Page 7 - ELG2402 Feb Issue 488

NEWS

have enough foreign language particularly true for those already their work on account of spelling country where French is widely
teachers for the school system. from a disadvantaged socio- and grammar. To avoid this, they spoken alongside English, would
Want to save money? ‘Just don’t economic background. may find themselves paying out of be included in the tax. Michele
teach something,’ says Michele. However, if you do speak pocket for an editor. concedes Canada may well be
That may well be the case for English, then you should have Well, why do researchers not complicated. ‘In this case,’ he
state education. But what about nothing to worry about, right? just write their papers in their says, ‘only the provinces where
higher education? Well, research suggests there may native language? Michele tell us English is most widely spoken
‘Universities are extremely be poorer learning outcomes for it’s not quite that simple: would be taxed.’
interested in international rankings,’ students who learn in English as ‘There is little incentive for For now, in the absence of a
says Michele. ‘This is because the opposed to their native language. research papers to be written in world government to enforce such
percentage of foreign students is A recent study from Sweden found any language other than English. a tax, Michele tells us there may be
an indicator of “quality”. students taking a course in Articles and papers in English are realistic ways to bridge this financial
‘The problem is you attract English were more likely to have far more likely to be cited, and gap that some countries have
international students who don’t lower scores and drop-out than citations contribute to rankings, actually already implemented.
learn the local language and their peers taking the exact same so journals will squeeze out other One way is for governments
then are likely to go elsewhere. course in Swedish. languages.’ to implement a law surrounding
Countries are educating doctors patents, wherein patents filed in
and engineers who leave and Countries are Would it even work? English may be shorter, cost more,
don’t pay back into the economy. The Gazette was quick to wonder or be free for a certain period of
In the short term, it is good for educating doctors what the reaction would be from time. Some elements of this strategy
universities, but there is a long and engineers who certain countries to a linguistic tax. already exist in South Korea, where
term cost.’ On paper, taxes would be taken the national patent office charge
Michele went on to say that, for leave and don’t from all countries whose official higher fees if some services are
some sectors, English is quickly pay back into the language is English. However, ‘it requested in English rather than
becoming the dominant language. would exclude countries where Korean. If European countries
Some countries run higher economy English is an official language, but implemented similar laws, it could
education courses almost entirely not as widely spoken as a native be the first step to subsidising the
in English, putting those who may There can also be a financial language, such as India,’ says cost of English education.
not be able to speak English as well cost on the individual, says Michele. So, as English continues to
as their peers at a disadvantage, Michele; academic writers who Therefore, Ireland, a country rule the world, do you agree with
and perhaps even unable to access speak English as a second language who speaks English due to Michele that it might be high time
higher education at all. This is are more likely to have to amend colonisation, and Canada, a to ‘curb its power’?

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