Second Language Learning and Language Teaching

Higher education
Higher education through another language may either be in a country that uses
it or sited in particular countries where it is not used, as we saw earlier. Of the
4,249 postgraduates at Newcastle University in 2006–2007, 1,518 were from out-
side the EU (38 per cent). The importance for the student is not the second lan-
guage itself, but the knowledge and qualifications that are gained through the
second language. Again, the first language is an important part of the situation.
Access to research and information
The Malaysian schools syllabus encourages students to ‘Read and understand sim-
ple factual texts for main ideas, supporting details’. At a different level is the need
for English to support various careers that are not primarily based on language –
for scientists, doctors or journalists. To keep up to date or to be well informed, it
may be necessary to use English.
Travel
The motivation behind many students’ L2 learning is to travel abroad, that is, to
belong to the group of visitors. At one level, this is the leisure activity of tourism: two
The goals of language teaching
208

---

weeks on a beach in Cuba does not require much Spanish. One of the four themes
set for the UK GCSE examinations in French is: ‘Travelling from the UK to target-
language country/community’ (AQA, 2007). A goal for my own beginners’ course
People and Places (Cook, 1980) was international travel through English; hence it
emphasized talking to strangers about everyday travel functions such as getting
money and food or finding the right check-in. The goal of travel is included under
international goals here as it involves contact with other countries, though in 
a sense it is an individual goal belonging in the next section. Sometimes special-
ized training has been provided, say, English for tourism workers in Vietnam 
and Cuba.