From EMI to ICLHE: Coordinating English language competence development in a Business Degree

ABSTRACT

The implementation of English-taught degrees has proven to be a challenge for many non-Anglophone universities, leading to the integration of content and language (ICLHE) to tackle potential linguistic difficulties for students. This presentation focuses on the English-taught undergraduate degree in Business Administration and Management from the University of Zaragoza and explores different ways in which students can develop their written and spoken academic communicative competence in English. 

Drawing on previous reports and students’ concerns about language use opportunities and feedback, two surveys (n=20, n=19) were designed to find which learning tasks, macro- and micro-skills, and learning resources were used in the classroom by teachers to develop the students’ communicative competence. A preliminary analysis of the results shows that the most targeted language competences are productive skills (writing, speaking, interaction) illustrated by examples of learning tasks where students can practice such skills, the description of input and output found in each course, or the identification of the language and cognitive demands developed by students. It is expected that these findings will help coordinate the degree courses more efficiently by organising contents, analysing similarities, finding gaps, and working transversally. Another relevant aspect refers to the importance of making students aware of their learning process and learning strategies to improve and reinforce their communicative competence. Consequently, repetition, rubrics, and checklists will be used during the whole teaching-learning process by teachers and students.

This study attempts to offer an example of good practices aiming at better coordinating the learning tasks and improving competence development. We believe that the transversal nature of this study may be useful for similar teaching contexts that could adapt the discussed resources and tasks to provide the necessary linguistic support as well as create learning opportunities for students.

REFERENCES

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