Internationalising a degree
programme:
The Case of Aviation
Walter Seiler &
William Agius
Zürcher Fachhochschule
Internationalising a degree programme:
The Case of Aviation
Introduction
What made you choose this workshop?
Zürcher Fachhochschule
Internationalising a degree programme:
The Case of Aviation
What we want to do
•
•
•
•
•
•
Introduce the BSc in Aviation
Discuss its development
Discuss the role of English in Aviation and in the BSc
Introduction of EMI (English Medium Instruction)
Dangers of switching to EMI
Discussion on best practices:
tell us where we went wrong,
where we can improve
Zürcher Fachhochschule
The BSc in Aviation
• 135 new students every year
• 40 to 50 graduates every year
• Option to combine an academic degree programme with licence
training
Zürcher Fachhochschule
The BSc in Aviation
•
•
•
•
The degree programme is unique in Switzerland
The degree programme relies on an extensive international network
The Swiss aviation industry is small
The Swiss aviation industry is getting smaller
Zürcher Fachhochschule
2
2
Sprache im Beruf 1
SIBE1 (aS)
2
2
Sprache im Beruf 2
SIBE2 (aS)
Modulgruppe AV2
Human - Technology Environment
METU (aS)
2
2
Modulgruppe AV5
pflichtodul
2
2
Communication
nagement
MGMT
2
2
Aeronautical
nication 4
AC4
2
2
Aeronautical
nication 3
AC3
2
2
Aeronautical
nication 2
AC2
2
2
Aeronautical
nication 1
AC1
2
2
serhalb Studiensemester
Studium Generale
Bachelorarbeit
Aviatik
BAAV
0
12
Projektarbeit
Aviatik
PAAV
0
6
System Reliability, Availability,
Maintainability, Safety
SYS-RAMS
Systems Engineering
8
8
Human Factors
in Aviation
HF-AV
Project Management
8
8
Physics and Systems Science
for Aviation 2
PHSAV2
Presentation Techniques
8
8
Physics and Systems Science
for Aviation 1
PHSAV1
Scientific Writing
8
8
Projektschiene / Praktische Arbeiten
Wahlpflichtmodul
4
4
Wahlpflichtmodul
4
4
Wahlpflichtmodul
4
4
Wahlpflichtmodul
4
4
Wahlpflichtmodul
4
4
Wahlpflichtmodul
4
4
Navigation
Systems
NAVSYS
4
4
Business Administration
for the Aviation Industry
BADM-AV
Modulgruppe AV5
4
4
Wahlpflichtmodul
4
4
Wahlpflichtmodul
4
4
Wahlpflichtmodul
Meteorology for
Aviation and Engineers
MET-AVE
4
4
Safety Risk Management
- Quality Management
SRM-QM
Modulgruppe AV3
4
4
Electrics and Electronics
ELEC
Modulgruppe AV4
Chemistry and
Materials for Aviation 2
CHEM-MAT2
2
2
Math for Aviation Applied Numerics
MAV-NUM
5
4
Math for Aviation Applied Statistics
MAV-AST
5
4
Aircraft Systems
AC-SYS
Chemistry and
Materials for Aviation 1
CHEM-MAT1
2
2
Math for Aviation Analysis 2
MAV-AN2
Infrastructure in Aviation
INFRA-AV
Math for Aviation Linear Algebra 2
MAV-LA2
4
3
4
4
IT - Application
IT-APP
4
3
Math for Aviation Analysis 1
MAV-AN1
4
4
Principles of Flight
POF
4
4
Math for Aviation Linear Algebra 1
MAV-LA1
4
3
4
4
Aviation Law
A-LAW
4
4
IT - Programming
IT-PROG
4
3
4
4
4
4
Aviation Basics
AVBA
4
4
Modulgruppe AV1
Transportation Law
T-LAW
4
4
Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Grundlagen
4
4
Fachspezifische Grundlagen und Schwerpunkte Aviatik
6
Zürcher Fachhochschule
The BSc in Aviation
What are the challenges?
•
•
•
•
Dealing with the student’s expectations
Dealing with the lecturer’s resistance
A lack of harmonization in the implementation
A lack of willingness to implement EMII properly
Zürcher Fachhochschule
The BSc in Aviation
How many courses are actually taught in English?
‘For the courses in the International Profile, the default language is
English. If there is an exchange student in the class room who is a nonnative speaker of German, the rule must be adhered to. If there are no
non-native exchange students in the class room, the lecturer and
students may agree to revert back to German as the language of tuition’.
Zürcher Fachhochschule
The BSc in Aviation
How many courses are actually taught in English?
‘Students from the Italian- and French-speaking parts of Switzerland are
not considered to be non-native speakers…’.
Zürcher Fachhochschule
The BSc in Aviation
What is the upshot?
Not even the head of the BSc in Aviation has an overview of how many
courses are actually really taught in English.
