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This is a presentation for the ClipFlair conference organised by the Faculty of Letters (Babes-Bolyai University) in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, 9-10 May 2014. Teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL, ESL) is an attractive professional choice, with increasingly varied career and research options. Since the early 1960s, English for Specific Purposes (ESP) has gradually become one of its prominent areas, with various sub-fields gaining recognition and being subject of (interdisciplinary) research ranging from applied linguistics and communication to psycho- and sociolinguistics and intercultural studies. The provisions for the study of foreign languages, particularly English, in Romanian higher education, have followed closely or even preceded the developments needed to adjust to the changes affecting economy, society and education in the aftermath of the historical events in 1989 and the country’s admission in the European Union (2007). The current paper describes the case of ESP in Babes-Bolyai University, by tracing its beginnings and coming of age and presenting the challenges raised by current issues of student internalisation, academic study/communication needs and the new perspectives growing from the emerging paradigm of lifelong learning and the integration of Information and Communication Technologies. The author’s personal experience in implementing a blended learning environment for teaching ESP is used to highlight the benefits and the challenges encountered in the process as well as directions for future developments. Finally, based on the view that ESP is a work-in-progress, founded on the continuous analysis of needs, means and institutional and cultural contexts, a curricular and research proposal is made that includes solutions for the development of learning skills needed in academic study, continuous language learning and lifelong learning.
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Cristina Felea, Ph.D. Babes-Bolyai University, Faculty of Letters
Understanding New Learners and Reconsidering Learning & Researching Pathways.
Teaching and Researching English for Specific Purposes in Romanian Higher Education
New Trends in Language Didactics, Cluj-Napoca, 9-10 May 2014
MottoYour work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is
great work.
And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.
If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.
And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on.
So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.
(Steve Jobs, Stanford Commencement Address, 2005)
- founded in 2004- 23 teachers- caters for 18 UBB faculties- compulsory courses BA level (2hrs/week; mostly 2 semesters) - linguistic certificate needed for BA graduation exam + MA/PhD enrollment - 2nd and 3rd languages
Russian
Department for Foreign Languages for Specific Purposes
What’s in a career? Why do I love my profession?
Find something more important than you are and dedicate your life to it. - Dan Dennett
Language
English for Specific Purposes - work-in-progress!
1995-2001 2001-2006 2007-2013
Developing E(S)AP [by integrating technology]
Coming of Age - Developing E(S)AP to synchronise with HE changes
Academic Study Skills(BA)Academic Communication (MA)Cultural Studies
Phase Transition from GE & Pioneering a new discipline
New CurriculumCourse Packets for-Academic Reading-Academic WritingRemedial Grammar Communication
OutcomesCurricular adaptationsDesigning adapted and in-house materials
Travel is glamorous only in retrospect. - Paul Theroux, in the Observer
ESP in Babes-Bolyai University - Timeline
What next?
...students?
"digital natives", media and information consumers from multiple sources; flexible, dynamic, alert, used to instant gratification, networked, interactive, hyperactive, learning in informal environment in multimodal styles. (Source: Timsoft, Redecker & al., 2009)
Who are the...
What next?
...teachers?
"digital immigrants", educated in the traditional university; for them, information needs to be controlled and validated, sources are relatively limited, prefer logic-linear thinking, adepts of delayed gratification, prefer independent work in controlled environments. (Source: Timsoft)
Who are the...
Web 2.0 and the change of educational paradigm
What is web 2.0?
- a transition from the "old" Web to the "new" Web,- WWW is considered as a software platform, whereof users control / create and share their own data and information by means of collaborative applications/tools.
Current learning frameworks
○ associative - learning as activity carried out within structured tasks - behaviourism; recently adjusted to and with the help of Web 2.0 associative resources
○ cognitive - learning through understanding and reflection on one's own learning (metacognition) - cognitivism
○ situational - learning as social practice - constructivism and connectivism, socio-cultural approach, communities of practice
Blended learning - the best of the two worlds
Creating a blended
learning Environment
Creating a blended learning environment -
"a view from the trenches"
667 first year undergraduate students distributed in CEFR level groups - course management pages, individual work pages, collaborative project work- research based on data collected by wiki content/statistics and in-class information
Infrastructure Resources SupportTraining
managementPolicies
Class-basedface-to-face
activities
Wiki-basedonline activities
LecturesReadings
Pair/Group work
Self-paced/ independent
Collaborative work
Printed handoutsWiki Tutorials
Learning unitsOpen educational resources
Online tutorialsT’s feedbackWiki mail Discussion forums
Course management and
individual work spaces
Data collected from wiki
English for Academic Purposes Wiki
INPUT
Processes Products Impact
Minimal ICT skills
Easy revisionAutomatic data
collection
Study skills (self/peer-evaluation, time management etc)
Collaborative tasks &
presentations
Developing transversal
competencies
Self-directedlearning
Language learning in
authentic context
Teacher-centred ->
Student-centred
B2/C1 - Susanu (personal page) A Vision of Students (collaborative presentation)
A2/B1 - Professional social worker (collaborative project)
Sample Student Work
English for Academic Purposes Wiki
OUTPUT
Benefits of using Web 2.0Students- interact and negotiate meaning in the target language (with an authentic audience)- are involved in authentic tasks - are exposed and encouraged to produce varied and creative language - have time and adequate feedback- are guided to reflect on the learning process - become responsible content consumers, creators and active participants in the learning process- develop 21st century study and work skills
Benefits of using Web 2.0
Teachers- reflect on and renew their teaching methods - reconsider their and their students' roles- become more involved in quality issues and professional development - have the opportunity to become part of an increasing global community of practice
ChallengesTeachers
- problems in balancing needs with outcomes- Mismatch of content and technology- reluctance to re-design courses and/or programmes
- discomfort with digital media- lack of institutional support
Decision-makers- administrative challenges (lack of awareness, policies, plans, goals, support related to blended learning)
- low faculty preparedness, and quality assurance
Students- lack of practice in using technology for formal learning- poor time management skills- failure to understand the collaborative nature of the new technology- lack of autonomous learning skills
- fear of the new
Proposal for 1. Curricular development
Building a culture of collaboration and meaningful interaction based on trust and respect...
