Pub Date : 2021-10-01DOI: 10.1515/cercles-2021-2028
Hana Delalande
Abstract In order to make teaching of French for specific purposes more effective, a needs analysis is a necessary step to determine the real needs of students who prepare to use French language at work on a regular basis. Therefore, cooperation between universities and companies or authorities active in labour market is very important. A detailed needs analysis enables us to identify various communication situations, both formal and informal, as well as the possible imperfections in students’ language competence and problematic areas typical for work environment. This article presents results of a qualitative research on French for specific purposes and experience of Czech students during internships in France, using the Grounded Theory Method (GTM). The research sample is composed of eight Czech students of a double degree of French-Czech Public Administration diploma from Masaryk University and University of Rennes 1, and of their French tutors. In their final year of studies, the students spend a two-month internship in French public administration authorities in the city of Rennes. Throughout the internships, the researcher conducted extensive individual interviews. Based on the findings of a thorough and detailed analysis, problematic areas and needs of language and intercultural competence development are identified. The author suggests topics to be integrated in French for specific purposes courses or a new course of an international mobility preparation.
{"title":"Analyse des besoins en français de spécialité pour étudiants étrangers en stage professionnel en France","authors":"Hana Delalande","doi":"10.1515/cercles-2021-2028","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/cercles-2021-2028","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract In order to make teaching of French for specific purposes more effective, a needs analysis is a necessary step to determine the real needs of students who prepare to use French language at work on a regular basis. Therefore, cooperation between universities and companies or authorities active in labour market is very important. A detailed needs analysis enables us to identify various communication situations, both formal and informal, as well as the possible imperfections in students’ language competence and problematic areas typical for work environment. This article presents results of a qualitative research on French for specific purposes and experience of Czech students during internships in France, using the Grounded Theory Method (GTM). The research sample is composed of eight Czech students of a double degree of French-Czech Public Administration diploma from Masaryk University and University of Rennes 1, and of their French tutors. In their final year of studies, the students spend a two-month internship in French public administration authorities in the city of Rennes. Throughout the internships, the researcher conducted extensive individual interviews. Based on the findings of a thorough and detailed analysis, problematic areas and needs of language and intercultural competence development are identified. The author suggests topics to be integrated in French for specific purposes courses or a new course of an international mobility preparation.","PeriodicalId":53966,"journal":{"name":"Language Learning in Higher Education","volume":"11 1","pages":"359 - 373"},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2021-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47213981","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-10-01DOI: 10.1515/cercles-2021-2029
C. Kunschak
Abstract An increasingly interconnected world requires people to become versatile communicators in a variety of different settings. Language centers have a critical role to play in this process by offering language and culture training in multiple languages to students, professionals and the wider community alike. They may do so from the perspective of developing plurilingual pluricultural competence, translingual transcultural competence or intercultural communicative competence and intercultural citizenship. This paper takes as its framework translingual transcultural competence, which not only reflects the current trend of transnationalism and diasporic communities, but also emphasizes the need to be critically aware, culturally reflective and socially sensitive. In order to better understand affordances and challenges in developing this competence, or set of competences, the author surveyed and interviewed students and teachers at one university-affiliated language center offering 30 languages besides German as the main language of study. Students at all proficiency levels as well as native and non-native teachers of the language taught were included in the study. Whereas the student survey investigated awareness and attitude, identity and community as well as the autonomy and agency of students in the program, teacher interviews provided insights into program parameters, classroom pedagogy and out-of-class projects. Findings from the study indicate a strong foundation in multicompetence thinking with some challenges in developing the transcultural component.
