I aim to explore how the relationship between internationalisation and English is represented in Spanish universities’ top-down documents using corpus linguistics techniques and critical discourse analysis. The analysis of overt and covert language ideologies and language management indicates powerful implications able to modify current language practices.
The view of English as the key language in Higher Education internationalisation processes has situated this language as the main linguistic tool to internationalise universities (Fabricius et al. 2017; Jenkins, 2014). In the present study, I used corpus linguistic methods and Critical Discourse Analysis to explore 143 institutional documents of 65 Spanish universities. The purpose was to examine the extent to which English is actually the predominant language in those processes. Results showed overt and covert references to English as the language of internationalisation, which seems to be particularly used for mobility and international visibility, confirming Dearden's (2014) claim that the advancement of English in educational settings is a growing global phenomenon. Yet, as reflected in the policy documents, the findings showed that the English coexisted with other languages, the local languages, that are also promoted as tools for local integration, intercultural competence and plurilingualism (Elliot et al., 2018). In the light of the findings I will discuss the possible implications from the perspective of language management and planning Spolsky (2009) and provide research-informed suggestions for effective planning and management of multilingual practices on campus. References: Dearden, J. (2014). English as a medium of instruction– a growing global phenomenon. British Council. Elliott, N., Vila, F.X., & Gilabert, R. (2018). The presentation of Catalan universities' linguistic reality to a transnational audience. European Journal of Language Policy, 10(1), 121-146. Fabricius, A.H., Mortensen, J., & Haberland, H. (2017). The lure of internationalization: paradoxical discourses of transnational student mobility, linguistic diversity and cross- cultural exchange. Higher Education, 73, 577–595. Jenkins, J. (2014). English as a lingua franca in the international university: the politics of academic English Language Policy. London: Routledge. Spolsky, B. (2009). Language Management. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
