The Effect of Globalization upon the Teaching of the English Language

The higher education sector has gone through many changes in the last 25 years or so. The Internet and the globalization have played their important part in this process. On the one hand, the development of the online technology has brought about changes in the way people communicate nowadays. People exchange information very quickly and communication is made mostly in the English language. On the other, hand the global mobility has also facilitated the exchange of students among universities in Europe or even around the world. Universities have rapidly adjusted to this new context by making use of the English language as a means of communication. The use of the English language in all academic contexts has proven to be quite effective (academic conferences, congresses, research). Soon enough, as a result of all these actions, many universities have adapted to the new requirements and necessities of the newly globalized world, and have initiated international study programs from students coming from abroad. The medium of communication, in most cases, is the English language. Thus, this was an easy way for universities to become international. The aim of this paper is to show the ways in which universities have implemented this international study programs, and the way in which the English language is used in such contexts, and, eventually, to see whether the study of the English language as a foreign language as such has been affected as a result of the above-mentioned ideas. Linguists have noticed that the way in which the English language is used in such contexts, has progressively evolved in a direction that seems to go further away from Standard English (or, better said, from what we understand as Standard English, i.e. the universally accepted variants of British and American English). As a result, the question today is not only what the content of English language should be, but also what the the 21st century skills should be taught and how. It is to be expected that the number of international students will increase and thus the use of English as a lingua franca. Another effect of this mobility of people is that of the English language losing its connections to its original cultural background. So maybe, after some good years spent on the idea of introducing the cultural element as the 5th skill in the study of the language, the English language teachers will have to re-evaluate their way of teaching methodologies so at least to make sure they create the necessary context / background in which students can learn the English language based on their needs. They should allow their students to explore the study of the English language based on the needs and requirements of the new era of diversity. The study of a foreign language nowadays requires more meaningful ways, encouraging students to understand their purposes when they learn, being able to understand new concepts and to develop new skills that are dictated by the new economy. Teachers should help their students understand language in the context of the new world we live in today. Students should also be aware of their own interests in order to be able to select those things that are going to help them in their future careers. Instead of the old formula of the teacher coming and telling in front of his / her class what the students need to know, we have to help them to be able to explore and uncover their needs that should always be in connection to their future professional careers.