic and cultural changes clearly affect language; therefore, language should be faithfully adjusted to reality to continue fulfilling its function: communication. The problem arises when society advances faster than language research. Currently, the feminine gender only designates women, while the masculine gender has a double use: specific, referring to men, and generic, to refer to both men and women. Consequently, we are usually unaware of whether the language we use is sexist or not and of how it can influence our way of constructing realities and thoughts. Accordingly, educational institutions play a key role in the transmission of values and, since the university context is a pivotal point in the professional and personal development of students, both the content and the language used by teachers must be developed with a non-sexist language. This study aims to investigate the attitudes and opinions of professors towards the use of non-sexist language during the development of the teaching and learning process. The methodology was eminently qualitative, using an in-depth semi-structured interview as a data collection instrument. Professors from different Schools of the University of Málaga (Universidad de Málaga – UMA), specifically from the fields of knowledge ranging from Engineering and Architecture to Social and Legal Sciences, have participated in this study. To complete the study, branches of knowledge were compared from a gender perspective. The results showed some predisposition towards the use of an egalitarian or non-sexist language although most professors systematically use the generic masculine, perhaps by tradition.

Better English, Better Job Opportunities in Nepal

Globalization paved the way for the rapid expansion of the English language and because of this, its horizons are being expanded day by day. This paper is an attempt to highlight and argue on the importance of the English language in higher education in Nepal in one hand and on the other hand, it tries to shed some light on the vocational zones that the English language has created in the country. The study is argumentative (qualitative) in nature and it has collected pieces of evidence of the English language’s popularity and its facilitation in higher education using secondary sources of data. The major findings comprise that the English language has provided an enormous contribution to the vocational zones and because of which all the universities in Nepal have adopted the English language for teaching and learning activities, new and new employment opportunities are facilitated, it is a key component for getting an education in English speaking countries, and an English-speaking person deserves good status in almost all countries in the world.

THE USE OF GROUP WORK IN LEARNING THE UKRAINIAN LANGUAGE AS A FOREIGN BY STUDENTS OF HIGHER MEDICAL EDUCATION: THEORETICAL ANALYSIS

The article reveals the problem of using group methods of work in learning the Ukrainian language as a foreign language by students of higher education in the medical profession. A scientific analysis of modern requests to the future specialist, the system of his skills from the point of view of the competence approach was carried out. The concept of soft skills and its role in the a modern specialist functioning are described.The specifics of the soft skills formation during the study of the Ukrainian language as a foreign language among students of higher education in the medical profession are presented. Attention is focused on the need to create real communication situations in order to develop foreign language speaking skills.The concept of group work in learning the Ukrainian language as a foreign language in higher education is presented, its general didactic principles of application are described in accordance with the competence and dialogic approaches. Attention is focused on the activity of students of higher education during the application of group forms of work, their possibility of inclusion in communicative situations, ensuring real interactivity during work in microgroups. The advantages of group work in language learning are described ‒ the ability to ensure the reproduction of situations of real communicative interaction, the provision of an emotionally favorable atmosphere, the modification of methods of monitoring success and the system of roles of the teacher and the student of highereducation in the educational process.The didactic principles of the possible division of higher education students into microgroups for optimal provision of the educational process are described. It’s find out that during the group work, all students take an active position, being in improvised situations of real communicative interaction; have the opportunity to improve their speaking skills in Ukrainian as a foreign language.
 Keywords: group work; pair work; Ukrainian language as a foreign language; reproduction of real communication situations; interactivity of pedagogical communication; advantages of group work; soft skills; dialogicity.

THE CHALLENGES OF LEARNING ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE IN COMMUNICATIVE APPROACHES IN HIGHER EDUCATION

The purpose of this study was to look at the difficulties students have when learning English as a foreign language in higher education. This paper reports on the results of an interview of 30 randomly selected students and four professors of the Faculty of Philology and English language department, respectively, at the University “Ukshin Hoti” Prizren. It is critical to provide learners with the best possible support in terms of a helpful learning environment and adequate and meaningful language experience when learning a second language. Furthermore, students of English language can work to enhance their English skills, making language teaching and learning more effective and relevant for both lecturers and students. After identifying some of the challenges in English language learning and use in higher education in the Kosovar context, this study will attempt to address some of the critical issues identified and suggest some measures to deal with them more efficiently than what is currently being done. One of the first principles to consider when planning and designing English language programs is the need to identify the goals of teaching English in the sociocultural context in which the learning is taking place in no uncertain terms. Finally, this research has recommended overcoming these challenges and future research.

