In 2018 an experimental joint programme was developed by Parma University Language Centre (Italy) and the Humanities and Arts Department of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology with the aim of offering EAP students the opportunity to deliver presentations to a foreign audience on a topic relevant to the academic and professional interests of both groups. The students had to explore and personalise it in order to be able to explain it to a group which they had had no previous contact with or information about. The purpose was to engage students in active learning by moving away from a more traditional approach to language learning focusing on vocabulary and macro-skills, to a more pragmatic approach which incorporates ‘soft skills’ too. A secondary objective was also to develop the students’ confidence through a ‘realistic simulation’ of situations which they are likely to encounter in their professional lives, including emotional and social implications. This paper offers an insight into the challenges and issues which arose, and ideas for improving the learning experience. We will discuss preparation stages carried out by the teachers at both universities, and the guided and autonomous student team work carried out to find relevant material, work on visuals and commentaries, and deal with questions from their foreign counterparts. A post-conference survey stimulated students’ reflections about their experience and triggered discussions about language skills essential for successful professional practices. The survey was also valuable for the teachers as regards reassessment of teaching strategies and preparation for future joint projects.

Integrating international teleconferences into EAP courses: Preparing students for real-life professional situations / SCOTT-MONKHOUSE, Anila Ruth; Yelenevskaya, Maria; Tal, Michal. - STAMPA. - 1:(2019), pp. 24-25. (Intervento presentato al convegno Creative Multilingual Identities: The Influence of Multilingual Identity on Foreign Language Learning tenutosi a Tashkent nel 2 - 3 maggio 2019).

Integrating international teleconferences into EAP courses: Preparing students for real-life professional situations

Scott-Monkhouse Anila Ruth
Writing – Original Draft Preparation
;
2019-01-01

Abstract

In 2018 an experimental joint programme was developed by Parma University Language Centre (Italy) and the Humanities and Arts Department of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology with the aim of offering EAP students the opportunity to deliver presentations to a foreign audience on a topic relevant to the academic and professional interests of both groups. The students had to explore and personalise it in order to be able to explain it to a group which they had had no previous contact with or information about. The purpose was to engage students in active learning by moving away from a more traditional approach to language learning focusing on vocabulary and macro-skills, to a more pragmatic approach which incorporates ‘soft skills’ too. A secondary objective was also to develop the students’ confidence through a ‘realistic simulation’ of situations which they are likely to encounter in their professional lives, including emotional and social implications. This paper offers an insight into the challenges and issues which arose, and ideas for improving the learning experience. We will discuss preparation stages carried out by the teachers at both universities, and the guided and autonomous student team work carried out to find relevant material, work on visuals and commentaries, and deal with questions from their foreign counterparts. A post-conference survey stimulated students’ reflections about their experience and triggered discussions about language skills essential for successful professional practices. The survey was also valuable for the teachers as regards reassessment of teaching strategies and preparation for future joint projects.
2019
Integrating international teleconferences into EAP courses: Preparing students for real-life professional situations / SCOTT-MONKHOUSE, Anila Ruth; Yelenevskaya, Maria; Tal, Michal. - STAMPA. - 1:(2019), pp. 24-25. (Intervento presentato al convegno Creative Multilingual Identities: The Influence of Multilingual Identity on Foreign Language Learning tenutosi a Tashkent nel 2 - 3 maggio 2019).
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11381/2885666
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