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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:126Two 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. -
Incorporating Blended Learning in Teaching English for Specific Purposes
158-163Views:116As 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. -
Online facilities for German language learning
101-112Views:103Our fast-moving, globalised society is trying to use the achievements of scientific and technological developments in all fields of life in order to make people’s lives easier and provide them with more flexibility. This is why e-learning has also entered the teaching-learning process, foreign language teaching included. By using this method, students can manage their own time or even save money (no travelling costs, fixed times). The teacher’s presence is not absolutely
necessary as students can check the exercises and tasks performed through the internet. This is the ideal method for lifelong learning. The seminar called ’Online facilities in German language learning’ started at Bethlen István College for Advanced Studies is aimed at improving the efficiency of language learning and making it more enjoyable for students. A summary of the teaching and research work related to the seminar is given below. -
Methodological paradigm shift in teaching foreign languages at college
46-50Views:94It 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. -
The Present and Future of e-Language Learning as Reflected in slovake.eu, the multilingual website for the Slovak language
105-114Views:81Slovake.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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Memory techniques in language teaching
40-45Views:76The 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. -
The interconnection of gender and communication: communication in the workplace The differences, in other words who is better?
7-12Views:192The 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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Pedagogical Implications of Teaching English for Science and Technology
164-171Views:101Teaching 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. -
Building Intercultural Competence through Language Education
148-157Views:125This 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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Communication Strategy Use in English Conversational Discourse
61-67Views:141The 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.