{"title":"Translingual transcultural competence: student agency, teacher guidance, and program support","authors":"C. Kunschak","doi":"10.1515/cercles-2021-2029","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/cercles-2021-2029","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract An increasingly interconnected world requires people to become versatile communicators in a variety of different settings. Language centers have a critical role to play in this process by offering language and culture training in multiple languages to students, professionals and the wider community alike. They may do so from the perspective of developing plurilingual pluricultural competence, translingual transcultural competence or intercultural communicative competence and intercultural citizenship. This paper takes as its framework translingual transcultural competence, which not only reflects the current trend of transnationalism and diasporic communities, but also emphasizes the need to be critically aware, culturally reflective and socially sensitive. In order to better understand affordances and challenges in developing this competence, or set of competences, the author surveyed and interviewed students and teachers at one university-affiliated language center offering 30 languages besides German as the main language of study. Students at all proficiency levels as well as native and non-native teachers of the language taught were included in the study. Whereas the student survey investigated awareness and attitude, identity and community as well as the autonomy and agency of students in the program, teacher interviews provided insights into program parameters, classroom pedagogy and out-of-class projects. Findings from the study indicate a strong foundation in multicompetence thinking with some challenges in developing the transcultural component.","PeriodicalId":53966,"journal":{"name":"Language Learning in Higher Education","volume":"11 1","pages":"343 - 358"},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2021-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45479452","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-10-01DOI: 10.1515/cercles-2021-2031
Evelina Jaleniauskiene
Abstract In the updated version of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment – Companion Volume (Council of Europe 2020), the Action-Oriented Approach is highlighted as the most viable approach for learning languages. The present study explored students’ reflections on the collaborative project based on this approach. The project was offered to the learners at a tertiary level during a course of English (C1 level). Analysis of the data revealed that the project appeared to be useful for the development of both general and communicative language competences. Although collaboration was indicated among the most satisfactory aspects, the learners also experienced the most difficulties with it. Despite the finding that most students considered such a project to be of acceptable difficulty, their level of satisfaction differed significantly. The results point to some potential challenges while shifting to the Action-Oriented Approach as a more active language learning approach. Not all students may be ready for the new type of language learning which requires higher levels of cognitive effort and more collaboration in comparison to traditional language classes. As this approach marks a significant turn in language education, it is anticipated that both the detailed presentation of the project and students’ reflections on it will help to increase the awareness of other language educators seeking to design quality action-based projects.
{"title":"Shifting towards the action-oriented approach in Higher Education: language learners’ perceptions","authors":"Evelina Jaleniauskiene","doi":"10.1515/cercles-2021-2031","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/cercles-2021-2031","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract In the updated version of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment – Companion Volume (Council of Europe 2020), the Action-Oriented Approach is highlighted as the most viable approach for learning languages. The present study explored students’ reflections on the collaborative project based on this approach. The project was offered to the learners at a tertiary level during a course of English (C1 level). Analysis of the data revealed that the project appeared to be useful for the development of both general and communicative language competences. Although collaboration was indicated among the most satisfactory aspects, the learners also experienced the most difficulties with it. Despite the finding that most students considered such a project to be of acceptable difficulty, their level of satisfaction differed significantly. The results point to some potential challenges while shifting to the Action-Oriented Approach as a more active language learning approach. Not all students may be ready for the new type of language learning which requires higher levels of cognitive effort and more collaboration in comparison to traditional language classes. As this approach marks a significant turn in language education, it is anticipated that both the detailed presentation of the project and students’ reflections on it will help to increase the awareness of other language educators seeking to design quality action-based projects.","PeriodicalId":53966,"journal":{"name":"Language Learning in Higher Education","volume":"11 1","pages":"375 - 394"},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2021-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45277007","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-10-01DOI: 10.1515/cercles-2021-2025
Justin E. Freedman, Benjamin Dotger, Denis Samburskiy
Abstract In countries such as the United States and Canada, an increasing number of non-native English speaking graduate students work in the capacity of university teaching assistants. Over the past several decades, a number of communication challenges between non-native English speaking International Teaching Assistants (ITAs) and native English-speaking undergraduate students have emerged. Universities have responded by developing ITA education programs that aim to teach English for the specific purpose of university teaching. This paper examines how ITA education can provide ITAs opportunities for authentic practice and reflection of communicating in an instructional capacity. ITAs enrolled in an English course participated in a video-recorded clinical simulation – a form of situated practice in which individuals engage with an actor who is trained to interact with all participants in a consistent manner. ITAs met with an actor-portrayed undergraduate student who is visiting their teaching assistant to express concern about a group project. ITAs met in small groups following the simulated meeting to reflect on the shared experience. Qualitative analysis demonstrates that the simulated context elicited both challenges to comprehensibility and the use of strategies by students and ITAs to manage miscommunication, while working towards mutual understanding of the students’ concerns. Reflective discussions reveal how the ITAs evaluated approaches to communicating with a concerned student in an instructional context. Embedding clinical simulations in ITA education can provide opportunities for the situated practice of using language to communicate instructional decisions, and as a structured opportunity for supporting mutual understanding between ITAs and native English-speaking students.
