Vol. 7 No. 4 (2014)
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Articles
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The interconnection of gender and communication: communication in the workplace The differences, in other words who is better?
7-12Views:200The paper explores the differences between the way women and men communicate. The author states that the communication skills of the two genders are different: women are better than men at performing various verbal tasks. The article reveals the possible causes of this difference in skills. Gender can define the communication style. We can also observe a difference in speech. There is an ever increasing demand for workers with excellent communication skills in the world of work. Such workplaces prefer to employ women rather than men. The better skills of women manifest themselves not only in mother tongue skills, but also in the acquisition of foreign languages. The author advises boys to communicate more emphatically and girls to be more assertive.
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The pragmatic mistakes of Hungarian students learning English – about an empirical research
13-24Views:254In my paper I try to give a precise definition of the term ’pragmatic competence’ and I describe how this term has evolved. I define the term ’pragmatic failure’ and I elaborate on its judgement, its causes, and its types. I describe the Hungarian – English contrastive researches. I list the most frequent pragmatic mistakes made by Hungarian students while speaking English. I present the findings of my research that I carried out among the students of the College of Szolnok in October 2014. Finally I discuss whether pragmatic competence can be taught, and if yes, for what purpose.
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Generation Y = self-confidence?
25-32Views:123It is assumed that certain personality traits, defined as key competencies by employers and providing competitive advantage on entering the labour market, may be developed in the process of teaching presentation techniques in the “Presentation and Writing Skills” college course. Our findings imply that these changes are not linked to the teacher’s personality or the language in which the subject is taught. As the term progresses, students are becoming increasingly creative, more and more self-reliant in problem-solving and confident in assessing both their own and their peers’ performance, which, in turn, raises their self- onfidence, supports assertiveness and gives energy exerting beneficial influence not just on further studies but on their future career, as well. Our paper briefly describes Generation ”Y”, our teaching methods and the results of our survey.
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What to teach within the scope of legal English and how to teach it?
33-39Views:87There are genre differences between English and Hungarian legal texts even of an almost similar function. To understand and tackle these differences it is not enough – though inevitable – to understand legal terminology. To be able to produce adequate and acceptable, functionally equivalent translated texts, legal translators should understand the difference between the two legal systems. On the basis of the above mentioned statements a textbook for ESP as well as translating for a specific purpose, namely legal English, was compiled for MA students who do not have a degree in law.
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Memory techniques in language teaching
40-45Views:84The goal of the present study is to explore the types and development potentials of memory techniques in the group of direct learning strategies, based on Oxford’s taxonomy. The actuality of the research topic is underlined by two various background studies on whether students use learning strategies; if yes, what kind. The first study was carried out at the Medical Faculty of Debrecen, while the other one at the Agricultural and Food Sciences one, and the findings were
compared. Our results suggest that students use very few strategies, especially hardly any direct ones to learn words. This fact draws our attention to the significance of memory techniques in language learning to make the process easier and more enjoyable. -
Methodological paradigm shift in teaching foreign languages at college
46-50Views:107It is not easy to bridge the gap between the labour market expectations and our students’ foreign language competence. It is a real challenge for the language teacher, and at the same time, it is a permanent motivation for innovation and perfection. I wish to present how blended learning in its broad sense has been used at English language teaching at the college. I do believe that both language learning and life-long language practice can be made more effective and more
enjoyable by changing methodological concepts, exploiting ICT, applying tasks that enhance communicative competence. -
Foreign language competencies and the job market: Employers' expectations and the (self-)assessment of language teaching and learning by students of the College of Szolnok
51-60Views:139Two of the most important objectives of the project "Improving foreign language training programmes at the College of Szolnok" are increasing the chances of newly graduated students on the job market through improved language teaching methods and achieving a better fulfilment of human resources needs of the multicultural job market brought about by national and international companies operating in the region. This study contrasts the results of research
carried out among employers with regards to their foreign language expectations for graduates with surveys done among students of the College of Szolnok. In these surveys students evaluated their own foreign language knowledge as well as the standard of language teaching at the college and gave an insight into their experiences as far as language learning and their use of foreign languages are concerned. -
Communication Strategy Use in English Conversational Discourse
61-67Views:156The ultimate goal of language learners is to communicate efficiently and fluently in the given second language, which is hard work to reach. They are learning the language for long years, and it may happen that theoretically they are familiar with all the grammar intricacies, but practically they are not able to ask for even a glass of water in real situations. The question is whether the use of communication strategies could help to cope with the difficulties by their direct teaching. A few years ago I conducted a research to find out what kind of interactive strategies the learners are using and to provide a full list of them. The publications at that time did not deal with strategies specifically in the teaching material. I used my own list. The latest books, however, put a stress on useful phrases. So the question is whether the fact that they draw attention to strategies in separate sections, will bring significant changes in the learners’ communication.
