Andifes-IsF Network publishes article on the Languages Without Borders Network in Brazil for the World Humanities Report
Source: World Humanities Report
The article The Languages Without Borders Network in Brazil has been published in the World Humanities Report and is now available on the Andifes-IsF Network website. Written by Denise Abreu-e-Lima (Federal University of São Carlos) and Waldenor B. Moraes Filho (Federal University of Uberlândia), with contributions from the Andifes-IsF Network, the article offers an in-depth analysis of the program’s evolution, its connections to the former Science Without Borders initiative, its impact on Brazilian higher education, the network’s structure and management, and its transition from federal government administration to Andifes—the National Association of Directors/Presidents of Federal Higher Education Institutions. The publication is available in seven languages: German, Spanish, French, English, Italian, Japanese, and Portuguese.
The World Humanities Report is a collaborative effort by the Consortium of Humanities Centers and Institutes (CHCI) and the International Council for Philosophy and the Human Sciences (CIPSH).
The Languages Without Borders Network in Brazil
As the article explains, the Languages Without Borders Network emerged in Brazil as a political and regulatory strategy aligned with the internationalization efforts at universities in the Southern Hemisphere. One of the key initiatives in this context was the Science Without Borders (CsF) program, supported by the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) in Brazil. The program was criticized for prioritizing technology and innovation fields – such as Exact Sciences, Technology, and Medicine – while excluding the humanities and social sciences. The article highlights that “the program intended to internationalize Brazilian research, but it is impossible to address internationalization without considering language as the basis for communication among people and the central role of language education” (p. 4). In response to the academic community’s language proficiency needs for CsF scholarships, the Languages Without Borders (IsF) program was introduced as an alternative to supplement the teaching of foreign languages in Brazil.
Initially, in 2012, the Federal Government, with the support of university rectors, launched the English Without Borders program, which offered self-paced online courses, free TOEFL ITP proficiency tests, and in-person courses at federal universities. In 2014, the program was expanded and renamed Languages Without Borders, incorporating six additional languages (German, French, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, and Portuguese for foreigners) with support from international partners. The main goal of the program, alongside a shift in perspective to acknowledge the importance of the humanities and the need to value language professionals and language teaching, was to provide critical education about practical methodologies that could help prepare children and teenagers for life, the workplace, or postsecondary education.
Key contributions of the Languages without Borders program
The Languages without Borders program has made significant contributions in four main areas: foreign language teaching and learning, teacher training, applied linguistics research, and the recognition of humanities professionals in internationalization processes. Additionally, it has encouraged public higher education institutions to develop other internationalization initiatives and participate in government-led programs. The program has gained international recognition, receiving the Distinguished Hubert H. Humphrey Leadership Award from the U.S. Embassy in Brazil (2016) and the Noble Partnership Award from the Canadian Embassy (2017), for its impacts on public policy and international collaboration.
Transition from “Program” to Andifes “Network”
Initially, the Languages without Borders program was managed by a specialized team linked to the Ministry of Education’s Higher Education Secretariat, responsible for establishing guidelines, preparing calls, carrying out meetings with international partners, and overseeing course development and certification. In order to allow greater visibility of its activities and the flow of information, the Ministry of Education also developed an online management system for important program activities, such as test and course registration, classroom management, activity monitoring, and certificate issuance.
In 2018, after six years of supporting the internationalization of federal higher education institutions, the Federal Government discontinued the Languages Without Borders program, which was then transferred to the National Association of Directors of Federal Higher Education Institutions (Andifes), a non-governmental organization. From 2019 onward, its management team focused on organizing initiatives to address language inequality and other issues, such as avoiding frequent interruptions in leadership caused by direct government influences and political changes. This transition marked a shift from a “program” to a “network”, putting into practice the fundamental concept of being “without borders”: without institutional borders, campus borders, city, state or national borders. Through this new model, Andifes-IsF seeks to build a more tolerant, solidary and humane global citizenship, playing a vital role in the internationalization of Brazilian public higher education.
Additional information
The article provides further insights into the transition, detailing key actions, funding progress, and strategic measures to strengthen language education in Brazil. It also presents data on investments, program outcomes, and broader qualitative impacts. The full article, available in seven languages, can be accessed, can be found here.
