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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. -
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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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. -
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.
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The characteristics of business slang usage: the presentation of a pilot study
115-124Views:104The 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. -
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. -
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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Semantic role labeling in natural texts
164-171Views:82The event extraction and semantic role labeling are important areas in information extraction from natural language texts. Semantic role labeling, sometimes also called shallow semantic parsing, is a task in natural language processing consisting of the detection of the semantic arguments associated with the predicate or verb of a sentence and their classification into their specific roles. We created a program for this task in Java language, in which we applied data
mining and artificial intelligence algorithms. We introduce in this article the principles and results of this application. -
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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Multi-text materials for the LSP classroom
125-130Views:82This 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. -
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. -
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:85The 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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Discussion forum (course) – a practical approach to communicative competence development
142-147Views:81The 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.
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DIGITALIZATION CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CONTROLLING AREA OF COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISES
49-59Views:148One of today’s most important social and economic phenomena is the fourth industrial revolution, the effect of which is that digitalization can significantly transform business processes. The corporate controlling area cannot avoid transformation either, its methods and tools will change. Just as controlling itself, its changes can also differ between sectors, especially in the extremely diverse service sector. The aim of the research is to examine, on a domestic sample, whether there are differences in this respect between companies with a main commercial activity and the rest of the service sector. The data of the questionnaire research conducted with 46 controllers and managers were evaluated by means of cross-tabulations, averages and statistical tests. There are no differences in the digital development of the key performance indicators that form the basis of controller work, in the use of ERP systems, automation solutions and language algorithms. In the commercial group of the sample, the use of business intelligence tools providing advanced planning and analysis options is significantly more common. The two groups of the sample do not differ in terms of the factors encouraging the digitalization of the controlling area, but the companies with a commercial main activity differ in terms of the importance of the factors hindering the process: they are more averse to new technologies, more afraid of their usual positions, but perceive the financial aspects of the development to be less important.
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Capacity to handle complexity – The importance of contextual awareness in healthcare communication in English as a lingua franca
131-141Views:126Hungarian 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.
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Evaluation of the Technical Management Bsc by labor market and its development possibilities at the College of Szolnok
153-163Views:84The College of Szolnok conducted a qualitative research under the framework of SROP 4.1.1.C –12/1/KONV-2012-2004 to support the strategic development of Technical Management BA program. Using qualitative research methods we point out that the closer cooperation with companies will be crucial in the future: it is going to allow faster response to market demand, better knowledge transfer of newest skills, and higher acceptance of Technical Management BA program and College of Szolnok. Results show that the current training level in College of Szolnok requires further development to enhance the marketability of graduates, in which the transfer of the related areas is also an important issue. Addition to professional basic knowledge strong requirements are also language and communication skills in high-level.
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Verseghy Circle, a Civil Organization in Szolnok
68-71Views:76The Verseghy Circle was established 20 years ago, on 26 November 1993, in Szolnok. The associati on is preserving the cult of Ferenc Verseghy (1757-1820) scholar-poet, nati ve of Szolnok. It also assists and tends to events and acti viti es related to him. Besides traditi ons of language and literature, it also promotes other arts and disciplines. Based on the creati vity of the members, it seeks to explore and promote the values of Szolnok, with very special tools. Thus,
it strengthens the identi ty and patrioti sm of the inhabitants of Szolnok. The Verseghy Circle is a voluntary NGO, which organizes scienti fi c meeti ngs, local studies and inaugural lectures for its local patriot membership and the general public. This paper is the account of the past two decades by one of the founders, the oldest member of the Circle. -
Generation Y = self-confidence?
25-32Views:113It 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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language teaching in the 21st century consist only of elearning?
92-99Views:95The 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.