pdf (eng)136 -
The improvement of speaking skills at pilot courses at the College of Szolnok in the light of the findings of our labour market survey
68-75Views:91The research conducted by the College of Szolnok in 2013 on the language requirements of the labour market revealed that what employers mostly find lacking in careerstarters is the confident and proficient use of foreign languages. On the basis of the research findings the subjects taught at the College have been developed in a practiceoriented direction. In our lecture we elaborate on the possibilities of improving the communicative competence at our pilot courses. We give a survey of the phases of the improvement of speaking skills, the most important condition of the communication process. We present the task types characterising the various phases of the development process, the strategies of teaching vocabulary using some German examples taken from some textbook series (Alltag, Beruf & Co.) used at the pilot courses.
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Zur Vermittlung der Routineformeln im Fachsprachenunterricht
76-81Views:110Die Routineformeln (conversational routins / речевые клише) sind standardisierte Gesprächsformeln, die in verschiedenen Gesprächssituationen beinahe in unveränderter Form verwendet werden. Zumal jede zweite Äußerung in der Alltagskommunikation routinemäßig ist, wäre es äußerst wichtig, diese sprachlichen Elemente im Fachsprachenunterricht einzusetzen. Der Erwerb der schematisierten Bausteine ermöglicht den leichteren Einstieg in die Konversation, somit wird die Sprachbarriere abgebaut und für die Flüssigkeit des Sprechens gesorgt. In meinem Beitrag möchte ich einen Überblick über die Kategorisierungen der Routineformeln geben und auf einige didaktisch-methodische Überlegungen und Vorschläge eingehen.
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Zum Gebrauch von Phrasen und Metaphern in der Wirtschaftssprache - eine Untersuchung mit fachsprachendidaktischen Aspekten
82-91Views:143Der Vortrag stellt einige Gedanken zum Gebrauch beliebter Phrasen und Metaphern in der alten und neueren Wirtschaftspresse dar, die anhand von Satzbeispielen aus Presseartikeln im Kontext gezeigt werden. Mit Hilfe von mehreren Zitaten werden Ausdrücke der Wirtschaftssprache analysiert, die sich in dem erforschten Zeitfenster großer Beliebtheit erfreuen. Das Thema wird aus sprachwissenschaftlicher, aber auch aus sprachdidaktischer Sicht betrachtet, denn das Wissen um diese spezifischen Redensarten kann beim Erschließen von Wirtschaftstexten und beim Erlernen der Fachausdrücke der Wirtschaftssprache von Nutzen sein. Angesprochen wird auch die Frage, welche Wortbildungsphänomene in der Sprache der Wirtschaft zu neuen Wortbildungsprodukten führen und wie sie zur Entwicklung der Wirtschaftssprache beitragen. Diese Entwicklung wirft wiederum neue Herausforderungen an die Fremdsprachendidaktik auf, da Fachphrasen aus verschiedenen Wirtschaftsbereichen zunehmend in die Alltagssprache eindringen.
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language teaching in the 21st century consist only of elearning?
92-99Views:104The paper deals with the design of own e-learning courses for both German for specific purposes and general German, with their didactic benefits and practical examples of e-learning courses created in the Moodle 2.5 version based on modular structure. The second part of the paper describes the purpose and specific outcomes of the Mahara E-Portfolio and vocational experience with the Mediasite system.
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Der Einsatz der Medien im Fremdsprachenunterricht im 21. Jahrhundert am Beispiel des Deutschlektorats an der Warsaw School of Econocmics
100-104Views:115Im Beitrag werden einige wichtige medienpädagogische und mediendidaktische Fragestellungen behandelt. Im ersten Teil werden die Definition der Medien und die Gliederung der Medienträger vorgenommen. Im zweiten Teil werden die Vor- und Nachteile des Medieneinsatzes im Fremdsprachenunterricht hervorgehoben und dabei einige praktische Beispiele zur Förderung der Präsentationskompetenz der Studierenden aufgeführt.
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The Present and Future of e-Language Learning as Reflected in slovake.eu, the multilingual website for the Slovak language
105-114Views:92Slovake.eu is described as an example for an online, multifunctional, free website teaching a small language. The website is multilingual and includes a forum, a media library, additionally facts about Slovakia and the language. Several terms have been suggested to describe online language tuition and e-learning, which is testimony to the vibrant development of the field. The most general term is e-learning, which refers to learning helped by electronic tools, especially via the Internet. Online language tuition consists of lessons designed to help achieve a specific level of competence. Although nowadays many language-learning tools are available on the Internet, according to a survey I conducted only around half of the people asked are using or have used them before. Saving money and time is given as the main reasons for e-learning. Online tuition can be successful and efficient if it is offered for free or low-priced but in good quality.
