The analysis of scholars’ English language needs

Abstract

The English language has become widespread as the lingua franca of higher education. It is also a key means of university internationalizing, academic and student mobility, and for individual researchers, a tool to establish their scholarly reputation. The study aims to determine faculty English language needs such as: a) reasons for knowing English, b) the level of L2 skills according to CEFR, and c) language competences for the future. The results show that participants need to know English to communicate effectively in professional contexts, to publish but also read journals, and to write reviews. The overall level of the English language skills varies between B1 and B2, and speaking and writing are considered important competences. The study confirms the need to enhance the faculty’s productive skills to meet high demands for publications in foreign journals and enable international scientific collaboration, and academic mobility, all of which require high language proficiency.

Keywords

• University faculty
• Foreign language needs
• Faculty language fluency
• Language policy