Abstract
The future of English has become a hot topic of discussion in recent years where stakeholders in EFL contexts are considering the current and future needs of students. This three-year research project in a research university in Japan aimed to contribute to this discussion where current talks about the curriculum raised questions about the role of English as a lingua franca for young researchers. Two key questions which this project sought to answer regarded the changing role of English for the future of young researchers and if current curricula met their needs. A mixed method approach was taken through conducting surveys and semi-structured interviews with the stakeholders—student surveys (n=78) and interviews with professors (n=3), and industry experts (n=2). Interviews were recorded, and analysis was done by identifying areas of similarities in perceptions and gaps which emerged through differences. Initial findings showed similarities in the need for more opportunities for academic and research discussion with international students to be provided such as real-life simulations of specific future research and professional situations they will encounter. Core differences identified included perceptions of language and professional skills required to prepare students adequately for future research and job-related tasks. The key insight gleaned from this research is that although English remains the international language among researchers in global contexts, without ample opportunities for university-wide scientific discussions and a core understanding of skills needed to succeed, students cannot prepare sufficiently for their professional lives.
Author Information
Tanya McCarthy, Kyoto University, Japan
Matthew Armstrong, Kyushu University, Japan
Paper Information
Conference: ECLL2024
Stream: Professional development
This paper is part of the ECLL2024 Conference Proceedings (View)
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To cite this article:
McCarthy T., & Armstrong M. (2024) The Future of English as the Lingua Franca for Young Scientists in EFL Contexts ISSN: 2188-112X The European Conference on Language Learning 2024: Official Conference Proceedings (pp. 55-64) https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2188-112X.2024.5
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2188-112X.2024.5
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