Future directions for the learning of languages in universities: challenges and opportunities

Abstract

The place of foreign language learning in education has a rich and diverse history since the introduction of compulsory schooling, with some countries including the learning of a foreign language as a compulsory part of the curriculum, whilst in others foreign language learning is seen as an optional subject suited for more academically minded students. In more recent times, the place and role of foreign or second language learning have come under increasing scrutiny, partly in response to world-wide developments in communication technologies, increased and expanded transnational mobility, global security concerns and the emergence of a global lingua franca, English. In this article, I build upon reflections from other scholars to outline the major challenges for university-level language learning in the context of a radically changing language learning environment. The focus of attention is on three key elements of language learning: the learner, the teacher and the curriculum.