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Written explanations

Page 80
1. Higher education has rapidly globalised, creating a divide between global elite
institutions and those which mainly serve local students.
a. Higher education is becoming globalized along with the economy. And
English is the dominant key to this because most English-speaking
universities dominate the global league tables, so English is proving to be a
popular medium for the internationalization of academic institutions. However,
universities have traditionally been national, even local, institutions. Now
universities compete globally. As a result, this has created a gap between the
educational institutions that are at the top of the league table and the
international ones that have remained local. Evidence shows that the main
differences are the low proficiency in English, especially among graduates of
non-elite schools, and the inconsistent quality of curricula and faculty.

2. Global institutions in non-English-speaking countries are using English medium


courses to attract international students and teachers. However, there may also be a
trend (for example in Germany) to restrict this to lower levels and to require
international students to ‘come up to speed’ in the national language.
a. English has served as a tool for different universities to operate in a
globalized environment, in which non-English-speaking countries offer English
courses as a medium to attract both teachers and researchers. This is why
the use of English has increased in universities around the world. Institutions
that have become centers of international educational excellence are those
that through the use of English have encouraged international students to
enroll in their courses. This explains why English as a global academic
language facilitates the international mobility of young researchers. However,
in the case of countries such as Germany, this trend of English in universities
has also been used to boost the growth of the national language, thus giving
students more opportunities to access the job market in that country.

3. The growth in international student mobility is likely to be slower than anticipated,


with MESDCs (major English-speaking destination countries) receiving a declining
market share. As countries improve tertiary provision, local and regional options are
becoming available, which may be cheaper and culturally more attractive.
a. The fact that the major English speaking destination countries attract so many
students is a fact, because their universities dominate the international
competition tables and have the most enterprising universities, yet for
numerous reasons, it is very likely that the mobility of international students
will decrease, reasons such as the new visa procedures stipulated, the costs
for studying abroad, or even the current pandemic of covid 19 that we have
been living through. It is also possible that there are reasons underlying this
trend, whereby the market share of the major English-speaking countries will
become decreasing. Additionally, as the countries of origin improve in
academic quality, improve their educational and economic systems, as new
institutions spread, and as these local offerings become less expensive than
studying abroad, eventually the number of students wishing to study abroad is
likely to decrease.

4. Attempts to create global eUniversities have largely failed, though eLearning is


proving to be a successful component in ‘blended learning’ offered by traditional
institutions as well as in secondary education.
a. Although e-learning has proven to be a promising component of the "blended
learning" methodology offered by various institutions, the possibilities of
creating e-universities have been unsuccessful because it has simply not
been cost-effective. Actually good quality online virtual distance education
and the implementation of all its resources could actually be more expensive
than face-to-face education.

5. The fastest growth for UK universities now appears to be in transnational students


studying for a UK degree in branch campuses or joint ventures established in Asian
countries. The long-term strategic and economic benefits of this for the UK are still
unknown.
a. The UK's University of Nottingham established two campuses in the Asian
region. This benefits transnational students because they study for a degree
in the UK without even leaving their home countries. It is expected that the
number of transnational students studying at these overseas campuses will
outnumber international students. It is also expected that these campuses will
attract students from other parts of the region. However, it is difficult to decide
whether this will be a viable option in the long term.

6. Countries which have, in the past, provided major sources of international students,
such as Malaysia and China, are sending fewer students overseas and repositioning
themselves as net exporters of higher education.
a. Knowing that students are attracted by affordable and culturally attractive
academic offerings, countries such as China and Malaysia have focused on
improving their educational systems and economies. In order to attract
international students who intended to travel to some of the major
English-speaking destination countries. Consequently, China and Malaysia
are becoming highly qualified in higher education, and as a result, are
sending fewer students abroad.

Page 102
1. For many decades, EFL has been the dominant model for the teaching of English,
but as countries respond to the rise of global English, the traditional EFL model
seems to be in decline.
a. This trend explains that as the globalization of English increases, traditional
models such as EFL shift from being a dominant teaching model to being less
frequently used. As new models for teaching English and languages emerge
since English is no longer seen as a foreign language but as a global
language, it needs a new approach.

2. The increase in the teaching of English to young learners (EYL) is not just a new
methodological fashion, but fits with wider reforms of education.
a. The age at which children begin learning English has decreased. The
intention of this educational project is often to create a bilingual population.
Around the world, English is being introduced in primary schools, with greater
emphasis, and at increasingly younger ages. Because teaching the language
to children is easier for them to learn languages than it is for older students.
Since younger students face obstacles that older students do not. Also, one
of the practical reasons for introducing English to younger students is to
ensure that they have more time in their school career to become proficient in
the language.

3. In an increasing number of countries, English is now regarded as a component of


basic education, rather than as part of the foreign languages curriculum. A surprising
number of countries now aspire to bilingualism.
a. Indeed, this aspiration towards bilingualism is often not only an educational
project but also a political and economic one. Thus, a remarkable number of
governments talk not only about the need to learn a foreign language but also
about the ambition to make their country bilingual. This is why English is
increasingly finding its way into the curriculum not as a foreign language, but
as a component of basic education in many non-English speaking countries.

4. During the next decade and beyond, there will be an ever-changing mix of
age-relationships with skill levels, making generic approaches to textbooks, teaching
methods and assessment inappropriate.
a. As changes are expected in the next decade, this requires education to
evolve, traditional approaches, teaching methods, assessment and the use of
textbooks will be inadequate for the changes that will occur for students of
different ages and ability levels, and therefore it is expected that a type of
educational approach will be provided according to the context and
circumstances of the students.

5. The learning of English appears to be losing its separate identity as a discipline and
merging with general education.
a. Since we are now living in a more globalized world, the use of the English
language has much more value than before. English is no longer seen as a
discipline but as a necessary tool of general education for twenty-first-century
communication. Many non-English-speaking countries aim for the population
to be able to speak English as a second language. Making it a general
requirement.

6. Specialist English teachers in many countries can expect to see the nature of their
jobs changing during the next 10-15 years.
a. To explain this trend it is possible to say that, just as the world is constantly
changing, people, culture, the way we communicate, languages themselves
are also affected by these changes. All of this has repercussions on the way
teaching is applied, education has undergone numerous changes throughout
history. Its most recent change has been the implementation of new
technologies, and just as everything in the world evolves, it is expected that
the teaching of English in the next 10 to 15 years will also be transformed.

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