Modern language degrees:Future perspectivesMichael KellyBerlin, 28 November 2013

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Language degrees

• Philology / language and literature

• Applied languages / language and society

• Translation and interpreting

• Language teacher education

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Need for language degrees

• Historically – elite education

– Liberal arts education

– Academic teaching of language and culture

– Vocational language teaching

– Language professions – translation and interpreting

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Need for language degrees

• Currently – socially inclusive education

– Prepare international career

– Language professions – translation and interpreting

– International teaching of language and culture

– Cultural mediators (more research needed)

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Current social context

• Economic crisis

– Public funding, Jobs, Growth

• Transnational migration

• Internationalisation of higher education

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Responding to new needs

• Adapt existing programmes to new needs

• Develop new programmes

• Develop new modes of delivery

• Innovate or die (by decree or attrition)

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Where will new programmes come from?• Academics?

• Institutional managers?

• Policy makers?

• Institutional initiatives?

• National or international collaboration?