The Value of Foreign Language Learning

Schroedler, Tobias

doi:10.1007/978-3-658-19736-0

Cited by 11 publications

(7 citation statements)

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“…The key notion within this study—the value of English learning—will be explored and clarified in this section. The value of language often refers to economic value, but a language, as well as language learning, has more values not reflected in the economy (Schroedler, 2018). Linguistic competence expresses people's relationship to the social world, and language learning is a process in which people adjust themselves in order to be accepted by the social world (Bourdieu, 1977).…”

Section: The Value Of Learning English In China: a Bourdieusian Persp...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…She explores the linguistic production and circulation of British‐Arab immigrants in Wales. In Ireland, Schroedler (2018) also compares the potential capital brought by learning different languages and argues for more diversified foreign language education.…”

Section: The Value Of Learning English In China: a Bourdieusian Persp...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Symbolic capital is ‘the form assumed by these different kinds of capital when they are perceived and recognised as legitimate’ (Bourdieu, 1991, p. 230). Some researchers regard the symbolic capital of a language as an alternative to or subdivision of social capital when the language is recognised as the official language (e.g., Loos, 2000; Schroedler, 2018). However, although English is not the official language in China, it is still filled with symbolic capital since it is widely considered a key to success (Pan, 2015).…”

Section: The Value Of Learning English In China: a Bourdieusian Persp...mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Winter is coming? University teachers' and students' views on the value of learning English in China

Fan

2023

Review of Education

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China released two new policies in 2021, the ‘double reduction’ and a Gaokao (National College Entrance Examination) regulation, which have significantly impacted English learning and Languages other than English (LOTEs) learning respectively. This has intensified the existing dispute over ‘English fever’ and made people question whether the ‘winter’ of English education in China has come. In this article, findings from a multiple‐case study exploring teachers' and students' opinions on the value of English learning in Chinese higher education are discussed under the circumstances of such new policies. This study employs the Bourdieusian approach and involves English major, non‐English major learners as well as their teachers in Yunnan and Shanghai, two socio‐economically different areas, to see diversity. The participants reported a cooling down of the ‘English fever’ in the universities and the wider society, yet an increasing demand for a higher level of English proficiency in particular industries or disciplines. The findings also demonstrate the tension between the standardised national curriculum and regionally different language needs along with the influence of an incoherent national curricula for different educational stages regarding foreign language education. This paper concludes with suggestions to modify the curriculum and teaching practices for multilingual and English for Specific Purposes (ESP) education in China as well as other English as a Foreign Language contexts. Context and implications Rationale for this study The ‘double reduction’ and the new Gaokao regulation have a top‐down effect on English learning and the learning of LOTEs in China, while individual stakeholders' opinions have drawn little attention. Why the new findings matter This study provides a timely insight into English teachers' and learners' changes in thinking against the backdrop of recent policy changes. Implications for English teachers and policy makers This research revealed a trend away from the English‐only approach towards multilingual learning along with an increasing demand for ESP teaching and learning. English teachers can draw on the findings to design ESP pedagogical activities to accommodate their students' demands. This study also presents a refreshing new perspective on the curriculum by identifying the inconsistency in the national curriculum about foreign language subjects and the tension between the standardised national curriculum and regionally different language needs. Policy makers are suggested to use the findings to improve the curriculum for the greater continuity of language learning and the greater satisfaction of learners' demands.

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Section: The Value Of Learning English In China: a Bourdieusian Persp...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Value Of Learning English In China: a Bourdieusian Persp...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Value Of Learning English In China: a Bourdieusian Persp...mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Winter is coming? University teachers' and students' views on the value of learning English in China

Fan

2023

Review of Education

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“…The research about economics of language mainly involves language as human capital, the relationship between language and economics and trade, immigration and related language policies [5] . For example, based on a highly interdisciplinary theoretical framework, Schroedler [6] comprehensively elaborated on the value of language skills in the Irish economy. Konara and Wei [7] systematically studied how human capital and language capital jointly determine foreign investment.…”

Section: Economics Of Languagementioning

confidence: 99%

Exploration of the Path for Local College ESP Teaching to Empower Common Prosperity

2023

IJNDE

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In the context of promoting common prosperity and building a Chinese path to modernization, employers generally require college graduates to have a certain level of English language proficiency. However, the satisfaction with the professional competence and English ability of the college graduate applicants is not high. From the perspective of Economics of Language, the cost and benefit ratio of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) teaching, as an economic input to human capital, is far from ideal: human capital has not been well formed, and teaching results have not well served the needs of social and economic development. Therefore, this paper explores the path of serving common prosperity of ESP teaching in local colleges based on empirical research methods. It is proposed that on the basis of cultivating compound and practical capabilities as ESP teaching goal in local colleges, the teaching design of ESP should be guided by the idea of common prosperity and the ESP teaching in local colleges should publicize common prosperity so as to maximize the economic and social benefits of ESP teaching in local colleges as well as forming human capital. It is expected that this study will provide some reference for the ESP teaching in local colleges to provide educational support for achieving common prosperity.

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“…Graddol (2006) goes further in pointing out the non-competitiveness of MES in future workplaces, emphasising that they will carry with them an inherent disadvantage compared to their multilingual colleagues elsewhere. Indeed, recent research has convincingly proven the value of language skills to the Irish economy itself (Schroedler, 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Challenges of monolingual intercultural communication in the context of the Languages Connect Strategy

Murray

Giralt

2019

TEANGA

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The new national language strategy (Languages Connect) for Ireland has finally highlighted the importance of language learning for the economic, social and cultural development of the country. Inherent to this strategy is the demand for not only multilingual graduates but interculturally competent graduates. Ireland has been becoming increasingly culturally diverse for many years now, and so our contexts of work and interactions have become multilingual as well as multicultural. Yet many of our students remain limited in their acquisition and exposure to foreign language/s and culture/s. Previously we reported (Authors, 2018) how our pedagogical content and practices are insufficient in addressing the current linguistic and intercultural competence (IC) needs of language specialist graduates. Our new data (n=141) has emerged using a mixed-methods approach from non-specialist language students, who have had limited language or IC training. Our analysis reveals problems arising from these monolingual intercultural communications due to English being the dominant lingua franca. We have major challenges in motivating these monolingual students to learn another language. The dangers arising from this monolingualism are self-evident, (see, for example: https://www.llas.ac.uk/700reasons.html), the solutions less so. This article explores this perplexing scenario and aims to open a dialogue on this subject, offering some recommendations and potential solutions.

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The Value of Foreign Language Learning

Cited by 11 publications

References 0 publications

Winter is coming? University teachers' and students' views on the value of learning English in China

Winter is coming? University teachers' and students' views on the value of learning English in China

Exploration of the Path for Local College ESP Teaching to Empower Common Prosperity

Challenges of monolingual intercultural communication in the context of the Languages Connect Strategy

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