Die Sprache(n) der Lehre an deutschen Hochschulen: Tendenzen und Handlungsbedarf

This paper looks into the effects that internationalisation of German Higher Education Institutions has had on the language of instruction, with a particular focus on so-called ‘international degree programmes’. Although English-medium instruction has increased considerably over the past two decades, there is a clear lack of empirical studies looking into the ways in which this has been implemented: What overt or covert assumptions are associated with such international degrees? What role do other languages, including German, play in such programmes? How well are these roles defined, and how transparent are these to prospective students? What kind of language support is put in place and how effective is it from the students’ perspective? The present paper tries to shed some light on these questions by reporting the key findings of two case studies arguing in favour of a more consistent language policy in Higher Education in order to foster multilingual practices and competences.