Language uses at UIB: English in the classroom

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to put forward some ideas about the use of the English language in the classroom as an international academic lingua franca in the Catalan university context and specifically in that of Mallorca. We want to answer, even if only partially, the question of the extent to which the cultural and economic resources of this language of international use influence the language uses of teachers lecturing undergraduate course subjects in English at the Universitat de les Illes Balears (University of the Balearic Islands, UIB). On the basis of a questionnaire, the motivation of this group is assessed and the underlying language ideologies are determined. In this context, the Catalan language, which hitherto had to resist the pressure of Spanish – the hegemonic language of Spain –, is now under the pressure of globalization.

Keywords: language uses, hegemonic language ideologies, internationalization, academic languages at the Universitat de les Illes Balears.