Earls, Clive W. and Furlong, Aine and Riordan, Emma and Flynn, Colin
(2022)
The Complex and Changing Face of Higher Education Language Teaching in the Republic of Ireland.
AISHE-J, 14 (3).
pp. 1-19.
ISSN 2009-3160
Abstract
The landscape of language learning and teaching in higher education (HE) in Ireland is complex and varied. Between institutions, a diversity of organisational structures are
identifiable and, even within institutions, it can be seen that the provision of language education can vary significantly. In this paper, we present an overview of complexity within language education in Irish higher education which we investigated as part of
our scoping exercise for the Higher Education Language Educator Competences (HELECs) project. In order to manage this complexity, we have taken a number of
different approaches to gathering and analysing relevant data. Firstly, we attempt to ascertain which languages are offered and the programmes within which they are
available. We rely here on data gathered by Post-Primary Languages Ireland (PPLI) and published on the Careers Portal website. Secondly, we present an analysis of the
structure of language provision units within Universities and Institutes of Technology (IoTs). These data are publicly available through the institutions’ websites. Thirdly, we
provide a detailed examination of the complex constellation of staff profiles involved in language education at four institutions representing the categories of higher education
institutions (HEIs) in the system. We interrogate language units’ websites to obtain this information and augment it with data gathered through the HELECs project. In
presenting these data, we aim to provide an overview of the landscape of language teaching and learning in HE in Ireland. In conducting this data analysis, we identify
areas of concern for the sector including: the visibility of languages within HEIs; the multiplicity of professional identities of those who teach language in HE; and issues of
precarity of employment and career progression in HE language education.
| Item Type: |
Article
|
| Additional Information: |
Cite as: Earls, Clive W., et al. "The Complex and Changing Face of Higher-Education Language Teaching in the Republic of Ireland." All Ireland Journal of Higher Education 14.3 (2022).
Copyright: |
| Keywords: |
Degree programmes; Language learning; Organisational structures; Staff categories |
| Academic Unit: |
Faculty of Arts,Celtic Studies and Philosophy > School of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures > German |
| Item ID: |
16687 |
| Depositing User: |
Dr. Clive Earls
|
| Date Deposited: |
09 Nov 2022 12:12 |
| Journal or Publication Title: |
AISHE-J |
| Publisher: |
AISHE |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| URI: |
|
| Use Licence: |
This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available
here |
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