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“Welcome to the real world” or English Reloaded: A European Perspective

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Englishes in Multilingual Contexts

Part of the book series: Multilingual Education ((MULT,volume 10))

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Abstract

English has become our “lingua franca”/“lingua academia”, with all its positive and negative implications in the processes of teaching, learning, presenting, publishing etc. Against the background that e.g., English-taught programs are becoming more and more important, and that (English) language classes are compulsory for the newly established BA/MA programs, this article will look for factors that influence the re-defining (or reloading) of teaching (in) English in European Higher Education (HE). Based on recent surveys and personal experiences, the authors will highlight the role of (European) English teachers as “navigators” and “mediators” between the internationalization of European HE, students’ demands and expectations concerning language classes (sometimes underestimated), and the demands and expectations of the (European) labor market. The article is intended as a general and example-driven impulse for a continuative discussion about views, priorities, strategies, and (of course) requirements regarding the need for a new type of language specialist—not just in Europe.

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Correspondence to Sabine Pendl .

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Pendl, S., Timm, C. (2014). “Welcome to the real world” or English Reloaded: A European Perspective. In: Mahboob, A., Barratt, L. (eds) Englishes in Multilingual Contexts. Multilingual Education, vol 10. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8869-4_12

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