{"title":"Investigating teaching assistants’ participation in a simulated meeting in a United States University English course","authors":"Justin E. Freedman, Benjamin Dotger, Denis Samburskiy","doi":"10.1515/cercles-2021-2025","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/cercles-2021-2025","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract In countries such as the United States and Canada, an increasing number of non-native English speaking graduate students work in the capacity of university teaching assistants. Over the past several decades, a number of communication challenges between non-native English speaking International Teaching Assistants (ITAs) and native English-speaking undergraduate students have emerged. Universities have responded by developing ITA education programs that aim to teach English for the specific purpose of university teaching. This paper examines how ITA education can provide ITAs opportunities for authentic practice and reflection of communicating in an instructional capacity. ITAs enrolled in an English course participated in a video-recorded clinical simulation – a form of situated practice in which individuals engage with an actor who is trained to interact with all participants in a consistent manner. ITAs met with an actor-portrayed undergraduate student who is visiting their teaching assistant to express concern about a group project. ITAs met in small groups following the simulated meeting to reflect on the shared experience. Qualitative analysis demonstrates that the simulated context elicited both challenges to comprehensibility and the use of strategies by students and ITAs to manage miscommunication, while working towards mutual understanding of the students’ concerns. Reflective discussions reveal how the ITAs evaluated approaches to communicating with a concerned student in an instructional context. Embedding clinical simulations in ITA education can provide opportunities for the situated practice of using language to communicate instructional decisions, and as a structured opportunity for supporting mutual understanding between ITAs and native English-speaking students.","PeriodicalId":53966,"journal":{"name":"Language Learning in Higher Education","volume":"11 1","pages":"507 - 526"},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2021-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49393909","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-10-01DOI: 10.1515/cercles-2021-2022
Lenka Tóthová, Jitka Sedláčková
Abstract International engagement has become a priority and is regarded as a means to improve the quality of students’ education and their future social and professional success. It may, however, pose a major challenge for some higher education students. One of the vulnerable groups is that of learners with special needs, and particularly Deaf, deaf and hard of hearing students. These learners are limited in their chances to interact in spoken/written foreign languages and in the learning opportunities they can join. This, by extension, has an unfavourable impact on their possibilities of engaging in study abroad. Based on the experience with a newly launched e-learning course “Online English for International Mobilities”, the present paper discusses the need for building effective FL learning strategies in Deaf, deaf and hard of hearing students in connection with the process of academic internationalisation. The main argument is for the need to foster students’ ability to self-regulate, reduce their teacher dependency and reliance on directed learning, and to encourage them to take responsibility for their own learning. Secondly, the paper provides a comparison of two pilot runs of the course from the perspective of (online) classroom dynamics and cooperation. While the course is built to be as autonomous as possible and benefits from the advantages of the e-learning format, great importance is given to group dynamics and cooperation via discussion forums and online chats. It also takes advantage of the considerable benefits of individualized, personalized feedback being provided by teachers on selected assignments.