Academic Staff Engagement with Institutional Language Support: Insights into the Navigation of Linguistic Identities in Higher Education

ABSTRACT Enrolment statistics indicate that while the cultural and linguistic landscape of Australian higher education continues to be enriched by widening participation and internationalization, ongoing patterns of underrepresentation of students from traditionally excluded, equity groups persist. There is a need for sector-wide, strengths-based engagement with language as both a complex and dynamic manifestation of sociocultural identities, and a key intersectional factor that shapes participation and inclusion in higher education. This article reports on research regarding an underexplored aspect of this topic: academic staff engagement with institutional language support services. In this small-scale study, participants recounted experiences that suggest nuanced and complex factors related to identity, community, and historically entrenched, linguistically mediated power relations inform their practices. The study offers valuable insights into the complexities of language in higher education, the need for critical conversations about linguistic hierarchies in academia, and the importance of institution-wide, strengths-based engagement with multilingual/multidialectal students’ linguistic repertoires.

The role of English for specific purposes (ESP) in supporting the linguistic dimension in English-medium instruction (EMI)

Partly because of the Bologna Declaration, the so-called English-Medium Instruction (EMI) courses in universities have undergone a strong surge in the last 15 years. This initial phase of growth in EMI has had an impact on LSP (Language for Specific Purposes) courses, which have in some cases suffered a consequent decline. This article seeks to highlight the potential of LSP to prepare students in EMI communication, support academic disciplinary skills, develop transversal skills, and foster intercultural communication. The study analyses an LSP-focused curricular design that aims to help students develop English-language communicative effectiveness for a domain-specific context: social and human services. The various integrative practices inherent in LSP instruction call attention to its potential as a harmonizing and empowering force for content- and language-integrated learning when used alongside EMI.
 Keywords: English-Medium Instruction (EMI); Language for Specific Purposes (LSP); English for Specific Purposes (ESP); Content-and-language integrated learning (CLIL); Integrating content and language in higher education (ICLHE).

Becoming “Language-Aware“ in ICLHE

In this paper, we present a cross-disciplinary collaboration model inspired by collaborative action research (CAR) developed at a computer science department at a University of Applied Sciences in Austria. We outline the roles which language teachers at the institution and external collaborators (teacher educators and language specialists) play in creating a space of trust for the professional development of content specialists. Recent research (e.g. Zappa-Hollman, 2018) has called for such collaborative partnerships between language and content specialists to raise awareness among English Medium Instruction (EMI) practitioners and stakeholders that language is “the crucial semiotic resource to [...] facilitate conceptualization and problem solving in specific disciplines” (Yuan, 2021, p. 2). This demand for an integrative approach which takes the interplay of language and content into consideration has not yet received sufficient attention, neither at the institutional level nor at the level of individual teachers (Zappa-Hollman, 2018). Innovative approaches are clearly needed to improve the quality of ICLHE teaching (Kim et al., 2018). The generally positive reactions of the content teachers to the Trust Model of Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration suggest that it can contribute to improving their understanding of the epistemic function of language and their Integrating Content and language in Higher Education (ICLHE) teaching practice.

Teaching Elementary Mathematics at the University of Prague: A Study of Latin Compendia from the Second Half of the 18th century

From the middle of the 18th century on, the central authority in Vienna strove to increase its control over education in the Habsburg lands, attempting to introduce a series of reforms in university education in order to modernize the curricula in lower and higher educational institutions, institutions in which the influence of the Jesuits was predominant until the Society of Jesus’s suppression by the Pope in 1773. A consequence of these reforms was that the teaching of mathematics changed significantly in Habsburg territories between circa 1750 and 1784. In this paper, we shall survey the content and structure of the course in Elementary Mathematics at the Charles-Ferdinand University in Prague. The teaching of mathematics at this college, which is fairly well documented, represents a fruitful case study for assessing the circulation of modern ideas in mathematical teaching. These ideas were promoted by contemporary authors like Christian Wolff or Nicolas Louis de la Caille, and were assimilated by the local scholarly community. Since the present study represents no more than a preliminary exploration, our survey will cover only the period running from circa 1750 up to the year 1784. The terminus a quo here marks the publication of the first compendia written by a Jesuit professor from Prague and the terminus ad quem marks the end of Latin as the language of higher education. The switch to German as the official language of teaching introduced important changes, such as the adoption of new German textbooks and the end of Jesuit cultural hegemony even in scientific writings.

