Integrating key work skills in language modules (original) (raw)

Foreign language skills: The Trojan horse on the job market

Lingua 3

In nowadays digital, interdisciplinary and globalised era, one cannot ignore the pressure of companies in terms of recruitment. Multinationals are looking for quick thinkers and decision makers capable of communicating and collaborating with clients or counterparts all around the world. For instance, customer support services for various sectors located in Malaysia cater for clients residing in Europe or America. As language lecturers, exploring the potential of teaching with ICT also means adapting our pedagogical approach to train our learners to deal with all the technical, practical or affective inhibitions they may encounter as newly employed graduates. With this objective in mind, we have implemented various combinations based on engaged and peer learning theories along with the potential of e-learning in a blended environment. This article reviews processes and results obtained with a gradual methodology towards autonomous learning from learners and educators perspectives. This publication aims to encourage and provide guidance for lecturers wishing to experiment teaching with ICT. Global trends … Global economic trends have led to numerous delocalised activities in all sectors which in turn gave birth to new job opportunities for multilingual and multidisciplinary individuals. It is a fact that to cut down costs, foreign companies have been increasingly hiring and relying on competent local employees. For instance, customer support services in various sectors located in Malaysia cater for clients residing in Europe or America. This is a real opening for foreign language speakers as it gives them a leading edge on this area of the job market. As language lecturers, we decided to make the most of this golden vein and to train our learners not only in the art of mastering a foreign language and culture but also in developing professional and communicational competences. We naturally sought to explore the potential of ICT not only in language acquisition but also as a catalyst for learners' autonomy and transferable lifelong learning skills (Chia, 2007). With these objectives in mind, we have implemented various combinations based on engaged and peer learning theories along with e-learning in a blended environment (Conrad & Donaldson, 2004) (Palloff & Pratt, 2005). We hence adapted our pedagogical approach to actively and progressively expose our learners to different tools and scenarios they may encounter as newly employed graduates (Tammelin, 2004). This paper presents the outcome of the preliminary phase of this action-research carried out in a Malaysian university during the first semester of 2007 with a group of 20 learners in the beginning of their second year of a French bachelor degree.

Improving Students' Employability Chances - Foreign Language Trainers' Role

Diversitate si Identitate Culturala in Europa, 2013

This article discusses the need for educators in business schools to become more involved in discovering and cultivating not only hard skills, but also soft skills, in order to prepare students to meet the requirements of their potential employers. At the level of business undergraduate studies in Romania, educational activities focusing on soft skills (such as intercultural communication, positive attitude, flexibility) become essential for increasing students' employability chances. Foreign language teachers who use a communicative teaching method are specifically involved in such activities. But do these courses cover the entire range of top soft skills required by business executives? What is done in the classroom and what can be improved? The present study will attempt to find the answers to these questions and to formulate suggestions for a more focused approach to soft skills development through foreign language courses.

“Languages in the workplace”: embedding employability in the foreign language undergraduate curriculum

Innovative language teaching and learning at university: enhancing employability, 2017

T his case study examines student perceptions of the experiential value of a work placement carried out as part of a languages degree programme. The data for the case study consists of a corpus of 67 reports submitted from 2011 to 2015, reflecting on placements carried out in Europe, Japan, the UK and the US. The data offers a student view of the impact of the placement on their linguistic prowess, character development, employability and career plans. The case study compares these with the soft skills increasingly required in employment, and concludes that the reflective nature of the work placement report is beneficial to students in preparation for marketing themselves to potential employers.

Acquiring Marketing Communication Competences of the Future - Expectations of Polish Students

Social Communication

Higher education in specific professional competencies is each time a challenge to combine the expectations and capabilities of universities, the expectations of the labor market and the expectations of students. With regard to the competencies of the future, relevant to the marketing communications sector, the situation becomes further complicated due to the dynamically changing digital media and modes of communication. In Polish conditions, numerous research results are available, indicating the expectations of employers of the marketing communications sector. However, there is a lack of research dedicated to the competence offer of universities in this regard, as well as the expectations and interests of students. This article attempts to fill this gap. It presents the results of a survey of 156 students at Polish higher education institutions regarding the assessment of the presence of future competencies in the study plans of the majors they study and their perceived profession...

