Teaching English for Specific Purposes (ESP) to philosophy students involves
addressing certain p... more Teaching English for Specific Purposes (ESP) to philosophy students involves addressing certain peculiarities stemming from the discipline itself. The study of philosophy as a discipline requires a thorough understanding of complex, original texts. The few existing specialized ESP textbooks for philosophy students may fail to meet specific course requirements, leaving the teacher in a situation where they have to design the teaching materials themselves. As the emphasis in philosophy courses primarily rests on reading comprehension, critical analysis, and interpretation of original philosophical texts, this should also be reflected in most ESP courses for students of philosophy. Due to this, the importance of teaching academic writing to philosophy students is sometimes overlooked. This paper discusses strategies for enhancing philosophy students' writing skills, including active thinking as a precursor to writing. It gives examples of two classroom activities used not only promote writing skills but also foster critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaborative skills. Feedback from philosophy students indicates a positive perception of these activities, which contribute to their overall English language proficiency and successful communication within the field of philosophy. Keywords: ESP, philosophy, academic writing, lesson design
Journal of Language and Cultural Education, 2023, 11(3) ISSN 1339-4584, 2023
Courses of English for Specific Purposes are offered by many universities, yet the potential t... more Courses of English for Specific Purposes are offered by many universities, yet the potential these courses have to enhance learning in the students´ field of study is sometimes neglected. This article describes one effective method, focusing on the use of simulated negotiations as a teaching tool in the ESP course for political scientists. Simulated negotiations have been used in teaching of political science, international relations, diplomacy and related fields for many years but so far, their use outside political science courses has not been described. Relying on personal experience, we not only outline the steps needed to run a successful simulation in the ESP classroom, but also look at the benefits simulated negotiations bring both within and outside the ESP course. Participant feedback shows that apart from developing English language proficiency, simulated negotiations in ESP classes also enhance the students´ understanding of topics and issues from the field of political science. Another perceived benefit is the development and cultivation of transferrable / soft skills. Closer cooperation between language centres and individual university departments may lead to such modifications of the ESP syllabus that will complement both the ESP course and specialised courses from the students´ field of study. Keywords: ESP, political science, simulated negotiations, language proficiency, transferrable/ soft skills
Lingua Viva XVIII/ 2022/ No 35, České Budejovice, 2022, pp. 9-20 https://www.pf.jcu.cz/images/PF/veda-vyzkum/viva/LV35_2022.pdf, 2022
Academic writing is one the fixed features in classes of English for Specific Purposes / English ... more Academic writing is one the fixed features in classes of English for Specific Purposes / English for Academic Purposes at many universities. Even those students studying in non-English environment, who normally do not write academic texts in English, may need to write an academically oriented text in English at some stage of their studiesabstract being one example. The purpose of this article is to explore the issues connected with designing a lesson on how to write an abstract. It examines some approaches available to tertiary level ESP/EAP teachers and proposes a more extensive, step-bystep plan we use in your ESP/EAP classes to teach to write an abstract. The efficiency of the more extensive approach was tested in a small-scale study, which revealed that spending more time on practicing to write an abstract is of certain benefit to the students, though this finding would need to be confirmed in a larger study.
Language Teaching in Higher Education Its Present, Current Strategies and Prospects. Kirsch-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-943906-57-8, 2021
Paraphrasing has long been considered an important academic skill. It is one of those skills that... more Paraphrasing has long been considered an important academic skill. It is one of those skills that are usually taught in English for Specific Purposes classes, especially more advanced ones. This paper examines the success of our teaching strategies in ESP classes at the Faculty of Arts, Comenius University. First, it discusses paraphrasing as a skill in the context of ESP classes, then it draws attention to some available teaching materials. In the next part it introduces five paraphrasing strategies taught to our students. Finally, it addresses the issue of success that students achieve in their paraphrases.
Abstrakt: V akademickom svete sa parafrázovanie už veľmi dlho považuje za veľmi dôležitú zručnosť. Je jednou z tých zručností, ktoré sa často vyučujú na hodinách anglického jazyka pre špecifické účely (ESP), najmä v skupinách pokročilejších študentov. V tomto článku sa zameriavame na úspešnosť našich vyučovacích stratégií na hodinách ESP na Filozofickej fakulte Univerzity Komenského. Najskôr sa venujeme parafrázovaniu ako zručnosti, pričom upozorňujeme na niektoré vhodné učebné materiály. V ďalšej časti predstavujeme päť stratégií, ktoré pri vyučovaní parafrázovania sprostredkúvame našim študentom. Na záver analyzujeme parafrázy našich študentov a kladieme si otázku, či sa naše vyučovanie dá považovať za úspešné.
The lockdown in 2020 greatly influenced teaching at universities. The aim of this article is to s... more The lockdown in 2020 greatly influenced teaching at universities. The aim of this article is to show how we tackled the challenge of online student presentations in ESP classes taught at Faculty of Arts, Comenius University in Bratislava. The first part explains the importance student presentations in our syllabus and shows how it greatly relies on group work done in the classroom. The second part briefly shows how presentations were incorporated in online classes. In the final part, in an attempt to discern if online presentations were a success or a failure, we reflect on the results obtained from a survey conducted among those students of ESP classes who participated in online presentations.
