.chap Fundamental objections to introduction of English Master%s program”The English technical language skills of our teachers will have to be improved”, ”The TU has a responsibility to conserve Dutch culture, otherwise it would be best off sold to MIT”, ”Foreign students who come to the TU want to get to know Dutch culture and are prepared to learn Dutch for that purpose”.
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A debate is going on in Delft, on the introduction of the English master’s phase in Delft in 2002. Thus is decided by TU’s Executive board, but many TU people object on various reasons.
This story is a translation of a long story in the Dutch Delta. To be readable on the internet, it has been cut up in various parts, which can be read separately on these internet pages. Underneath is the main story. Additional information is given in two boxes. The box ‘New regulations’ shows why this topic is creating such a fuss; the box ‘Personal experience’ tells the story of Sander Elvik, a Norwegian student studying in Delft and a former member of the Student Council. ‘Table’ lists the expected numbers of international students at the TU.
”A lot of study material will have to be translated and the English language skills of our teachers will have to be improved. Not just normal English language, but technical English,” says Bonne van Dam, project manager of curriculum renewal at the faculty of Architecture. If this is not done, teachers will no longer be able to express themselves sufficiently. Information will be lost during lectures and nuances during design supervision will disappear, according to Van Dam.
”September 2002 marks the introduction of a new curriculum with a lot of emphasis on internationalisation, but we have doubts about the viability of a complete English language master phase for all students on that date,” she remarks. The English master course which already exists would be included in the regular programme.
The faculty of Aerospace Engineering is most experienced in English language education. Since September 1999, it has been running a completely English foundation course. The faculty has allowed for two years to be able to offer a complete course year in English and to clear away any imperfections.
This year, English was introduced into the second year of the course. According to students association Leonardo da Vinci, the conversion to the English programme has been successful. ”After the first weeks most students and teachers were well adjusted,” claims Viola Tiesinga, commissioner of education. The faculty has elected a gradual approach. However, according to the Board’s proposal, the English language master course will definitely have to start in less than two year’s time. Not exactly a long adjustment period.
Old wine
Though the introduction of an English language master%s phase raises mainly practical objections, Dr. P. van Mourik has other fundamental objections. The Dutch technical jargon and cultural identity are at stake, warns the former teacher of Applied Sciences in letters to several newspaper editors.
Van Mourik: ”Imagine loosing a word such as ‘polder’ because we would translate everything into English. The TU has a responsibility to conserve Dutch culture, as it is funded by Dutch tax revenues. If the TU is not prepared to accept that responsibility, it would be best off sold to MIT, making it an institution with both a high ranking and English as the language of instruction.”
According to Van Mourik, the importance of language in technical sciences is structurally underestimated: ”Technology can not be reduced to a couple of equations”. To prove his point he shows a scientific article: seven pages with mostly text. ”If you want to change the medium of instruction, do it well. It is appalling to see how little money the TU is prepared to invest in English language training for teachers.”
Van Mourik is convinced of the importance of English as language of international communication. TU-graduates should be able to express themselves in two languages. ”Don’t forget that graduates, not the few thousand publications per year published by researchers, are the TU’s main distributors of knowledge. The majority of graduates will need to speak Dutch, so they should command the jargon.”
The Board underestimates the role of education, Mourik: ”…whereas that is the primary reason for existence of a university. Research is necessary to ensure satisfactory quality of education.” The TU would be best off continuing to teach in Dutch, believes Van Mourik. ”If the level of education is high enough, the students will come of their own accord. In that case, language is only a minor issue. Furthermore, by simply changing the language of instruction you don’t become a top institution; that’s just old wine in new bottles, when it’s the wine that counts,” says Van Mourik.
Docile
Professor J. Jacobs, academic director of Industrial Design Engineering, is also fundamentally opposed to the use of English as language of instruction. ”It is of no use and it is not sensible to teach in English when ninety nine percent of the people present are Dutch.” Jacobs continues: ”Furthermore, we have quite a lot of foreign students who have already indicated that they would like to learn Dutch.” Industrial Design Engineering already offers a number of English subjects but Jacobs believes that the faculty needn%t provide more.
The faculty of Technology, Policy and Management is considerably more docile. The course is taking the bull by the horns. Pieter Bots, director of education: ”At the moment we are considering the possibilities of completely introducing the English language master.” Preparing teachers is going to be one of the greatest obstacles. Concerning problems students might encounter, Bots states simply: ”The use of dictionaries is allowed during the exercises of all subjects.” If the English language master%s phasereally does start in 2002, students who started their course in 1999 and who are on track will be the first to be involved. These students never elected to take the English course. ”A transitional arrangement is needed to allow them to complete their course in Dutch,” says Bianca Stalenberg of the VSSD.