Enhancing employability skills through the use of film in the language classroom (2013)

The Language Learning Journal, 2013

Employability is increasingly becoming a central aspect of higher education in the United Kingdom and it is becoming imperative that modern foreign languages teachers engage directly and sincerely with the employability agenda. This article proposes the use of feature films as a successful method for developing and promoting employability skills in the language classroom, an approach which has not thus far been adopted. I begin by discussing different models for the delivery of employability skills and I provide an overview of employability initiatives that have been undertaken by languages departments. The key issues of embedding versus stand-alone modules and the role of academics are addressed. While many employability initiatives focus on the development of transferable skills, I argue that the development of commercial awareness among undergraduate students has been neglected and that film is a suitable medium to rectify this. In the final section of the article, I provide some sample activities which use clips from feature films to develop employability skills at all levels of proficiency, focusing on linguistic competency and the development of commercial awareness.

Preparing Foreign Language Students for Today's Job Market

1990

College language teachers shmild become more aware of the needs of the job market and the specific ways that language majors can use their unique characteristics to satisfy those needs. Then students must be made aware of this information. The principles of marketing can be used to examine job requirements. Steps in applying these principles include: (1) identifying the special characteristics of language students that represent a product to be marketed to employers; (2) identifying potential employers and establishing a profile that will describe their needs; (3) considering the place at which employer and employee are linked; (4) planning strategies for promotion of the product; and (5) becoming aware of economic issues that affect "price." Teachers deal with matters of "product" daily in teaching and curriculum planning. "Profile" and "place" can be approached by the campus placement office. Teachers' responsibility in the area of price...

Language in the workplace: combining academic study with work experience

Employability for languages: a handbook, 2016

T he newly formed Linguistics and Modern Languages subject area at University of Huddersfield sought to revamp our curriculum to embed employability into our teaching so that students could understand the relevance of their subject to life outside and after university. To this end, we decided to adapt and specialise the generic placement module that was compulsory in the School of Music, Humanities and Media for our particular students to service their specific needs and linguistic skillset. The result is an innovative second year placement module called Language in the Workplace. With the help of funding from the Higher Education Academy (HEA), we carried out a research project to ensure our placement module is as effective as possible. This involved assessing our students' employability skills and needs, gathering the opinions of placement providers and employers, and putting together case studies on our graduates' employment experience.

Transversal Skills in the World of Work: Applied Linguistics’ Approach

Baltic Journal of English Language, Literature and Culture

As a result of the ethno-cultural and economic contacts taking place between different countries, the 21st century has set new guidelines, known as transversal or soft skills, for employability worldwide. Communication between specialists representing different areas and occupations demands specific competences required by innovative employment systems. This, to a certain extent, has an impact on the world-wide use of English as an instrument for multinational communication. Thus, the present research, which is based on the results of the survey administered as part of the Erasmus+ Strategic partnership project Transversal Skills in Dentistry: Content and Language Integrated Approach, explored some of the key skills that are cross-disciplinary in nature and are required by the world of work. These skills tend to determine employability of tertiary level graduates with hands-off experience in dentistry. From the practical perspective, the study illustrates the key skills that are vit...

Plan your future! Career management skills for students of languages

Employability for languages: a handbook, 2016

A t the University of Westminster, the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures has developed a student employability and work-integrated learning project, 'Career Management Skills' (CMS), for undergraduate language students. The main objective was to develop a comprehensive employability strategy for all students on all undergraduate language courses at the university. The programme has evolved to include among the employability provisions a Work Placement module, which started in the academic year 2014-2015. This case study will present the context in which both CMS and the work placement module were implemented, offer an evaluation of both, and assess their impact on students and on the undergraduate programme as a whole.