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Subscribe to RSSOne of Italy’s leading universities will switch to teaching in the English language, saying the institution was left with “no other choice” in order to compete worldwide.
Politecnico di Milano announced it will offer most of its degree courses only in English as of 2014, the BBC reported. The decision has sparked protest among some professors, with one likening the move to a "dictatorship," according to the University World News.
Politecnico di Milano, known for its architecture, engineering and science programs, has about 36,000 students.
"Universities are in a more competitive world, if you want to stay with the other global universities -- you have no other choice," the BBC quoted the university's rector, Giovanni Azzone, as saying. "We strongly believe our classes should be international classes -- and the only way to have international classes is to use the English language."
Nic Mitchell, a public relations consultant focused on higher education, told the BBC that more than 4,500 university courses are being taught in English in continental Europe.
At least 285 professors signed a petition this week protesting the Politecnico di Milano decision, arguing the imposition of English as unconstitutional.
“The point is that English is being imposed on students as a kind of linguistic dictatorship ... and what we might call ‘low-definition’ English (the English of conferences and so on) is also being confused with the ‘high-definition’ language of teaching," Politecnico Professor Emilio Matricciani said, according to the University World News.
He added: "Speaking Italian to our countrymen is like watching a movie in color, high definition, very clear pictures. On the contrary, speaking English to them, even with our best effort, is, on the average, like watching a movie in black and white, with very poor definition, with blurred pictures."
Word spread fast on social network sites, with people commenting in English and in Italian.
“Beginning of the end for Italian. The Politecnico di Milano will teach only in English. Non scholae sed vitae discimus,” Dan McDougall posted on his Twitter account.
Alex Morrison wrote: “Politecnico di Milano to teach all classes in English - what a great place to study - sign me up for a PhD now!”
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You gotta love it - here in America everybody is speaking all kinds of languages, yet in other countries they do it and never look back.....why can't America just pass an English only law and stop all this nonsense: press 1 for english, 2 for spanish, etc. etc. etc.
Which country in America are you referring to?
having the opportunity to travel to many countries it always amazed me how much they want to show how well they speak English, they realize that it is the language of bushiness..
however I feel that we should be English only for Government functions such as the DMV, City Hall..etc.
now if a business is located in an area of town where there is an overwhelming amount of people from a certain nation I have no issue with them speaking or using the written form of their own language.
My grandmother came from Spain and she was very proud of her heritage but at the same time she knew the importance of speaking English not just for day to day interaction but in showing that she was proud becoming an American citizen
Italy, the country, is not passing an English only law. It's one school that has decided to teach course in English.
"America" begins in Alaska, then Canada, the US, Mexico, Guatemala... all the way down to Chile, Argentina, Brazil, etc. There cannot be an "English Only" law. Did you know that in Brazil, Portuguese is spoken? Did you know that in Canada, French is also spoken? In Guatemala also Kakchiquel and Tzutuhil are also spoken?
It's a better idea if idiots like yourself could learn some Geography
Your buffoonery notwithstanding, 'America' is the chosen diminutive of the inhabitants of The United States of America. Just as 'Mexico' is the chosen (or at least recognized) diminutive for the Estados Unidos Mexicanos. Canada is the chosen diminutive for Canada. Brazil is the chosen (or at least recognized) diminutive for República Federativa do Brasil.
What I wonder is why anyone cares so much about the name 'America' that they must make a big show of being from the americas also. It wasn't important enough to include in the name of many of the nations you mentioned, and is only the first name of some half-remembered cartographer.
I comprehend jealousy, but not jealousy over some imagined inferiority.
If anything, this proves m's point wrong. While in other countries people are quick to embrace multiculturalism and globalism and want to teach their citizens, native and otherwise, to speak at least three languages (English, the native language, and a regionally significant one like French or German), here the conservative extremists are quick to attack our Constitution-given right to speak in whatever language we please. Why do you hate the Constitution so much, conservative extremists?
And don't get me wrong, I'm all for assimilation. I don't condone the kind of segregationist, divisive behavior that Hispanic networks like Telemundo or Univision promote, nor do I believe that it's justifiable for anyone living in the U.S. to willingly not learn English. But just because I disagree with them doesn't mean that I can't see that whether the U.S. has an official language or not is a non-issue, and that the Constitution makes it clear that the government does not have the power to dictate which language people should speak, not in their privacy and certainly not in commerce. International comparisons with other developed countries, if anything, show the contrary: countries like Switzerland, Canada, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Denmark are extremely successful in dealing with lots of people that speak different languages. I'm not advocating their model for OUR country, but really, ignoramuses should stop using the "other countries" argument to promote their discriminating ideals. Who do we want to be compared with? The Netherlands (the EU's most developed country) or France (the only country in the EU where it's embedded in their culture to deny the importance of other languages)?