But what about students who come to the Netherlands to read a course in Delft? ”Foreign students who come to the TU, do a lot more than study,” remarks Sander Elvik. ”They want to get to know Dutch culture and are prepared to learn Dutch for that purpose.”
Elvik is Norwegian and has been a member of the Student Council as well as chairman of DISS (Delft International Students Society), a cluster of seven foreign students associations. Hence he knows many foreign students. ”The move abroad is more significant than the language barrier, which can be overcome.” Elvik doesn’t accept introducing an English master’s phase justifies reducing the number of Dutch language courses.
Narrow minded
”The role of the English language in technology is undisputed and if the TU is to keep up, introducing English as the language of instruction is inevitable,” claims Marietta Spiekerman, member of internationalisation staff. One of the TU’s strategies to acquire international recognition as a leading university is to collaborate with other universities, such as those from the IDEA-League.
Introducing the bachelor-master structure and gradually introducing English as language of instruction of fourth and fifth year courses are important steps, believes Spiekerman. ”In addition, we will host an increasing number of visiting lecturers % leading experts in their disciplines % and they don’t speak Dutch,” she says. The Board is aware that the university owes an its international renown largely to research results. According to Spiekerman the TU should play this trump card by aiming for quality master courses, linked with fields of research.
A few courses, hesitant about introducing English language education, will change strategy, believes Spiekerman. ”They will realise that they are missing opportunities and that they are putting their students at a disadvantage if they don’t keep abreast with this development. Civil Engineering, for example, has attracted a lot of international attention.”
Industrial Design Engineering too, could attract a lot of international students. The loss of focus in education, a common argument, can be avoided by training teachers, teaching smaller groups, increasing the interaction between teacher and students or by intensive supervision. For this, the TU has developed a code of conduct.
Objections concerning the loss of Dutch culture are ‘conservative’ says Spiekerman. Spiekerman: ”They result from rather narrow-minded thoughts. Technology, per definition, is a global issue, requiring the ability to communicate. English is the world language. If this is not what you want, you shouldn’t be on a technical course.” Besides education enough takes place in the Netherlands to conserve our own culture.
Translation:
.aut Alice Beurze
.chap Fundamental objections to introduction of English Master%s program
”The English technical language skills of our teachers will have to be improved”, ”The TU has a responsibility to conserve Dutch culture, otherwise it would be best off sold to MIT”, ”Foreign students who come to the TU want to get to know Dutch culture and are prepared to learn Dutch for that purpose”.
A debate is going on in Delft, on the introduction of the English master’s phase in Delft in 2002. Thus is decided by TU’s Executive board, but many TU people object on various reasons.
This story is a translation of a long story in the Dutch Delta. To be readable on the internet, it has been cut up in various parts, which can be read separately on these internet pages. Underneath is the main story. Additional information is given in two boxes. The box ‘New regulations’ shows why this topic is creating such a fuss; the box ‘Personal experience’ tells the story of Sander Elvik, a Norwegian student studying in Delft and a former member of the Student Council. ‘Table’ lists the expected numbers of international students at the TU.
”A lot of study material will have to be translated and the English language skills of our teachers will have to be improved. Not just normal English language, but technical English,” says Bonne van Dam, project manager of curriculum renewal at the faculty of Architecture. If this is not done, teachers will no longer be able to express themselves sufficiently. Information will be lost during lectures and nuances during design supervision will disappear, according to Van Dam.
”September 2002 marks the introduction of a new curriculum with a lot of emphasis on internationalisation, but we have doubts about the viability of a complete English language master phase for all students on that date,” she remarks. The English master course which already exists would be included in the regular programme.
The faculty of Aerospace Engineering is most experienced in English language education. Since September 1999, it has been running a completely English foundation course. The faculty has allowed for two years to be able to offer a complete course year in English and to clear away any imperfections.
This year, English was introduced into the second year of the course. According to students association Leonardo da Vinci, the conversion to the English programme has been successful. ”After the first weeks most students and teachers were well adjusted,” claims Viola Tiesinga, commissioner of education. The faculty has elected a gradual approach. However, according to the Board’s proposal, the English language master course will definitely have to start in less than two year’s time. Not exactly a long adjustment period.
Old wine
Though the introduction of an English language master%s phase raises mainly practical objections, Dr. P. van Mourik has other fundamental objections. The Dutch technical jargon and cultural identity are at stake, warns the former teacher of Applied Sciences in letters to several newspaper editors.
