9. English-language courses and full programmes

One motive for UCPH to introduce the principle of parallel language use in 2008 was to support the introduction of English-medium instruction in disciplines which had traditionally been taught in Danish - with course texts in Danish and/or English.

The choice of medium of instruction for full degree programmes or individual courses was the responsibility of study boards and faculties, but in 2008, a general UCPH decision was made that bachelor programmes should be taught in Danish except for two cases: language programmes (e.g., Arabic, English, German) and courses in areas where the best qualified lecturer has an international background and is unable to teach in Danish.

At Master’s level, the choice of Danish or English as the medium of instruction is made at faculty level or by each study board. This means that all Master’s courses at the Faculty of Science are in English, but that the other five faculties use Danish as well as English. Principle 9.1 opens up the possibility of offering bachelor courses in English so as to attract full degree students at BA level and/or to include more international researchers in teaching at bachelor level.

As a general principle, the medium of instruction is also the medium of examination.

To identify the relevance and the feasibility of introducing English as the medium of instruction (EMI) in a bachelor course or a full degree programme, it is useful to conduct an initial needs analysis among students and lecturers. The needs analysis will help identify students’ and lecturers’ current instructional and linguistic needs, such as students’ and lecturers’ language proficiency in English and the available linguistic support for both groups. Furthermore, students’ future career needs, i.e. preparing for the national and/or global labour market, the available teaching resources, and lecturers’ professional identities must be taken into consideration.

In order to maintain a high level of quality in the programmes, the introduction of EMI at bachelor level must be well planned. The following list of principles, which originate from a set of recommendations for Nordic universities published by a pan-Nordic group of language educators for the Nordic Council of Ministers, may be useful during the planning and implementation stages of EMI:

• Both lecturers and students must master the teaching language – otherwise the quality of teaching and students' learning will suffer.
• Both lecturers and students can and should be offered supporting courses.
• The reading material may well be in languages other than the teaching language
• The teaching language may vary from one sub-element to another within the same study programme [sub-element refers to teaching activities such as lectures, group work, Q & A in seminars etc.]
• The teaching language during a specific element may also vary if the lecturer needs to change it to demonstrate a point, or if the students have different language backgrounds.
• Before the course starts, students must always be fully informed of the languages used and the requirements that this places on them.
• The parallel language skills students acquire during (elements of) a study programme should be made explicit, and credits awarded for them. Degree certificates and grades should specify the defined skills and competencies acquired in one or more languages during the course. (Gregersen et al. 2018, p.20-21)

It is important to keep in mind that some lecturers may need support to shift to EMI because of their language proficiency, but also because of a lack of self-confidence in using English or a perceived threat to their professional identity (see the principles in Section 1).

Therefore, it is crucial that lecturers have access to pedagogical and linguistic support from the teaching, learning, and language centres. To cater to the students´ needs, see the principles in Section 7 in the language policy.

CIP offers general courses on academic English for staff and students as well as courses for lecturers on language issues related to the teaching situation (e.g., “How to improve your teaching in English”). CIP may also be consulted by study boards or faculties before or during the planning process to give advice on procedures or even carry out a local needs analysis among students and lecturers.

If you’re interested in knowing more about what we offer at CIP and our prices, please contact us at cip@hum.ku.dk or by phone +45 3532 8639.