Range of Academic English Studies1
Time FlowSKILLS PROGRESSION COMPULSORY
OPTIONAL/ INDEPENDENT
STUDYLEVEL
B1 Transferable academic skills
Basic Study Skills Remedial English BA, Semester 1
B2-C1
Academic / Research
Communication (2)
(Inter-)cultural Communication
BA, Semester 2B2-C1 Transferable academic skills
Academic Reading &
Writing
General Communication Skills
BA, Semesters 3-4-5B2-C1 Workplace
Communication
Academic / Research
Communication (1)
Culture & Civilisation/ Specialist Translation
MA, Semesters 1, 2Professional
Communication
1I have drawn on academic programme of the University of Jyväskylä
OPTIONAL COURSES
COMMUNICATION SKILLS- general- media literacy- workplace- inter-cultural- research writing- specialist translation
LANGUAGE & CULTURE- language and society- language and media- public speaking and debate
REMEDIAL ENGLISH - integrated skills- optional (on demand)- self-access modules (blended learning/ tutored)- independent (e-learning)
POSSIBLE LEARNING PATHWAYS
1st year 2nd year 3rd year MA
Academic & Professional Communication Skills
Inter-cultural Communication
Academic & Research Communication
Academic Research Communication (1)
Academic Study Skills (2)
B2-C1 Academic Study Skills (1), (2)
Academic Study Skills (1)
A2-B1Remedial English (1)Study Skills Basics
Proposal for 2. Research
The why's and how's of learners' psychology and social interaction are vital areas in current research - looking for answers is an excellent opportunity to improve academic quality and to help others understand more about themselves and the world and, most importantly, live better lives.
2.1 Promoting ICT integration
Building community of interest and national/ international partnership to support transition to blended learning
Open Educational Resources, educational gateways and communities of practice for
professional development
● teaching and learning materials
● open source software
● intellectual property and copyright issues
2.2 Promoting OER and studying their impact
Open Educational Resources, educational gateways and communities of practice for
professional development
● teaching/learning materials created under
●●●●
2.2 Promoting OER and studying their impact
● Academic Study Skills
2.3 Promoting teaching excellence
2.4 Research center
Dynamics of languages for specific purposes- research on● students’ academic profiles● students’ competence dynamics● communities of learning, academic and research
practice● communication and pedagogical issues raised by
technology integration● interdisciplinary studies on social and cultural
interaction ● academic Romanian
Selected References● Cabrol, Marcelo, Eugenio Severin (2009). ICT to improve quality in education — A conceptual
framework and indicators in the use of information communication technology for education (ICT4E). In European Commission Joint Research Centre. Assessing the effects of ICT in education Indicators, criteria and benchmarks for international comparisons. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, pp. 83-87)
● Jordan, R. R. (1990). Academic writing course (new ed.).Walton-on-Thames: Nelson● Jordan, R.R. (1997). English for Academic Purposes: A Guide and Resource Book for
Teachers, Cambridge University Press● Krashen, S. D.(1985).The Input Hypothesis. London/ New York: Longman● Long, M. H. 1985. ‘Input and second language acquisition theory’ in S. Gass, and C. Madden
(eds): Input and Second Language Acquisition Rowley. MA: Newbury House, pp. 268–86.● Oltean, Stefan (2009). Options for a Foreign Language Policy, in Bi- and Multilingual Universities:
Perspectives and Beyond. Proceedings of the Bolzano Conference 2007, pp. 89-103.● Redecker, C. (2009). Review of learning 2.0 practices: Study on the impact of web 2.0
innovations on education and training in Europe. European Commission Joint Research Centre: Institute for Prospective Technological Studies. http://ftp.jrc.es/EURdoc/JRC49108.pdf.
● Rüschoff, B., & Ritter, M. (2001). Technology-enhanced language learning: Construction of knowledge and template-based learning in the foreing language classroom. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 14(3), 219-232
