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Category:
Courses
Educational hub:
a:1:{i:0;s:36:”Digital Society & Global Citizenship”;}
Target audience:
Keywords:
a:2:{i:0;s:14:”global english”;i:1;s:7:”globish”;}
University:
ECTS credits:
6
Mode of delivery:
Virtual
Contact name:
Sofia Martino
Contact email:
aurora@vu.nl
Contact name #2:
field_64af0656ccdac
Contact email #2:
aurora@vu.nl
Language:
a:1:{i:0;s:7:”English”;}
Study cycle:
a:1:{i:0;s:8:”Bachelor”;}
Additional info:
field_6151e270d9cd3
Start date:
2026-08-31
End date:
2026-10-23
Application start:
Application deadline:
2026-08-19
SGD:
a:2:{i:0;s:23:”SDG4. Quality education”;i:1;s:37:”SDG8. Decent work and economic growth”;}
Course credit:
Yes
Free course:
Yes
Aurora competence framework:
Only for enrolled students:
Open for registration to all Aurora Universities:
Faculty:
Micro-credential:
No
Micro-credential URL:
a:2:{i:0;s:43:”Social Sciences, Journalism and Information”;i:1;s:42:”Information and Communication Technologies”;}
More info

Global English

Course overview

  • Course delivery: virtual, online only.
  • Dates: 31 August – 23 October 2026.
  • Language of instruction: English.
  • Credits: 6 ECTS.
  • Course leader: dr. L.M. Rupp, Faculty of Humanities.
  • Confirmation of study: Transcript of records, also in the form of an Aurora Microcredential.

Target audience

  • Study level: Bachelors.
  • Language level: English B2.
  • Field of study: Interdisciplinary.
  • This course is by nomination only. Please send your nominations to aurora@vu.nl
  • Nomination deadline: 1 August 2026
  • Please note: online attendance and participation is compulsory for every class.
  • Max 20 Aurora students in total.

Course content

In the lectures, we will examine the spread of the English language around the world. We will begin with regions in the world where English is spoken as a first language (England, the Celtic countries, the U.S., Australia, etc.). We will then move on to regions where English is spoken as a second language (Africa and Asia), and from there to regions where English is used as a foreign language or a lingua franca (e.g. The Netherlands, Europe, Japan, and so on). We will explore a range of issues in the global spread of English. These include: linguistic issues (variation in English, World Englishes), social issues ( language and identity, language and power, language death, linguistic exclusion and discrimination), and literary concerns (the use of English in postcolonial literature). Some of the lectures are presented by guest lecturers from Scotland, Australia, Uganda and Japan. In the seminar, we will address questions that have arisen from the lectures or the reading and we will discuss course work. Please see the course page for the most up to date information.