Language Ideologies in Danish Higher Education
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Janus Mortensen
Abstract
This chapter presents a qualitative analysis of attitudes towards different forms of English held by four students at an international study programme in Denmark. The students belong to a transient multilingual community in which historically-accrued language ideologies cannot necessarily be assumed to be shared by all members. Our analysis suggests that the students see competence and effectiveness as important parameters in their evaluation of different forms of English in the university context, irrespective of the provenance of the speaker, but they also subscribe to familiar language ideologies that favour ‘native’ English varieties and accents over other kinds of English. This could be seen as a contradiction between practice and ideology, but we argue that the contradiction is only apparent.
Abstract
This chapter presents a qualitative analysis of attitudes towards different forms of English held by four students at an international study programme in Denmark. The students belong to a transient multilingual community in which historically-accrued language ideologies cannot necessarily be assumed to be shared by all members. Our analysis suggests that the students see competence and effectiveness as important parameters in their evaluation of different forms of English in the university context, irrespective of the provenance of the speaker, but they also subscribe to familiar language ideologies that favour ‘native’ English varieties and accents over other kinds of English. This could be seen as a contradiction between practice and ideology, but we argue that the contradiction is only apparent.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- English at Nordic universities 1
- Parallel languages in the history of language ideology in Norway and the lesson for Nordic higher education 27
- Language planning in practice in the Norwegian higher education sector 53
- Language ideology and shifting representations of linguistic threats 83
- Zooming in on language practices in Swedish higher education. A discussion of five studies and their normative versus dynamic approach towards policy and practice 111
- Language ideologies in Finnish higher education in the national and international context 127
- Local majority and minority languages and English in the university 147
- Ideologies in Iceland 165
- English at the University of Iceland 179
- Language Ideologies in Danish Higher Education 193
- Linguistic realities at the University of Copenhagen - Parallel language use in practice as seen from the perspective of international staff 225
- English from above and below, and from outside 251
- Index of topics 265
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- English at Nordic universities 1
- Parallel languages in the history of language ideology in Norway and the lesson for Nordic higher education 27
- Language planning in practice in the Norwegian higher education sector 53
- Language ideology and shifting representations of linguistic threats 83
- Zooming in on language practices in Swedish higher education. A discussion of five studies and their normative versus dynamic approach towards policy and practice 111
- Language ideologies in Finnish higher education in the national and international context 127
- Local majority and minority languages and English in the university 147
- Ideologies in Iceland 165
- English at the University of Iceland 179
- Language Ideologies in Danish Higher Education 193
- Linguistic realities at the University of Copenhagen - Parallel language use in practice as seen from the perspective of international staff 225
- English from above and below, and from outside 251
- Index of topics 265
