Re-interpreting English for academic purposes in a trinational Bachelor's degree in Business Administration

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study investigates the conceptualisation of the English curriculum in a trinational andtrilingual Bachelor's programme in Business Administration shared between France, Germanyand Switzerland, and seeks to understand the influences that have led to the curriculum takingits current form. A challenge confronting the study is that there are conflicting notions of bestpractice, even if one accepts that the curriculum should include some element of academiclanguage support, or preparation for the world of work. In order to shed light on this issue, theliterature review investigated trinational language policy in respect of macro (supranational),meso (national and regional) and micro (institutional) levels. This approach itself raised afurther question, namely whether the language policy landscape would reveal consistentdevelopment of policy from level to level. To address these questions, the study consideredtwo data sets, firstly relevant documents from the language policy landscape and secondlyEnglish curricula from the trinational Bachelor's programme in BusinessAdministration. Significant themes identified from the policy review were used as themesthat informed a content analysis of the English language curricula in the trinationalprogramme. It was revealed that in the trinational context, the existence of a coherent policycontinuum was doubtful, and that other factors may have influenced the conceptualisation ofthe curriculum, including policies such as the Bologna Declaration which were not primarilyintended to apply to language issues. To investigate another possible influence on thelanguage curriculum, the study turned its attention to teacher agency. Teacher agency wasrevealed to be a de facto influence on the language curriculum at micro level. Whereinstitutional policy is concerned, it has been argued that micro-level language planning hasreceived comparatively little critical attention and that it should therefore be the object offurther research.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University