Zürcher Fachhochschule
The BSc in Aviation
Courses taught in English by non-native speakers of
German
•
•
•
•
•
•
Advanced Aerodynamics
Avionics Systems
Flight Mechanics and Flight Simulation
Flight Propulsion Systems
Flight Vehicle Systems
Introduction to Rotary Wing Aircraft
Zürcher Fachhochschule
The BSc in Aviation
Courses taught in English by native speakers of
German
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Meteorology
Air Transport Economics
Air Traffic Management
Flight Operations and Performance
Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul
Operations Management
Technical Information Technology
Zürcher Fachhochschule
English as a Lingua Franca (ELF)
Rise of ELF
• British Empire, WW1 and WW2
Zürcher Fachhochschule
13
English as a Lingua Franca (ELF)
Implementation of ICAO Language Proficiency
Requirements
• Since 3 March 2011 all air traffic controllers and pilots must
demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively using either ICAO
standard phraseology or Plain English. Air Traffic Controllers and Flight
Crew Members engaged in or in contact with international flights must
be proficient in the English language as a general spoken medium and
not simply have a proficiency in standard ICAO Radiotelephony
Phraseology.
Zürcher Fachhochschule
14
Human Factors, Communications and
Safety
• The role of English in communication and human factors
• Language proficiency and culture in human factors
• Training strategies to mitigate safety issues in cross-cultural
communications
• English as a common link for CRM among international crews
• Training for optimum on-board communications
• Human factors in air to ground communication - culture, language and
the communication interference
• The role of English communication in human factors on the flight deck,
with ATC and between cabin crew
• Communication in the cabin among crew and with passengers
Zürcher Fachhochschule
15
What English skills will graduates need
to succeed in the workplace?
•
•
•
•
•
•
General level: C1+ (European Framework of Reference)
Technical English (aviation specific)
Academic English (BA thesis; register; appropriateness)
ICAO Phraseology
Familiarity with World Englishes
Sensitivity to register
Zürcher Fachhochschule
16
How to acquire the necessary English
skills?
• Traditional method: English as a subject
• CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning)
• EMI (English Medium Instruction)
Zürcher Fachhochschule
17
Why EMI (English Medium Instruction)?
Internationalisation
• To prepare domestic students for a globalised labour market
• Attract non-German-speaking students (exchange and full time)
• Attract non-German-speaking staff
Zürcher Fachhochschule
18
Switching from German to English: loss of
quality due to lack of language skills
Non-teaching domain
• „Admin“: An example from the International Profile
Zürcher Fachhochschule
19
Switching from German to English: loss of
quality due to lack of language skills
Teaching domain
• Non-native lecturers
 restricted ability, lack of spontaneity/naturalness/idiomatic
language; restricted communicative ability
 Heavy accent: perceived as incompetence
• Native lecturers
 language too idiomatic for non-native students
• Students
 increased workload
 Reduced interactive ability
Zürcher Fachhochschule
20
Aviation: International Profile
• http://engineering.zhaw.ch/en/engineering/studium/bachelor/internation
ales-profil.html
When you have successfully completed your first year of study, you can
opt to pursue your studies in the international profile. To do this, you need
to provide evidence of specific course content in English and complete a
semester or work placement or write your dissertation abroad.
Zürcher Fachhochschule
21
Aviation: International Profile
http://engineering.zhaw.ch/de/engineering/studium/bachelor/internationalesprofil.html
Wenn Sie Ihr erstes Studienjahr erfolgreich abgeschlossen haben,
können Sie sich für die Fortsetzung des Studiums im Internationalen
Profil entscheiden. Dafür belegen Sie bestimmte Studieninhalte in
Englisch und absolvieren ein Auslandssemester bzw. -praktikum oder
schreiben Ihre Bachelorarbeit im Ausland.
Zürcher Fachhochschule
22
English and German: a comparison
Wenn Sie Ihr erstes Studienjahr
erfolgreich abgeschlossen haben,
können Sie sich für die Fortsetzung
des Studiums im Internationalen
Profil entscheiden. Dafür belegen
Sie bestimmte Studieninhalte in
Englisch und absolvieren ein
Auslandssemester bzw. -praktikum
oder schreiben Ihre Bachelorarbeit
im Ausland.
Zürcher Fachhochschule
When you have successfully
completed your first year of study,
you can opt to pursue your studies
in the international profile. To do
this, you need to provide evidence
of specific course content in
English and complete a semester or
work placement or write your
dissertation abroad.
23
Belegen
www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/belegen_bedecken_reservi
eren_sichern
•
•
•
•
•
etwas (mit etwas) bedecken, (mit einem Belag) versehen
für jemanden, für sich selbst sichern, reservieren
(Sport) (einen Platz in der Rangordnung) einnehmen, erreichen
für etwas (besonders die Unterbringung von Personen) nutzen
(durch ein Dokument o. Ä.) nachweisen, beweisen
(incomplete)
Zürcher Fachhochschule
24
Lesson learned
• When addressing an international audience through the medium of
English, it is crucial for the translator (from L1 into English) to be not
just highly competent in the two languages, but also to be familiar with
the content to be translated.
• The result of ignoring this danger:
 Incomprehensibility
 Loss of face/prestige; looking silly
Back
Zürcher Fachhochschule
25