Internationalisation and Teaching through English: A Danish Perspective

Abstract

Contextualisation
This article reflects on the changing relationship between internationalisation and the
emergence of English as the common language in higher education (HE). With the help of
empirical data from Danish universities, the paper addresses the complexity of aligning the
issues of curriculum policy and practice. While it is generally acknowledged that broadening
the working definition of internationalisation will make it more appropriate for use in a wide
variety of contexts, there is still a need to relay more on-site experiences from these
contexts. This article is part of the growing body of internationalisation literature and activity
written from a local and European perspective.


Abstract: The purpose of this study is to examine where, and how, internationalisation
policies have become operational within the traditional Danish university setting.
‘Internationalisation’, in this context, refers to specific internal changes in the teaching
and research function of Danish higher education. The extent and availability of course
teaching through English is used as a means of measuring the internationalisation
process at institutional level. Participants included a stratified random sample of 100
Heads of Department at Danish universities. The forces of globalisation have
accentuated the ongoing domestic debate in Denmark over the medium of instruction and
the legitimacy of English as the lingua franca. This paper therefore commences with a
contemporary discussion of internationalisation and globalisation as it relates to
European and Danish higher education. It then moves to an analysis of questionnaire
feedback from five regionally separate Danish universities. Results from this autumn
2003 survey indicate that due to the absence, at that time, of general government
procedures with regard to internationalisation, departments were defining their own
statements and actions and there were many variants of institutional commitment to
internationalisation. The results also suggest that while acknowledging the widespread
use and need for English, particularly in research, a multi-lingual approach would better
address current trends and developments. The study concludes that some Danish
universities are now rethinking internationalisation issues and moving away from a
preoccupation with student mobility activity to an emphasis on developing global and
international competencies.