And yes, the whole "America is a continent" thing is utter nonsense. "América," in the Spanish language, is a continent. In English, "America" is a country. Period. In the United States, as in practically the rest of the world except for Latin America, the Americas are not considered to be one continent, but three. It makes little sense to argue that the word "America" is ambiguous, when it's been used to mean "the United States of America" for so long. Again, another non-issue.
Absolutely wrong. "America" is a continent, "USA" is the name of a country. Believe it or not, Fidel Castro is an American, because he lives in the American continent. Hugo Chávez is an American, because he lives in America (the continent). No, you cannot call this country "America". Don't ever say that "America is at war in Pakistan and Afghanistan", because Venezuela, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Argentina, Cuba, and so on... have absolutely nothing to do with that multibillion dollar business.
You don't see France, Spain, Germany, or Italy calling themselves "Europe".
Idiots.
It's semantics. The United States of America is the only country in North America and South America which uses the word "America" in its name. It's not Canada of America, nor Brazil of South America, nor Cuba of North America. The citizens of the United States are the only people who can actually lay claim, at this time, of being officially called Americans.
In the global view (pun intended), North and South Americans may refer to their continent and say they are from North or South America, but they generally prefer to refer to themselves in the context of the country they come from--not the continent. Citizens of the US of A, call themselves Americans because it is part of their country's name.
Earlier, I was reading about teachers of English as a second language (ESL) in China. It's a very desirable position. While in Europe, I noticed many people practicing their English at the local cafes. Their cursing was very interesting (wrong, but interesting--just the same). ESL teachers might be able to find decent paying jobs in these locales. It's a positive note for those seeking work.
I'm from Georgia. Was in Maine once. The people there couldn't understand me unless I wrote what I was saying. Some years later some people came down from Vermont. None of us could understand 'em unless they wrote what they were saying. English only ain't so good. Would ya'll believe them damn Vermonters were shocked when they learned Georgians ate crackers as normal food? One wrote me a question; same sex? Anglish only haint su good.
If this happened in Arizona, the Liberals would be LIVID.
AndresTM...your ignorance is surpassed only by your arrogance. Your litany is a tribute to the substandard U.S. education system.
Some people can't wait to make even an event in a foreign country into a liberal vs. conservative contest.
Where's Vivian,???
Is it something Pres. Obama should apologize for, we are invade the world with our imperialist language, shame of us.
Great, another excuse for lazy Americans not to learn another language.
And Italian is so beautiful too.
Actually, this is not about Americans, it is about being able to attract students from all over the world. The major languages of the world are Mandarin (from China), Hindi (from India) and English.
Since England at one time had either ruled or great influence on every continent in the world for over 200 years its language was naturally influential. The US, an english speaking nation, succeeded England as the world leader. While the US did not colonize most of the world, as England did, its influence is still present everywhere.
IMO, this University is going to be attracting many top level professors who speak English as their primary language. They will be trying to poach some very good instructors from US universities.
This has nothing to do with the US. Not every decision in this world is made with the US in mind.
Imagine that, we are so deathly afraid to make "ENGLISH ONLY" here in the good ole' USA! I would hate to think my grandparents wasted soooo much time learning English for citizenship, yet we trip over all the Spanish speaking people to satisfy their EVERY NEED!
Wake up AMERICA!!! We bomb other countries that don't bend to our values, but we stoop to their NEEDS when they get here!
Makes me sick!
How narrowminded.
The more Americanized the world becomes the poorer they become and soon more stupid. Nothing like being led down a dark hole to nowhere, lol.
Making the decision to teach only in English would have been a smart move 65 years ago when the US was the unquestioned dominant world power following WWII. But now with the US economy destroyed by welfare state Progressive Democrats (pardon me while I spit), and the rise of China as the world's leading manufacturer and banker, it would make more sense to teach in Mandarin. The 21st century belongs to Asia.
It's funny because it was precisely those "welfare-state progressive democrats" that oversaw the rise of the United States as the undisputed world power, and it was during the rule of a Republican that U.S. dominance dwindled. Look back twelve years ago, before W., and you'll realize that we were STILL the unquestioned power, perhaps even more so than back in the 1940s. And, again, it was a "welfare-state progressive democrat" that was our president.
