English as an international university language

Abstract

            Universities are influenced by the advanced technology and worldwide communications to adapt their education to the process of internationalization. They have to collaborate with universities across the world in order to promote better understanding among people from different countries and cultures. Therefore, a number of international activities has been developed. More students spend some periods of study at universities abroad in the form of a study abroad or an exchange programme. Some faculty members visit universities abroad from time to time. International cooperation projects have been developed, such as joint research projects, and international conferences.            English is used in most cases of university internationalization because of its major advantages. First, it is a world language. Geographically, it is the most widespread language on earth, and is used in most countries around the world. Secondly, it is the main language of knowledge dissemination worldwide in terms of textbooks, scientific journals, computerized databases, and computer networks, It has become a major language used to access and to contribute to knowledge internationally. It is also seen as a language of technological development.            Since English is the world language and the dominant language of scientific knowledge dissemination worldwide, it makes international communication and cooperation easier. Therefore, it is expected that when the internationalization of universities is accomplished, English will become an international language used among scholars and students in universities around the world. In other words, English would be an international university language as Latin used to be in the Middle Ages of Europe. English would be the Latin of the 21th century (Altbach 1987:66)            However, at the moment, there is a diversity of universities around the world. Universities are different in many ways. They have their own structures; their own organizations, their own purposes; their own curricular, and their own languages. Why should they introduce more English into their university systems? Why should they use English to communicate with scholars in the outside world? Why should not other languages be used instead of English? Why is only English important to all universities?            This paper discusses the importance of English to this internationalization of universities and the possibility that English would become an international university language. The first section describes the university internationalization process. The second section describes the influence of English on the present world situation. The third section discusses the concomitant of the university internationalization and the domination of English as the world language and the scientific knowledge language dissemination worldwide. Finally, the conclusion is drawn.