Speaking English in 2018? Small majority says yes

02 / 02 / 2015 | Paul de Kuyper

Opinions are divided on UT’s intention to change the language of communication of this university to English. A small majority of the voters (52 percent) on a poll on this website agrees with this plan; 48 percent doesn’t like English to be the official language of communication.

400 website visitors voted on the poll.

According to the internationalization vision of the executive board, English will be the UT’s language of communication by 2018. This vision says that the UT should become more attractive for international students. Moreover, the UT will focus on curricula that prepare students for an international career, both in the Netherlands and abroad.

Wednesday 11th February the university council will discuss the internationalization vision with the executive board.

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Veel internationale studenten hebben weleens last van mentale problemen. De helft wil meer contact met Nederlandse studenten en één op de vier voelt zich hier niet thuis.

Lonely international students want to get to know more Dutch people

Many international students experience mental health issues from time to time. Half of them would like more contact with Dutch students and one in four does not feel at home here.

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How should the UT deal with the 34 percent non-European first-year Bachelor students who experience psychological and social problems on campus? The Platform International Affairs (PIA) met this week to come up with an advice for the University Committee for Education.

‘Begeleiding internationale bachelors goed op orde te krijgen’

Hoe moet de UT omgaan met de 34 procent niet-Europese eerstejaars bachelorstudenten die psychische en sociale problemen ondervinden op de campus? Daarover vergaderde het Platform International Affairs (PIA) afgelopen week om tot een advies te komen voor de universitaire commissie onderwijs.

‘As an international you are pushed out’

'I don’t want compassion, but help,' says the Mexican bachelor student Javier. Because compassion is what he got when he talked to the UT psychologist about the alienation he felt from all those other students.

‘Je wordt er als international uitgedrukt’

‘Ik wil geen medelijden, maar hulp’, zegt de Mexicaanse bachelorstudent Javier. Medelijden is wat hij kreeg toen hij aanklopte bij de UT-psycholoog. Hij voelde zich vervreemd van al die andere studenten.

UT Language Policy: What does it mean for you?

The University of Twente has formed an official Language Policy, which states that at the UT ‘English is the primary formal language of communication from 2018 onwards’. This means there are a few changes on the horizon. What can you expect?

Wat betekent het UT-taalbeleid voor jou?

De UT heeft een taalbeleid uitgewerkt, waarin staat dat ‘Engels vanaf 2018 de formele taal van communicatie’ is. Er gaat dus op taalgebied wat veranderen, wat kan jij verwachten?