{"title":"Fostering autonomy in learners with special needs: a specialized e-learning course","authors":"Lenka Tóthová, Jitka Sedláčková","doi":"10.1515/cercles-2021-2022","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/cercles-2021-2022","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract International engagement has become a priority and is regarded as a means to improve the quality of students’ education and their future social and professional success. It may, however, pose a major challenge for some higher education students. One of the vulnerable groups is that of learners with special needs, and particularly Deaf, deaf and hard of hearing students. These learners are limited in their chances to interact in spoken/written foreign languages and in the learning opportunities they can join. This, by extension, has an unfavourable impact on their possibilities of engaging in study abroad. Based on the experience with a newly launched e-learning course “Online English for International Mobilities”, the present paper discusses the need for building effective FL learning strategies in Deaf, deaf and hard of hearing students in connection with the process of academic internationalisation. The main argument is for the need to foster students’ ability to self-regulate, reduce their teacher dependency and reliance on directed learning, and to encourage them to take responsibility for their own learning. Secondly, the paper provides a comparison of two pilot runs of the course from the perspective of (online) classroom dynamics and cooperation. While the course is built to be as autonomous as possible and benefits from the advantages of the e-learning format, great importance is given to group dynamics and cooperation via discussion forums and online chats. It also takes advantage of the considerable benefits of individualized, personalized feedback being provided by teachers on selected assignments.","PeriodicalId":53966,"journal":{"name":"Language Learning in Higher Education","volume":"11 1","pages":"471 - 487"},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2021-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42484812","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-10-01DOI: 10.1515/cercles-2021-2020
Claudia Harsch, Sibylle Seyferth, Salomé Villa Larenas
Abstract We report on research conducted during a language assessment literacy (LAL) project set up for employees at a university language centre. Teachers, students and an external accreditation body requested a revision of the end-of-course exams to increase comparability, transparency and alignment to course aims. We used a collaborative approach where stakeholders involved in test development, quality control, use and interpretation brought their experiences, skills, knowledge and needs to the table, following Taylor’s (2013) view of differentiated LAL needs for different stakeholders. The project involves teachers (varying in numbers), five course/assessment coordinators and three researchers with a background in assessment (principal researcher, two research assistants, i.e. the authors). LAL training is needs-based, participant-driven, and evaluated in regular intervals. In response to these participant evaluations, delivery, content and focus of the training are adjusted. We present insights from five evaluation points gained during the first 3 years. We found that the collaborative and responsive LAL project was perceived as useful and effective by the participants, leading to learning gains and positive changes in assessment, teaching and coordination practices. Our insights contribute to a better understanding of the conditions that are conducive to designing and delivering effective LAL development projects.
{"title":"Evaluating a collaborative and responsive project to develop language assessment literacy","authors":"Claudia Harsch, Sibylle Seyferth, Salomé Villa Larenas","doi":"10.1515/cercles-2021-2020","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/cercles-2021-2020","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract We report on research conducted during a language assessment literacy (LAL) project set up for employees at a university language centre. Teachers, students and an external accreditation body requested a revision of the end-of-course exams to increase comparability, transparency and alignment to course aims. We used a collaborative approach where stakeholders involved in test development, quality control, use and interpretation brought their experiences, skills, knowledge and needs to the table, following Taylor’s (2013) view of differentiated LAL needs for different stakeholders. The project involves teachers (varying in numbers), five course/assessment coordinators and three researchers with a background in assessment (principal researcher, two research assistants, i.e. the authors). LAL training is needs-based, participant-driven, and evaluated in regular intervals. In response to these participant evaluations, delivery, content and focus of the training are adjusted. We present insights from five evaluation points gained during the first 3 years. We found that the collaborative and responsive LAL project was perceived as useful and effective by the participants, leading to learning gains and positive changes in assessment, teaching and coordination practices. Our insights contribute to a better understanding of the conditions that are conducive to designing and delivering effective LAL development projects.","PeriodicalId":53966,"journal":{"name":"Language Learning in Higher Education","volume":"11 1","pages":"311 - 342"},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2021-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"66803069","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-05-01DOI: 10.1515/cercles-2021-2003
Anila R. Scott-Monkhouse, M. Tal, M. Yelenevskaya
Abstract This paper describes a joint programme developed in 2018 by the University of Parma Language Centre (Italy) and the Humanities and Arts Department of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. The aim of the project was to involve students of English for General Academic Purposes in delivering presentations to an unfamiliar foreign audience on a topic relevant to their academic interests. The students were required to prepare for the presentation by exploring and personalising the chosen topic so as to be able to explain it to a group which they had had no previous contact with or information about. Through the active involvement of the students in a realistic implementation of their prospective professional use of English, language learning became a holistic experience where a traditional approach to language learning focusing mainly on vocabulary and macro-skills was integrated with a pragmatic approach which addressed the so-called ‘21st-century skills’ (specifically critical thinking, communication, collaboration and digital literacy). The simulation of situations that they are likely to encounter in their professional lives helped students build their confidence, with the whole learning experience carrying both emotional and social implications. This paper offers an insight into the challenges and issues which arose, and ideas for improving the learning experience. We describe the preparation carried out by the teachers at both universities, and the guided and autonomous work carried out by students in the different stages. A post-conference survey triggered the students’ self-reflection in relation to learning and personal development. The survey was also valuable for the teachers regarding reassessment of teaching strategies and preparation for future joint projects.
