ENGLISH MAJORS FACE UNCERTAIN FUTURE AS AI REPLACES BASIC SKILLS

Universities address fresh challenge to make discipline more relevant to students, industry

Once boasting abundant opportunities to land promising careers, foreign language majors are now confronting profound change as artificial intelligence disrupts traditional career paths and universities implement sweeping reforms.

In 2023, the University of Science and Technology of China in Hefei, Anhui province, was among the first top-tier universities in China to discontinue its English major. In 2024, the University of International Business and Economics and Beijing Language and Culture University announced the suspension of enrollment for several master's programs in less commonly taught languages, including Japanese translation and Italian interpretation.

In May 2024, the University of Jinan in Shandong province announced that it had halted enrollment in nine undergraduate majors, including Korean and German. That same month, Shenyang Aerospace University in Liaoning province listed 10 majors paused for enrollment, including English.