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The characteristics of business slang usage: the presentation of a pilot study
115-124Views:115The presentation aims to impart the results of research carried out in a pilot study. The purpose of this study was to assess the awareness and use of expressions relating to business slang for the BGF PSZK students and professional economists. Based on the responses, I wanted to explore the frequency of business slang usage and the presumed causes of the differences between professionals’ and students' opinions. The respondents' language attitudes, language knowledge,
and subjective approach to the language were the focus of the study. In this way I could explore the relationship between the respondents’ usage of business slang terms and achieving actual success in the business world. -
Multi-text materials for the LSP classroom
125-130Views:90This paper introduces an idea for expanding student exposure to reading longer texts on ESP topics. It consists of sets of ESP materials (primarily for engineering) centering around a single topic, containing several authentic texts (and even videos) intended for different audiences (e.g. general, informed about science, academic). Since texts deal with the same topic (for instance, announcing a new material or technological advance) many words are repeated, but information is presented or highighted differently, and comparing texts can help learners become aware of various language and text features. Because learners do not have to comprehend a new topic in each text they read, they can work with longer texts. In addition, reading abstracts or extracts of
original journal articles can serve as a useful introduction to the academic level. Tips are given to help teachers assemble sets of multiple
texts around topics matching the needs of their students.pdf (eng)165 -
Capacity to handle complexity – The importance of contextual awareness in healthcare communication in English as a lingua franca
131-141Views:136Hungarian healthcare providers – as most of their colleagues around the world – engage in interaction with foreign patients, whom they do not share a mother tongue with, in English as a lingua franca (ELF) most of the time. These communicative situations pose great challenges to healthcare providers, as they have to be capable of adjusting their language use to their patients’ cognitive, linguistic and communicative-pragmatic schemata which often differ from their own. In order to develop such a capacity, ESP classes must focus on improving health science students’ awareness in exploring various ELF contexts which form ground for making informed decisions on the use of terminology. The present research aims at showing the complex dynamic nature of these ELF contexts based on empirical data collected via interviews with Hungarian healthcare providers who have extended experience in working with patients in international environments. The results can inform the everyday practice of ESP teachers in the field of the health sciences.
pdf (eng)180 -
Discussion forum (course) – a practical approach to communicative competence development
142-147Views:89The paper describes and discusses the observations and findings of three years of teaching a unique English language course – “Discussion Forum” within the study programme Foreign Languages and Intercultural Communication at the Faculty of Applied Languages, at the University of Economics in Bratislava. It presents the original format as it was introduced in 2010 when the study programme was accredited and its development and alterations based on the collected experience and evidence of both students and teacher. Three debate formats, speech duel, round table and team debate, are described and their shortcomings and merits are evaluated. Finally, the findings and conclusions arrived at since the first implementation, are discussed.
pdf (eng)102 -
Building Intercultural Competence through Language Education
148-157Views:147This paper seeks to highlight the importance of intercultural competence in language learning and teaching. All intercultural encounters incorporate communication between individuals who, rather than belonging to only one culture, belong to a diverse array of different cultures at the same time. They share some of these cultures with the people they are talking to, and some of them they do not. And some of these cultural variations and affinities will influence the way they communicate, and some of them will be totally insignificant.
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Incorporating Blended Learning in Teaching English for Specific Purposes
158-163Views:132As a result of the prevalent use of the Internet, teaching foreign languages can get a new perspective. This paper presents how teachers can incorporate the Internet in teaching English for specific purposes. First, a brief historical background of language learning methods is given, and then the focus shifts to a new
language learning project applying blended learning at the University of Debrecen. The paper also shows how traditional classroom activities can be combined with online methods to make language learning more enjoyable.pdf (eng)164 -
Pedagogical Implications of Teaching English for Science and Technology
164-171Views:113Teaching English for Specific Purposes (ESP) has traditionally been context-driven, focusing on the special field in which the language is expected to be used; needs-responsive, trying to define language learners’ needs and adapt teaching practices to these needs; and finally learner-centred, in a sense that teaching
processes and learners activities have been highly influenced by the desired learning outcomes. However, due to recent global changes the conventional ways of teaching have been challenged. The paper lists some of the most intriguing pedagogical challenges for ESP practitioners and also recommends
possible solutions to meet them, partly from overviewing related academic literature, partly from successful practical implementations. Pedagogical issues raised by the internationalisation of higher education are also investigated by the author and some preliminary results of empirical research about learning styles are presented.pdf (eng)135