Naslov
Attitudes of Croatian native speakers towards the idea of introducing English-medium higher education

Autori
Drljača Margić, Branka ; Žeželić, Tea

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, sažetak, znanstveni

Izvornik
English as a Scientific and Research Language (Knjižica sažetaka) / - Zaragoza : Sveučilište u Zaragozi, 2012, 20-21

Skup
English as a Scientific and Research Language Conference

Mjesto i datum
Zaragoza, Španjolska, 01.12.2012. - 02.12.2012

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Predavanje

Vrsta recenzije
Međunarodna recenzija

Ključne riječi
English-medium instruction ; students ; attitudes

Sažetak
Attitudes of non-native English speakers towards the use of English in high-status domains, such as higher education, have been investigated for years in different linguistic communities (e.g. Berg et al. 2001, Preisler 2005, Ljosland 2007, Gnutzmann 2008). With higher education and other high-status domains becoming increasingly internationalised and with a growing need for international student and teacher mobility, research into attitudes towards English-medium higher education is particularly important. The present paper reports on the first study conducted into the attitudes of Croatian native speakers towards the idea of introducing English as a medium of instruction in Croatian higher education, which is at the moment almost exclusively Croatian-medium. A questionnaire-based study was carried out among 177 Croatian university students enrolled in the final year, studying tourism management, economics, maritime studies, electrical engineering, medicine and law. The aim of the study was to examine whether the participants felt that they were competent enough to attend courses and take exams in English, whether and why they would like courses they attend to be in English, and what they believed to be main advantages of and barriers to introducing English as a medium of instruction in Croatian higher education. The participants’ perception of the possibility of the implementation of English-medium higher education in Croatia was also investigated. The findings of the study suggest that half of the respondents feel competent to attend courses in English, but only a third feels up to taking exams in English. The large majority of respondents, however, believe either that no university courses should be in English or that only some of them (predominantly electives) should, the latter primarily in order to help them improve their English, prepare them for a competitive labour market, and help them achieve professional goals in Croatia and abroad. Most participants (60%) do not find it possible for higher education in Croatia to become English-medium, while only as few as 4% feel the opposite, and 14% say that only electives and internationally oriented courses are likely to be offered in English. Most of those who hold that the concept is probable only in the future (22%) see it happen in five to ten years from now. The most intriguing finding that this study has revealed is that in spite of the approaching accession of Croatia to the European Union and the increasing internationalisation of higher education Europe-wide, the idea of introducing English-medium higher education in Croatia is largely facing scepticism and concerns. The respondents are highly sceptical about the ability and motivation of teachers and students to use English as a medium of education, that is, to transfer and acquire knowledge in English, as well as about the organisational and financial issues involved. Furthermore, they are concerned that Croatian would consequently become inadequate as a medium for transmitting new scholarly knowledge and inappropriate for use in higher education.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Filologija

POVEZANOST RADA