And, by the way, that was just to prove how stupid your vicious partisanship is. I obviously do not believe that all Democrats are demigods and all Republicans are idiots. Unlike you, I am able to appreciate what both parties have done, now and then, for our country, and condemn them for what both have done in our detriment.
And no, the 21st century does not belong to Asia. That kind of party-first mentality is, if anything, the only thing that puts us at risk of being dominated by Asia. You'd rather see us fail if that proves you right than see us pull through if that suggests, even slightly, that a Democrat did not fail. How sad, this flawed patriotism of yours. If we don't stand together, then this century damn sure belongs to someone else.
AndresTM... you just keep getting deeper and deeper. Give it up. Go back to school and learn something besides arrogance.
Andres ... keep up the great posts! Your comment was well-reasoned and well-written. The reason that people like artsylady don't like you is that you're not doom-and-gloom. Americans used to be optimists. Now, they attack those who are.
Now if we could just get the Los Angeles public schools to teach classes in English!
This is a very specialized school teaching technical courses the only reason they consider this essential is to attract international students. International students are more likely to know english then italian.
This is silliness at its' height. An education is to improve the brain of the person getting it, not to create an atmosphere of international competition.
Each nation has its' own resources which reach down and down into the very fabric of that nation, as a vein of gold which may go down over a mile. It is "flat-line" thinking to imagine an improvement in understanding when you floss over the intuitive understanding of a thing in the very country that is talking it.
Once again, it is silly, I do not intend to glorify this stupidity with more than a small word denoting "without worth" or "thought", and this decision has all of those halmarks!!!
Sorry Italy, it wasn't us this time!!!
Now, if schools in America would start teaching in English only and stop catering to all the illegal immigrants in this country.
Attention, wannabe pilots.
What language do you speak when coming in to an international airport?
What a shame for the Italians. Honestly this is a disgrace for them. Latin never succeeded in becoming the only language, neither will English.
In the Middle Ages Latin was the common language of education. Now it is English. I really don't see the big deal of using the common international language for higher technical education.
I am a U.S. Citizen and native English speaker who has been teaching at the Università di Siena , IN ITALIAN, for the last 15 years. I am completely, completely in accord with my protesting colleagues at the Politecnico di Milano. Lectures in English will actually be worse than watching movies in black and white, more like watching a black and white film of Toto with garbled sound to boot.
My lectures in Italian are surely "low resolution", or at least "lower" resolution than they would be in the English I had used when teaching in the U.S. The English I would have to use here would have to be so simplified that the content would simply be gone. Instead of learning Genetics, the students would be learning "a bit about Genetics", hardly the same thing.
E' assurdo!
Ciao,
Lenny Robbins
The university could try offering some classes in English as an alternative but to require all English throughout is an insult to Italians.
They are almost as bad as some California counties who do not hire people who cannot speak Spanish.
Doing this all at once seems a little, I don't know, foolish.
It should be, a phased in process over several years.
I understand their reasoning for going with English. It's the business language of the World. Due mostly to the spreading of English by the British Empire in it's day.
English has become the default language of the world. It is the most spoken language in the World. In the U.S., the average citizen will use 80 thousand different words in the English language in their lifetime, however, the English language contains over a half million different words. This is partly the reason many people prefer to use english. We have a word for nearly everything with 10 shades of gray. Thousands of new words are added every year. Theoretically you should be able to have agreements that have no misunderstandings if all parties fully comprehend & understand the English language & it's word definitions. (????)
The U.S. has the Second Largest English Speaking population in the World.
China is #1. They start teaching english to their students in 1st grade in the cities & something like 3rd grade in rural areas. They are required to use English in business & even use English Sir names in business. Mike, Joe, George, etc...
There appears to be several reasons for this. One is because it's the preferred business language of the world.
Another reason is for unifying the Nation. China has a couple hundred different languages. The Primary language is Mandarin. Even it contains over 250 different dialects. People just a couple miles apart have trouble communicating with each other. Hence, China tries to enforce a single Mandarin dialect & English. They have little trouble promoting English, But, they actually have problems pushing the single Mandarin dialect with creating unrest & even riots & protests.
The Chinese people as a whole have a lot of respect & appreciation for Americans(U.S) even thou our Governments may but heads. The Chinese people make a distinction between us & our Governments. Many Chinese Villages have memorials & monuments to U.S. servicemen. For the Chinese they came not as conquers, but defenders of the Chinese people. These Servicemen were known as the Flying Tigers.
Don't change your language the world needs Italian scientists and technicians.