On October 5-7, 2017, in the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, one of the major European conferences, ICLHE “Integrating Content and Language in Higher Education” has been held. It was devoted to integrating training on special disciplines and foreign languages in the higher education system.
The goal of this conference organized by a homonymous association includes consolidation of transnational experience in the field of applied linguistics, pedagogy and sociology. ICLHE is a forum for scientists, professors and representatives of university administrations responsible for university language policy, for issues on internationalization of the higher education system, for expanding academic mobility of students and university employees, as well as for attracting foreign students and scientists. ICLHE also provides an opportunity to meet with colleagues and discuss the problems of integrating foreign language in special disciplines training based on the experience of the world leading universities, including the universities of Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, India, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Spain, Canada, USA, Poland, Switzerland, and Great Britain.
At this year’s forum 150 participants from 39 countries of the world have gathered. For the first time, Russia has also been represented at this conference by an Associate Professor, Candidate of Sciences (Pedagogy) and the Head of the Department of Foreign Languages at South Ural State University, Ksenia Volchenkova.
Het paper “The Influence of English Medium Instruction on Teacher Identity” presented at an attendee meeting sparked interest among the conference participants. Ksenia Nikolaevna provided theoretical substantiation and practical proof of how a university professors’ personality changes when s/he uses English while teaching special disciplines.
The oral presentation came as a logical conclusion after project activities being fulfilled at the Department of Foreign Languages, in particular of Project 2.1.1. “Implementation of the Best Practices on the University Language Training under 5-100 Program”, which resulted in elaboration of the “English Medium Instruction” course for the SUSU professors delivering lectures on special disciplines in English. At present, the course is being tested within the framework of Lingva Program for Additional Linguistics Training. Participation in this conference has allowed to take a fresh look at the performed work and introduce relevant amendments to preparing the SUSU professors to integration in the global education space.