Peer Assessment and Video Feedback for Fostering Self, Co, and Shared Regulation of Learning in a Higher Education Language Classroom

Self-regulated learning includes the cognitive, metacognitive, behavioral, motivational, and affective aspects of learning. The conceptualization of self and socially regulated learning has recently received much attention and peer assessment has been found to increase the use of metacognitive activity. The present exploratory qualitative study aimed to identify self-, co-, and socially shared regulatory processes in an oral English as a Foreign Language task. The regulatory activity deployed by 10 learners was studied within the context of a peer assessment task using an assessment form paired with video feedback in the context of an English language classroom at a French university. These interactions were filmed and discussed in individual self-confrontation interviews which were analyzed through inductive coding. Specific findings from the classroom setting shed light on existing gaps in the literature. First, students can gain confidence in their own skills through assessing their peers and activating regulatory processes both individually and as a group. Second, appropriate tools can increase co-regulated and socially regulated learning through the structuring of cooperative regulatory behaviors. Third, psychological safety appeared to be a propitious social context for supporting regulated learning (SRL, CoRL, and SSRL). We also shed light on the fact that adaptive regulatory strategies are present in oral (as well as written) English as a Foreign Language tasks. These results indicate the potential for learning situations based on video feedback used in conjunction with peer assessment and collaborative learning in order to develop regulatory behaviors in language learners.

Multimodality and pronunciation in ICLHE (Integration of Content and Language in Higher Education) training

ABSTRACT Purpose This paper describes a study carried out within an ICLHE training programme in a Northern Italian university. The paper discusses the way an increased awareness of multimodal resources and the ability to deploy them effectively during lectures could offset language deficits of lecturers and enhance overall communicative competence and pedagogy. Design/methodology/approach Eight mini-lectures given during a microteaching session undertaken as part of a training module were video recorded for analysis. Lectures are a form of multimodal discourse and multimodal analysis was chosen for an examination of spoken language with a particular focus on pronunciation, audiovisual presentations and non-verbal communication, as well as any other didactic material or strategies used by the participants. The video recordings were chosen on the basis of observations and feedback from the trainers with the aim of investigating ICLHE competence. Findings and originality There have been few studies on pronunciation and ICLHE and they tend to be oriented towards investigating students’ pronunciation gains in English-medium Instruction (EMI). The findings of this study suggest that by enhancing multimodal competence and focusing on pronunciation, lecturers can improve their overall communicative competence. Value The results of this study provide some indications of how educational developers can help lecturers increase their awareness of the communicative potential of multi-semiotic modes to support their pronunciation and improve the clarity of their lectures.

ANALYSIS OF POSSIBILITIES OF GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS APPLICATION IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING

The article highlights the methodological potential of using graphic organizers as a modern visualization technology for the presentation and structuring of information in the educational process of a foreign language in higher education institutions. The approaches of domestic and foreign educators to the use of such organizers in the process of teaching disciplines in general and on certain aspects of teaching foreign languages in particular are analyzed. The purpose of the article is to summarize the experience of using graphic organizers and analyze the possibilities of their use in foreign language teaching in higher education institutions. Possibilities of using graphic organizers in the educational process in a foreign language are identified and generalized. These include: ease of creation, editing and verification; reusability; for individual, pair and group work; use in any learning format; use in various aspects of teaching; for students of any level of language proficiency; removing the language barrier; application of research approach in teaching and development of thinking; opportunity to consider the whole topic of the lesson; the ability to turn a large amount of information into a structured, easy-to-understand graphic image. The most common forms for use in foreign language teaching (hierarchical, cyclical, consistent, conceptual, comparisons, data organizers) and their examples are given. The stages of introduction of graphic organizers in the educational process in a foreign language are considered. The forms of presentation of graphic organizers and resources for their creation are indicated. The great potential for the use of graphic organizers in the educational process of a foreign language and the need for further research on the application of certain types in various aspects of teaching a foreign language in higher education.

