Exploring Higher Education Pathways in Italy, France and Germany: A Linguistic Analysis of Master’s Degree Home Pages in English as a Medium of Instruction and the National Languages

1 This study was planned and written jointly by the two Authors. In particular, Cristina Pennarola is responsible for the analysis of the Italian and French master’s degree programs, and Amelia Bandini is responsible for the analysis of the German master’s degree programs.

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Abstract

The global spread of degree courses taught in English as a Medium of Instruction raises questions about the identity or “branding” of English-taught degree programs in non-Anglophone countries and whether they differ from their equivalents in the national languages. To answer this question, we have examined a sample of master’s degree programs in the same domain, International Relations, across Italy, France and Germany from a quantitative and a qualitative perspective. Our findings suggest that they present a similar branding strategy in line with the standardization process of EU higher education, also reflecting the global trend toward the “entrepreneurial university.”

Notes

1 This study was planned and written jointly by the two Authors. In particular, Cristina Pennarola is responsible for the analysis of the Italian and French master’s degree programs, and Amelia Bandini is responsible for the analysis of the German master’s degree programs.

2 For ease of reference, we have only quoted the English words as they correspond to the Italian, French and German words premodifying “international.”

3 The distinction between academically and professionally oriented higher education institutions no longer holds true as they both can cater for students’ academic and vocational needs (see EACEA, 2012).

4 Only the Marburg home pages have been examined, as the analysis of the University of Kent master’s program would have affected the consistency of our corpora.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Cristina Pennarola

Cristina Pennarola is an Associate Professor of English Language and Linguistics at the University of Napoli Federico II, where she is a member of the Doctoral Board in “Mind, Gender and Language.” Her publications include a monograph Nonsense in Advertising (Napoli, Liguori) and a number of research articles on her fields of interest, specialized English, institutional and media discourses.

Amelia Bandini

Amelia Bandini is Senior Lecturer and Adjunct Professor in German Language and Linguistics at the University of Napoli Federico II. Her field of interest is applied linguistics with a focus on foreign language teaching and learning, multilingualism and plurilingualism, and language as a marker of cultural identity.