ACTA SZEKSZARDIENSIUM - Pécsi Tudományegyetem Illyés Gyula ...

Maria Bajner
are an asset to any business with more than one language at their disposal. Many
employers will even pay them more for this asset.
Politicians, law makers and education-experts have enormous responsibility
considering that it is not enough to be great in education marketing, but rather is has to
be made clear that e.g. the three year degree BA or BSc is a foundation degree, the value
of which is almost similar to the value of the former „matura” (GCSE), and also, that
qualification does not mean automatic employment. The number of college/university
applicants in 2009 has increased 12% as compared with data of previous year, while we
are complaining about lack of skilled workers (Internet Ref. 4). Redmond points out in
his research that 90% of the millennials go on to tertiary education, 70% of them – who
believe that a degree is essential to achieve their goals-want a profession, and 40% of
freshmen is hoping to have Master’s (Internet Ref. 5). The situation is presumably
similar in Hungary, actually in tertiary education and the number of applicants we
outstrip even the United Kingdom considering that–in the ratio of the population – 30%
more Hungarian students go to universities and colleges than in the UK. At the same
time according to statistics of entry data (www.felvi.hu) expansion experienced
in the last 10-15 years is just about over; since 2005 the figures of applicants show
continuous decline. Due to demographic fall and the process of shrinking government
resources a considerable „struggle” for students has begun between institutions for
the “customers” requiring “marketable” educational services. Marketing has achieved a
never experienced significance in the rethoric of higher education.
Higher education participants devote remarkably large energy to adapt to
western style marketing style and with the promise of providing prospective
students with up-to-date, marketable skills they wish to “sniff up” prospective
employees. The multi-colored, multi-level, full-time, part-time, special cross-and
retrainig courses offered by “The University of Generation Y” are soaring, and even
the less popular institutions are advertising highly convertible classes for constantly
widening target groups. University websites display photos of students with a wide smile
and even more self-esteem, sending the same message to the world as reputable
corporate companies: We are the best! There is no disappointment if you choose us!
The biggest and highly advertised international career exhibition event “Educatio
2010” did not lack promising marketing slogans: “Practical training in focus”
“Up-to-date marketable skills” “We offer a single training opportunity” “Everything
is about you” “Competitive university” “We offer more than education” “High level
English training for both domestic and foreign students” This latter term “language
competence” – as mentioned before – has to be given priority at the training of the
millennials. The question is, to what extent can and should tertiary education take
the burden of this task upon itself essentially tailored to primary and secondary
training levels. Languages for special purposes can be still an issue inside college walls.
For ministry educators and high-level government officers with the EU accession and
the EU policy on languages the task of solving the anomalies of foreign language teaching
and learning has become an issue of concern.
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