Thursday, June 16, 2011

British university language policy be approved language courses and more arrogance to be canceled

For some time, at the University of Glasgow, Scotland, UK cut its Czech and Polish plans for the controversial cultural courses. Some scholars warned that the University will cancel the Slavic language courses and social caused serious damage. Recently, the University of Glasgow spokesman said the College Board will be June 22 at the meeting to consider the modern language and culture group discussion recommendations.

Multi-language courses to be canceled

As British universities have faced difficulties caused by financial constraints, according to research on social and economic impact to re-evaluate the budget and tuition standards to be put on the agenda. The next 3 years, the University of Glasgow £ 3,500 financial gap, students need to make up for revenue and capital reduction. To this end, the University of Glasgow earlier this year drafted a series of plans.

Under the plan, nursing, anthropology, social services, substance abuse research, adult education and modern languages, archeology, history, classical literature and other courses will be canceled. Program, said the school's modern language and cultural education is very weak, has not attracted enough to pay the high cost of graduate students, therefore, propose to abolish the Polish, Czech, Russian, Italian, German, Portuguese, and Jia Tailuo Virginia Language 7 language, leaving only the French and Spanish. University authorities said the move was made based on the strategic situation of fiscal policy reduced.

Language courses to cancel the plan was announced that attracted wide attention. Students and faculty expressed strong dissatisfaction, they believe that these language courses is a modern university in the essential part of academic, some students also held a protest march this.

Schools within a modern language and culture on a panel discussion on the Committee also recommends that the University retain all foreign language courses. The report said: "If we want to achieve a solid basis to study the ability of the vision of world-class universities, we must have a good modern language and culture school." "I hope the school can retain more foreign language teaching and to take measures to students in different subjects to understand the value in use of these languages. "

The decline of the Slavic language courses

Voice of the face of a challenge, the school specializes in the Council meeting the matter. After discussion, from this point of view the situation in late May, many of the modern language courses such as German, Italian, Western language studies, comparative literature has been the reduction plan is unlikely to achieve.

Nevertheless, Czech, Polish and other Slavic languages ​​courses is still not very clear the future. University of Glasgow under the UCU lecturers union President Dave Anderson said: "Although the situation has improved, but teachers are still on the Slavic languages ​​and humanities expressed concern about the situation." "We certainly believe the plan for maintaining a strong School of Modern Languages ​​and Cultural commitments, but any adjustment of the school activities and the impact will be subject to rigorous testing - any compulsory job cuts will be met with strong opposition. "

Sub-Committee discussed the report said: "Czech and Polish existing staffing is one of a series of focus groups. Compared to the standard of teachers in other disciplines and the number of students, this part of the preparation of very few teachers, and Slav research base is very weak. "

Report, based on Czech and Polish language teaching issues should receive attention in the future. Among them, a viable solution is through the school of modern languages ​​and cultural institutions independent language college in their spare time for the public and the Czech and Polish business community based teaching. However, some people worry that these institutions may not have professional teaching qualifications and abilities.

What the University will assume responsibility for the UK

In 2010, more than 5 million people come to the UK from Poland, but less than last year, 500 students received here of higher education in Russia and Eastern Europe. British Polish Business Club founder and director of Anna Maria McIver said, young Poles eager to obtain qualifications in English, to improve employment prospects; contrast, very few British people involved in the Polish culture.

Hungary joined the EU in 2004 shortly after the Hungarian Renato came to England, hoping to practice his English and to engage in the work of teachers, but soon he was laid off and the homeless. "Now more and more expensive travel costs, the British ready to go to Hungary to see a dentist, but someone did not even know where the capital of Hungary." He said, "If you speak a language, you will be able to better understand that kinds of culture. a multicultural society must be more open. "In this regard, Czech lecturer Jane Couric said:" These things happen in the UK reflects a arrogant attitude. For example, many British people in Eastern Europe published in the issue of arbitrary opinion, but do not understand those words - they should be able to speak the local language first. "

According to Confederation of British Industry survey, more than 2 / 3 of employers dissatisfied with foreign language skills of young people, more than half of employers feel that employees lack of knowledge of international culture. Some companies employers in an interview that the language is a communication tool, to give speeches and statements and belief in self-confidence; foreign language can improve the employability, labor mobility and competitiveness, can also provide soft power. But those who make a significant contribution to the UK economy to foreign migrant workers and those who might be hard to find work abroad, the British only speak English, it still faces many obstacles. Monica came to England from Poland six years ago, Ealing in West London areas of work, a Polish deli. "Some Poles are going home because they do not know English, it is difficult to find a job." She said.

A survey shows that 75% of the world's population does not speak English as their first language; 2000 to 2009, the Internet usage of English from 51% to 29%. To this end, the Higher Education Funding Council of England and foreign language learning in Eastern Europe as a "strategically important" and "weak" priority development objectives. But the reality is that, compared with 10 private schools inside the 8, 10 public schools in England only 4 students learning a foreign language schools participated in the General Certificate of Secondary Education examination. As the only company in Scotland degrees awarded in Polish and Czech universities, business schools based on the demonstration of higher education - University of Glasgow, to cancel the behavior of foreign language courses, students also are potential employers criticism. Experts questioned, denied British universities afford students the language skills of their responsibility? These skills could make them full of international competitiveness.

Several foreign language teaching in the University Teachers in an interview expressed the view that the reconstruction of a Department of Foreign Languages ​​has been destroyed than let it remain slow operation, requiring much greater effort. Foreign language courses is tantamount to harm than to cancel, because education is not an arbitrary stretch the elastic band.

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