The Impact of the Pandemic on Higher Education: New Challenges and Perspectives

The aim of this article is to analyze the experience of the transition to distance learning during the Covid-19 pandemic in domestic universities. The article considers some of the features of distance learning, as well as the advantages and disadvantages that have become obvious during this experience. The authors pay attention to the actions of public authorities in response to new circumstances in the period of pandemic. The proponents note that universities have passed major efficiency tests of their work and have successfully sorted out the problem of providing high quality education outside the walls of the universities. As a result of this complicated experience, new soft-skills have been formed for both teachers and students; moreover, the concept of an innovator teacher has been expanded. The article addresses the issues of teaching foreign languages in higher education in the context of distance learning while maintaining the high level inherent in classes in a university classroom. The authors draw attention to the psychological system of distance learning, talk about the importance of the emotional ties and face to face communication during the educational process and emphasize that the development of a digital learning environment will expand students’ access to highquality curricula, in foreign languages in particular, regardless of the form of study. In conclusion, the authors believe that it is too early to draw final conclusion about the results of distance learning, but they consider it will become an integral part of the entire educational process in the nearest future. This educational process will be a continuation of that close inter-university cooperation aimed at interaction with the aim of sharing experiences and expanding the prospects for the use of hybrid forms of education in the future.

LEARNING A SECOND FOREIGN LANGUAGE BASED ON ENGLISH

The topic of this scientific article is one of the most important issues in the field of education. In today's rapidly changing world, where yesterday's news is today's story, there has been an increase in the number of people who are eager to move forward and learn several languages in accordance with modern requirements. Because people today speak several languages. This article emphasizes the importance of learning German as a related language, based on the knowledge of this language after English, which is the main foreign language. At present, knowledge of the German language is one of the mandatory requirements for the professional world. There are a lot of people who speak English, and every student, every young specialist, satisfied with their knowledge and experience, clearly understands that, having mastered other languages, one can find a decent job on the global labor exchange. By teaching students German in higher education, we prepare them for the future. Instead of theory, we focused on discussing modern situations in practical classes. We hope that this will allow young professionals to use the knowledge gained in higher education with benefit in working conditions. However, very few hours are devoted to teaching German as a second foreign language in higher education. Therefore, teachers consider it necessary to use unique, effective, useful, understandable, simple methods of teaching the German language, relying on the knowledge of the main foreign language (English) of students on a comparative basis in German classes. In this article, we will talk about such useful and effective methods used in teaching German as a second foreign language based on linguistics.

Foreign Language Competence Development of University Students and its Evaluation in the Context of Modern Neuroscience

The article reviews the literature, the main trends and prospects for building and, to a greater extent, evaluation of foreign language competence with university students in the context of modern neuroscience. For the first time, neuroscientific aspects in the now common methods of evaluation of foreign language competencies are determined and the expediency of using the associative method as an effective development and evaluative tool is substantiated. It is found that the neuro-approach at the level of linguodidactics in the evaluation and building linguistic and communicative competencies with students is possible with appropriate and methodically modeled actualization of logical-associative relations of free subjective meanings of words and obligatory (paradigmatic) meanings. The international significance of the article lies in its summary nature related to the methods of evaluating foreign language competencies, determining the relative universality and accessibility of the associative method as the most accessible of the neuro-oriented and accessible to the average higher education language teacher.

Innovative approaches in language learning.

Various concept of innovational approaches of learning languages have been analyzed and their actual definition has been proposed in the article. The article is considered development not only practical knowledge of English, but also the ability to work with information, that is, the ability to think, communicative competence. The game method in teaching a foreign language, which are wide demand in society, and actively used by teachers in the practice of teaching foreign languages in higher education, in corporate learning and specialized courses continuing education. In addition, this article also provides a scientific review on exploring the characteristics of an integrated English Only Space language studio and the impact further development of language competencies among teachers and students. Interaction with people of different social and cultural backgrounds requires oral communication, understanding, and dialogue to interact effectively. Therefore, using the English Only Space (EOS) integrated language studio, it develops communicative competence, problem-solving skills, students’ critical thinking skills, information analysis and reasoning. English Only Space serves as a driver for active start-up research in the field of innovative education. So, about 182 students of the Multilingual Education Faculty of Kh. Dosmukhamedov Atyrau University took part in the research. Key words: innovation, approaches, linguistics, communication, EOS, language learnin