Van Mourik: ”Imagine loosing a word such as ‘polder’ because we would translate everything into English. The TU has a responsibility to conserve Dutch culture, as it is funded by Dutch tax revenues. If the TU is not prepared to accept that responsibility, it would be best off sold to MIT, making it an institution with both a high ranking and English as the language of instruction.”
According to Van Mourik, the importance of language in technical sciences is structurally underestimated: ”Technology can not be reduced to a couple of equations”. To prove his point he shows a scientific article: seven pages with mostly text. ”If you want to change the medium of instruction, do it well. It is appalling to see how little money the TU is prepared to invest in English language training for teachers.”
Van Mourik is convinced of the importance of English as language of international communication. TU-graduates should be able to express themselves in two languages. ”Don’t forget that graduates, not the few thousand publications per year published by researchers, are the TU’s main distributors of knowledge. The majority of graduates will need to speak Dutch, so they should command the jargon.”
The Board underestimates the role of education, Mourik: ”…whereas that is the primary reason for existence of a university. Research is necessary to ensure satisfactory quality of education.” The TU would be best off continuing to teach in Dutch, believes Van Mourik. ”If the level of education is high enough, the students will come of their own accord. In that case, language is only a minor issue. Furthermore, by simply changing the language of instruction you don’t become a top institution; that’s just old wine in new bottles, when it’s the wine that counts,” says Van Mourik.
Docile
Professor J. Jacobs, academic director of Industrial Design Engineering, is also fundamentally opposed to the use of English as language of instruction. ”It is of no use and it is not sensible to teach in English when ninety nine percent of the people present are Dutch.” Jacobs continues: ”Furthermore, we have quite a lot of foreign students who have already indicated that they would like to learn Dutch.” Industrial Design Engineering already offers a number of English subjects but Jacobs believes that the faculty needn%t provide more.
The faculty of Technology, Policy and Management is considerably more docile. The course is taking the bull by the horns. Pieter Bots, director of education: ”At the moment we are considering the possibilities of completely introducing the English language master.” Preparing teachers is going to be one of the greatest obstacles. Concerning problems students might encounter, Bots states simply: ”The use of dictionaries is allowed during the exercises of all subjects.” If the English language master%s phasereally does start in 2002, students who started their course in 1999 and who are on track will be the first to be involved. These students never elected to take the English course. ”A transitional arrangement is needed to allow them to complete their course in Dutch,” says Bianca Stalenberg of the VSSD.
But what about students who come to the Netherlands to read a course in Delft? ”Foreign students who come to the TU, do a lot more than study,” remarks Sander Elvik. ”They want to get to know Dutch culture and are prepared to learn Dutch for that purpose.”
Elvik is Norwegian and has been a member of the Student Council as well as chairman of DISS (Delft International Students Society), a cluster of seven foreign students associations. Hence he knows many foreign students. ”The move abroad is more significant than the language barrier, which can be overcome.” Elvik doesn’t accept introducing an English master’s phase justifies reducing the number of Dutch language courses.
Narrow minded
”The role of the English language in technology is undisputed and if the TU is to keep up, introducing English as the language of instruction is inevitable,” claims Marietta Spiekerman, member of internationalisation staff. One of the TU’s strategies to acquire international recognition as a leading university is to collaborate with other universities, such as those from the IDEA-League.
Introducing the bachelor-master structure and gradually introducing English as language of instruction of fourth and fifth year courses are important steps, believes Spiekerman. ”In addition, we will host an increasing number of visiting lecturers % leading experts in their disciplines % and they don’t speak Dutch,” she says. The Board is aware that the university owes an its international renown largely to research results. According to Spiekerman the TU should play this trump card by aiming for quality master courses, linked with fields of research.
A few courses, hesitant about introducing English language education, will change strategy, believes Spiekerman. ”They will realise that they are missing opportunities and that they are putting their students at a disadvantage if they don’t keep abreast with this development. Civil Engineering, for example, has attracted a lot of international attention.”
Industrial Design Engineering too, could attract a lot of international students. The loss of focus in education, a common argument, can be avoided by training teachers, teaching smaller groups, increasing the interaction between teacher and students or by intensive supervision. For this, the TU has developed a code of conduct.
Objections concerning the loss of Dutch culture are ‘conservative’ says Spiekerman. Spiekerman: ”They result from rather narrow-minded thoughts. Technology, per definition, is a global issue, requiring the ability to communicate. English is the world language. If this is not what you want, you shouldn’t be on a technical course.” Besides education enough takes place in the Netherlands to conserve our own culture.
Translation:
.aut Alice Beurze
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