{"title":"International teleconferences in EGAP courses: preparing students for prospective professional situations","authors":"Anila R. Scott-Monkhouse, M. Tal, M. Yelenevskaya","doi":"10.1515/cercles-2021-2003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/cercles-2021-2003","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract This paper describes a joint programme developed in 2018 by the University of Parma Language Centre (Italy) and the Humanities and Arts Department of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. The aim of the project was to involve students of English for General Academic Purposes in delivering presentations to an unfamiliar foreign audience on a topic relevant to their academic interests. The students were required to prepare for the presentation by exploring and personalising the chosen topic so as to be able to explain it to a group which they had had no previous contact with or information about. Through the active involvement of the students in a realistic implementation of their prospective professional use of English, language learning became a holistic experience where a traditional approach to language learning focusing mainly on vocabulary and macro-skills was integrated with a pragmatic approach which addressed the so-called ‘21st-century skills’ (specifically critical thinking, communication, collaboration and digital literacy). The simulation of situations that they are likely to encounter in their professional lives helped students build their confidence, with the whole learning experience carrying both emotional and social implications. This paper offers an insight into the challenges and issues which arose, and ideas for improving the learning experience. We describe the preparation carried out by the teachers at both universities, and the guided and autonomous work carried out by students in the different stages. A post-conference survey triggered the students’ self-reflection in relation to learning and personal development. The survey was also valuable for the teachers regarding reassessment of teaching strategies and preparation for future joint projects.","PeriodicalId":53966,"journal":{"name":"Language Learning in Higher Education","volume":"11 1","pages":"15 - 32"},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2021-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1515/cercles-2021-2003","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46794301","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-05-01DOI: 10.1515/cercles-2021-2017
B. Radić-Bojanić, Jagoda Topalov
Abstract In the study reported a total of 145 students pursuing the academic title of a BA in English language and literature were tested with the aim of establishing which explanatory variables have the independent power to explain the level of English language speaking anxiety. The instrument used in the study was taken from Yaikhong et al. (2012) and adapted for the purposes of the current investigation. The response variable in the study was the average level of anxiety measured by means of the questionnaire, whereas the explanatory variables included gender, the year of study, the number of presentations students gave during the course of their studies, the grade in language skills, the expected grade, the self-perceived proficiency and the perceived difficulty of the English language. The results reveal that gender, the expected grade and the self-perceived proficiency can account for the variation in the levels of anxiety among students. The paper ends with suggestions of interventions for helping students cope with the negative effects of anxiety on their speaking performance and learning experiences.