Main Directions of Development of the Methodology of Teaching Foreign Languages in Higher Education Institutions

Abstract: The article presents an analysis of modern domestic and foreign studies devoted to the study of directions for improving the methodology of teaching foreign languages in higher education. The trends of domestic foreign language education are: modernization of the methodology of teaching foreign languages in a non-linguistic university with a focus on international educational standards; co-study of the language and culture of the people; lifelong education; professional orientation of a foreign language course in a non-linguistic university; increasing the share of independent work of students; differentiation and individualization in teaching foreign languages. Foreign researchers view the personality quality we are interested in differently: in Western countries with a predominance of individualism, independence, autonomy, and personal active participation are of greater importance, while in Eastern countries with their inherent collectivism, special attention is paid to the rules and norms adopted in a particular society. This paradigm is of particular interest to us, since the studied category of students from among the indigenous inhabitants of Yakutia belong, rather, to the eastern mental group, while being members of the Russian nation, located at the junction of the West and the East. Consideration of these trends allowed us to move on to the theoretical substantiation, construction and implementation in practice of the author's methodology for the development of educational independence of students from among the indigenous inhabitants of Yakutia, represented by strategies, techniques, a set of forms, methods, tools and exercises aimed at forming the desired personality quality. Keywords: Methods of teaching foreign languages; language education; language competence; foreign languages; methods of teaching foreign languages at the university; teaching methods; forms of education.

Exploring University Students’ Willingness to Communicate and Unwillingness to Communicate in EFL

This research investigates the contributive factors influencing students’ willingness to communicate (WTC) dan unwillingness to communicate (Un-WTC) in English as a foreign language in higher education in Indonesia. 10 first-year students which came from several non-English departments participated in the study and they represented the WTC and Un-WTC groups. Semi-structured observations and interviews were used to collect the data. The result reveals that there were two main factors contributing to their WTC and Un-WTC, namely individual dan external factors. The ideal L2 self, confidence, anxiety, and perceived communicative competence are among the individual factors, while teacher’s personality, types of activities and topics, classroom atmosphere subsumes to the external factors. These factors are interconnected and affect students’ WTC and Un-WTC in the classroom.

Реструктивно-ассоциативный метод и современный плюрилингвизм

The article deals with the problem of choosing innovative methods of teaching foreign languages in higher education. One of them recognizes the reconstructive-associative method as the most relevant in the conditions of modern globalization, characterized by a variety of cultures and a variety of languages, i.e. plurilingualism. The method is based on the concept of a bridge language, a connecting language or an intermediary language, proposed by the European Understanding program. This approach involves the use of English or French when teaching a number of Germanic/Romance languages. At the level of teaching foreign languages in Russian universities, the concept of a bridge language is promising when developing training programs for a bilingual audience. At the same time, it is transformed into the concept of the reference language, which in our country is usually Russian. It is recognized that the supporting language does not have to be native. Its role can be the first foreign language, for example, English when teaching a second foreign language (French) language. The proposed innovative approach opens up promising horizons of both educational and didactic and methodological plans for innovative teachers who are able to respond to the challenges of the modern world with their creativity and high language competence.

The Gap between Perceived and Achieved English Communication Needs of Saudi Management and Business Administration Students: An ESP Paradigm

English has gained institutional as well as social acceptance in Saudi Arabia, especially as the language of higher education. Institutes of higher learning make sure that their students achieve an acceptable standard of communicative competence. But, despite many efforts, the discrepancy between the perceived and achieved needs of learners in English communication is observed. This is specifically true of specific course students, such as Management and Business Administration students, who are taught English to enhance their professional communicative competence in English. An empirical study based on survey was conducted at King Abdulaziz University—Rabigh Branch, Saudi Arabia, to investigate whether the English communication needs of Management and Administration students envisaged by the University matched the needs perceived by these students for themselves in the changing global scenario regarding the use of English, and if there is any discrepancy between the two, whether students wish for a change in the way English is taught to them currently. The results obtained from the survey show that students advocate for English for Specific Purposes (ESP) for themselves, with increased semesters of teaching and inclusion of more books in English catering to business English requirements. The implications of the study are far reaching as the students’ perception of their English communication needs indicates the need for stronger advocacy for the inclusion of ESP courses, especially in the vocational programs at the university, such as MBA.