DEVELOPING CROSS-CULTURAL COMPETENCE FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS OF A FOREIGN LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT IN A HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (32) ◽  
pp. 129-133
Author(s):  
S. A. Rassada ◽  
◽  
O. A. Saveleva ◽  
O. V. Freze ◽  
◽  
...  
2019 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Fauzan Ansyari ◽  
Fabio Oliveira Coelho ◽  
Kalayo Hasibuan ◽  
Dodi Settiawan ◽  
Masni Kamallia

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the motivation levels of non-permanent English instructors (lecturers) in a university language centre (LC) and the factors with regard to what elements sustain their motivation to teach English and to remain in the Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) profession at an Islamic higher education institution. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory case study with a purposive sampling technique was employed in this study. Ten instructors (seven females and three males) aged between 26 and 40 years old participated (M = 29.6 year olds). The selected participants in the sample were instructors who had taught between three to nine years at the LC (M = 3.9 years), and interviews were the tools used to collect data. Findings Overall, LC instructors’ motivation is not internalised or less internalised into their self-concept. This can be seen from the results that show, respectively, instructors’ levels of no internalisation (42 per cent), less internalisation (40.5 per cent), more internalisation (11 per cent) and full internalisation (6.5 per cent). In total, 11 factors were identified: the influence of others, financial benefits, professional development opportunities, schedule flexibility, supportive working environment, social status and acceptance, a stepping stone for career advancement, networking, dedication, challenge and teaching as a calling. In general, it has been found that instructors are more externally than internally regulated or motivated. Research limitations/implications This study only employed interview to collect data and had only ten respondents. Originality/value Data were collected at the LC of an Islamic institution of higher education institution where instructors are non-permanently employed. The LC is a TEFL environment serving about 12,000 students a year. This study, therefore, allows for an understanding of instructors’ motivation in such context.


2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (8) ◽  
pp. 164-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. V. Sidorenko ◽  
S. V. Rybushkina ◽  
Ya. V. Rosanova

Introduction. Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) has recently been applied into education system, but a range of supporters is rapidly increasing, covering diverse countries. The CLIL approaches simultaneously use a foreign language as an object to studying and as an instrument to learning other subjects. The emergence of CLIL was related to a wide distribution of bilingualism in society and the need to cope with the problems related to this process, including the elimination of international conflicts, the consolidation of society as the factor of a social well-being, the support of a competitive labour market, etc.Despite growing popularity of CLIL across the world and recognised status by the European Union as one of the leading effective means to implementing international language policy of multilingualism, the academic teaching staff of Russian higher school does not still fully understand the organisational mechanisms and forms of a similar learning process, largely as a result of national characteristics and traditions. In a globalising world, CLIL didactics is currently becoming a perspective direction of higher education and an effective way both of acquiring and improving language and communicative competencies to provide further successful professionalising of students and to facilitate their career promotion in the chosen field of activity.Theaimof this paper was to sum up and discuss the experience of Tomsk Polytechnic University in conducting CLIL-based courses.Methodology and research methods. The concept of practice-oriented vocational education was used as the methodological base of the experimental work in order to search optimal variants when developing foreign language knowledge in the students of engineering specialties. In the course of the research, the approaches of comparative analysis, synthesis, generalisation, forecasting, design, modelling, prolonged monitoring of learning outcomes, observation and questionnaire survey were applied.Results and scientific novelty.The actualising reasons for CLIL approach in the Russian high school education were formulated and proved. The brief historical overview of didactic concepts was presented. The authors analysed temporary challenges which preceded the implementation of CLIL methodologies in the learning process of Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU) and the introduction of programme “Vocational Training and Education in a Foreign Language” (3rd-4th years of education). The stages of teaching foreign language evolution at the university were distinguished: the anglification of engineering education transformed into multidisciplinary model of English for Specific Purpose (ESP); the creation of “pedagogical tandems” – the organization of courses with “double agents”; and, finally, CLIL training in which a cognitive component can be seen as the key characteristic and the main advantage. Success and failure in the field of CLIL practices available today at TPU were revised. The examples of private implementable practices were described and analysed. The research findings revealed the rationality when using various applied variations of CLIL methodology.Practical significance. The research outcomes allowed the authors to adjust not only the main educational programmes of higher education institution, but also internal programmes of professional development of teachers. Although the long-term experiment summarised in the publication in a single higher education institution does not apply for universality and mass circulation, the authors believe that experimentative materials will contribute to consistent embedding of CLIL courses into a complete system of vocational training. 


2015 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frida Besong ◽  
Charlotte Holland

Abstract The concepts of sustainability and sustainability competence are controversial, complex, difficult to define and measure, and have varied meanings for different people and practices. Given the complex nature of sustainability, there is limited availability of paradigmatic frameworks to guide educators in assessing sustainability competencies. This paper introduces the Dispositions, Abilities and Behaviours (DAB) framework, which influenced the design of an intervention in 2013-2014 that profiled sustainability competencies among final year undergraduate students in a higher education institution. The results of the mixed methods study indicate that the DAB framework has good potential as a guide to educators or researchers in understanding and profiling sustainability- related abilities, attitudes and actions (areas of performance) of cohorts of students within higher education settings.


SWorldJournal ◽  
2018 ◽  
pp. 36-40
Author(s):  
Людмила Корниенко

In the article the author analyzes the project method as one of the effective methods in studying a foreign language in a higher education institution. According to the author, this method meets the modern requirements, which are set before the High Schoo


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