{"title":"Anxiety in academic speaking situations among EFL majors: a case study","authors":"B. Radić-Bojanić, Jagoda Topalov","doi":"10.1515/cercles-2021-2017","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/cercles-2021-2017","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract In the study reported a total of 145 students pursuing the academic title of a BA in English language and literature were tested with the aim of establishing which explanatory variables have the independent power to explain the level of English language speaking anxiety. The instrument used in the study was taken from Yaikhong et al. (2012) and adapted for the purposes of the current investigation. The response variable in the study was the average level of anxiety measured by means of the questionnaire, whereas the explanatory variables included gender, the year of study, the number of presentations students gave during the course of their studies, the grade in language skills, the expected grade, the self-perceived proficiency and the perceived difficulty of the English language. The results reveal that gender, the expected grade and the self-perceived proficiency can account for the variation in the levels of anxiety among students. The paper ends with suggestions of interventions for helping students cope with the negative effects of anxiety on their speaking performance and learning experiences.","PeriodicalId":53966,"journal":{"name":"Language Learning in Higher Education","volume":"11 1","pages":"115 - 132"},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2021-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1515/cercles-2021-2017","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44179254","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-05-01DOI: 10.1515/cercles-2021-2002
Anne Chateau, M. Tassinari
Abstract Autonomy in language learning is for many language centres in higher education a pedagogical goal. However, although autonomy is a concept that has been associated with language learning for almost 40 years, both the understanding of that concept and its implementation in classroom-settings and in self-access language centres vary considerably. In 2017 and 2018 the Cercles Focus Group on Autonomy worked on a survey that was circulated among Cercles language centres, in order to discover to what extent autonomy is part of the language curriculum. Approximately one fifth of the language centres answered the questionnaire, representing 18 different countries. The results of this survey show that autonomous learning schemes are provided in various centres in the form of self-access language learning modalities, blended learning, learning advising as support for independent and cooperative learning, tutoring and tandem learning. However, the understanding of the notion of autonomy and therefore the pedagogical practices vary considerably. In this article, we illustrate the results of the survey, highlight similarities and differences emerging from it, and critically reflect upon issues addressed by the answers. In addition, we briefly discuss the results of some interviews conducted after the survey with stakeholders at different language centres. Recommendations for the future conclude the paper.
{"title":"Autonomy in language centres: myth or reality?","authors":"Anne Chateau, M. Tassinari","doi":"10.1515/cercles-2021-2002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/cercles-2021-2002","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Autonomy in language learning is for many language centres in higher education a pedagogical goal. However, although autonomy is a concept that has been associated with language learning for almost 40 years, both the understanding of that concept and its implementation in classroom-settings and in self-access language centres vary considerably. In 2017 and 2018 the Cercles Focus Group on Autonomy worked on a survey that was circulated among Cercles language centres, in order to discover to what extent autonomy is part of the language curriculum. Approximately one fifth of the language centres answered the questionnaire, representing 18 different countries. The results of this survey show that autonomous learning schemes are provided in various centres in the form of self-access language learning modalities, blended learning, learning advising as support for independent and cooperative learning, tutoring and tandem learning. However, the understanding of the notion of autonomy and therefore the pedagogical practices vary considerably. In this article, we illustrate the results of the survey, highlight similarities and differences emerging from it, and critically reflect upon issues addressed by the answers. In addition, we briefly discuss the results of some interviews conducted after the survey with stakeholders at different language centres. Recommendations for the future conclude the paper.","PeriodicalId":53966,"journal":{"name":"Language Learning in Higher Education","volume":"11 1","pages":"51 - 66"},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2021-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45967472","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-05-01DOI: 10.1515/cercles-2021-2008
P. Westbrook
Abstract As a result of increasing internationalisation, the University of Copenhagen established the Centre for Internationalisation and Parallel Language Use (CIP) in 2008 as a research, competence development and resource centre. Part of CIP’s remit is to provide language training (mainly in Danish and English) for students and staff at the University. While there has been a lot of focus on teaching and learning through the medium of English, the language needs of administrative staff seem to have been neglected. They are expected to communicate with international students, teachers and researchers who do not necessarily speak the local language. This activity report looks at how CIP has set about meeting these needs by developing specific terminology-based language courses in English for university administrative staff, including HR, finance and study administrative staff. The terminology taught on the courses is tailored to the specific group of participants; however, a basic framework of activities is used as the starting point for all the terminology courses. As participants’ course evaluations have been overwhelmingly positive about the blend of activities, this paper reports on the design of the framework and how it is applied to the courses in practice.
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