English in the Dutch education system
Keywords:
internationalization, higher education, English, academic performance.Abstract
The use of English as the language of instruction in higher education institutions in the Netherlands is growing, but it is also the subject of public and political debate. English is used as a medium of instruction in 75% of master's degree programs in the Netherlands and in 25% of bachelor's degree programs. The main driving force behind this trend is internationalization, with the Anglicization of education being used as a means to achieve this goal. Criticism of this development is growing in educational institutions and in political circles of the country. The main argument of critics is that the use of English should not undermine the quality of education provided. Relatively few studies have been conducted on the impact of teaching in English on student academic performance, and many of the existing studies are based on self-reports rather than objective measurements. Semi-experimental studies show that lecturers using English are less precise and expressive, as well as less prone to improvisation. The conclusions regarding academic performance are contradictory: some studies indicate a decrease, others do not find any effect on student academic performance.
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