IS THE EUROPEAN LANGUAGE POLICY AN ADEQUATE ANSWER?

Welcome back folks! I’m writing you today for probably the last time… This is going to be an interesting one, so come and check it out!

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English, Do You Speak It?!

A little bit more than two years ago, I decided to start a Bachelor at the Maastricht University. The main reason for my choice was the content of the studies. However, the fact that English was the medium of instruction was also very important. Prior to starting the bachelor, I had a very good opinion toward using English for my upper education. Nonetheless, the idealism that I had in my early student years made ways gradually towards a more critical view on the use of English.

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Studying English

As one of the authors, Myriam Met (2008) mentioned in her book, the role of the English teacher is very important when it comes to the language proficiency. People have different levels of English once they finish high school and thus it is difficult to evaluate their ability to study entirely in English. Furthermore, there are several disadvantages and advantages of studying in another language.

 

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España vs. The Netherlands: English Medium of Instruction

English Medium of Instruction (EMI) es un término que puede definirse como el uso del és como medio para la enseñanza. Hoy en día, es cada vez más común que las universidades ofrezcan programas bilingües (por el cual entendemos que la material es enseñada en dos idiomas diferentes) o de completa formación en inglés. Esta novedad está influenciada por factores económicos, sociales y políticos como bien explica Wilkinson (2011). guyito1

Mi experciencia con el English Medium of Instruction (EMI) empezó en España. Como ya comenté en mi primer post (h), mi primer año de Universidad lo realicé en Madrid cursando Primary Education. La experiencia que tuve allí me permite hacer una comparación con la experiencia que he tenido en Maastricht University, que, para que negarlo, ha sido MUY MUY MUY diferente.

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My experience with English Medium Instruction

. . . and the frustrations and rewards that it can bring

From 10 year old me, a two year crash course, and EMI . . .

English Medium Instruction is a concept that I got to experience from very early on. The secondary school I entered was a bilingual one, where students would begin being taught content courses in English from grade 7, with an increasing number of subjects being taught so in the following years. Continue reading My experience with English Medium Instruction

Let’s talk about how weird it is to be taught in English…

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This week we’ve been reflecting on using English in (higher (not Dutch high, tertiary education high)) education.  I’m certain my colleagues will be brimming with experiences I am on the other hand am somewhat accustomed to EDM, wait no, the other one EMI (English Medium Instruction).  Nonetheless I have eyes, ears, sensory organs which permit me to experience the environment around me, luckily for you.

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English Medium Instruction at UM

‘Waarom ga je in godsnaam naar Maastricht?’

Dit was een veel voorkomende reactie toen ik mijn vrienden op de middelbare school vertelde dat ik na de zomer naar de andere kant van het land zou verhuizen. Aan de studie zelf kon het toch niet liggen, want European studies kon je toch ook gewoon in Amsterdam en Leiden studeren? Klopt. Het verschil is alleen dat Maastricht de enige was die de studie helemaal Engelstalig aanbood.

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My international background

My name is Boudewijn, I’m a 24 year old Dutch student living in Maastricht and this is my story, come check it out! Continue reading My international background

Они и мы (We and they)

There are many opinions about the powerfulness of the Russian language: some say that it is the language of love (maybe you have read the love poems by Pushkin for instance), whereas some say that it is the language of harshness and thread. I believe in the former, although there is a lot of anger coming from the Latvians against the Russian language or the Russian people, I consider knowing the Russian language as a great advantage. Not only I have several great Russian friends, but I also admire their culture and the fact that I can, when speaking the language, feel like ‘them’.

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