Philologica 76 : Lingua academica 5. - Bratislava : Univerzita Komenského, 2017. - ISBN 978-80-223-4362-6. - S. 69-80 (Zborník Filozofickej fakulty Univerzity Komenského), 2017
ESP students consider speaking a very important skill and they are both eager and reluctant to pr... more ESP students consider speaking a very important skill and they are both eager and reluctant to practise it. It is speaking anxiety which prevents many students from fully participating in speaking activities. In this article, we attempted to explore which factors can be exploited in the classroom environment in order to reduce speaking anxiety. The results of an action study conducted on 1st year university students indicate that the type of speaking activity and the method of grouping students play a significant role in reducing speaking anxiety.
Keywords: ESP, speaking activities, speaking anxiety, grouping in speaking activities
Lingua Academica, Vol. 6, Bratislava:Stimul,ISBN 978-80-8127-246-2, 2019
Vocabulary acquisition forms a substantial part of the ESP curriculum. University students need t... more Vocabulary acquisition forms a substantial part of the ESP curriculum. University students need to master specialised vocabulary, mostly in order to read texts from their field of study, but in some cases also to participate in debates and discussions and to write seminar papers or prepare presentations. In monolingual classes translation from and to L1 can be used in the vocabulary teaching process. This paper examines how the use of L1 affects vocabulary recall at the end of the teaching process and after a 3-month break.
Trendy v jazykovém vzdělávání v terciární sféře v jazykových centrech na univerzitách v ČR a SR 3, [elektronický dokument] : sborník příspěvků z konference. - : 1. vyd. ISBN 978-80-244-5325-5. - Olomouc : Univerzita Palackého v Olomouci, 2018. - S. 43-52 , 2018
This paper addresses various ways teachers can use the video website YouTube.com (or other online... more This paper addresses various ways teachers can use the video website YouTube.com (or other online streaming video websites) to teach English and stimulate learner autonomy. If students and teachers have access to the Internet, YouTube can be a valuable tool through which multiple foreign language skills can be taught. Using YouTube both inside and outside the classroom can enhance conversation, listening, and pronunciation skills. YouTube videos can also be utilized as realia to stimulate cultural lessons, enhance exposure to World Englishes, and promote authentic vocabulary development. Even reading and writing activities can be structured around YouTube videos. In-class lessons and activities will be detailed, as will homework and projects requiring the use of online streaming videos. For EFL teachers, it is often a struggle to utilize potentially useful technology, promote student autonomy, and create stimulating lessons. If students and teachers have adequate access to the Internet, however, there is a vast online audiovisual resource generally well known to students that can function effectively in multiple ways for a variety of English classes. The resource, YouTube.com, is an online video repository in which nearly any digital video file can be stored and exhibited free of charge. Started in February 2005, YouTube hosts videos that are cumulatively currently viewed more than 2 billion times each day ("Timeline," 2011). While issues involving copyright infringement and obscenity standards have often made the website controversial, the vast array of diverse content and its organic community interactivity make YouTube a tremendous resource for a multitude of educational endeavors. This paper seeks to give teachers a few starting points on how the site could be used, as well as to suggest a loose framework for online video use into which SLA and CALL researchers can conduct further research. First, a brief review of existing literature will be presented, followed by descriptions of potential YouTube applications that have been implemented. The paper will conclude with a discussion of potential limitations that might come with using online video technology and suggestions for future research. Reviewing Extant Literature Through the Lens of YouTube The two primary benefits to using YouTube in the classroom are the exposure to authentic English as well as the promotion of a learning style that is more autonomous and student
For many years teachers of ESP catering to the needs of some disciplines have been experiencing a... more For many years teachers of ESP catering to the needs of some disciplines have been experiencing a shortage of suitable textbooks. The reasons for this are twofold: either those textbooks that are available commercially do not seem to address the students' needs or do so only partially, or suitable textbooks do not exist at all. Many teacher thus have to design materials themselves. Political Science is one of such disciplines. In this article the underlying principles and the process of designing a subject-specific ESP textbook will be described and the textbook itself will be introduced.
Jazyk a politika: na pomedzí lingvistiky a politológie 2. - Bratislava : Ekonóm, 2017. - ISBN 978-80-225-4424-5. , 2017
The relationship between music and politics has not yet been widely researched in the social scie... more The relationship between music and politics has not yet been widely researched in the social sciences, with the corpus of work on music and politics focusing on protest songs. For this reason, it is perhaps understandable that students of political science are generally not familiar with this research area. This article explores the interface between music and politics from the point of view of a teacher of English for Specific Purposes in the classes of undergraduate students of political science at Comenius University. Experience shows that the majority of undergraduates do not seem to be aware of a connection between music and politics and initially dismiss even a possibility of it, undervaluing the potential of music as a political tool. The final part of the article describes the procedure used to raise the studentsáwareness of political messages in the lyrics of the 20 th and 21 st century pop and rock music and the role of music as a communication tool in the world of politics, integrating thus selected subject-specific content with language teaching aims. Keywords: music, messages in lyrics, English for Specific Purposes Kľúčové slová: hudba, politické posolstvá v textoch piesní, angličtina pre špecifické účely " A pamphlet, no matter how good, is never read but once, but a song is learned by heart and repeated over and over. And I maintain that if a person can put a few cold common sense facts in a song, and dress them up in a cloak of humor to take the dryness off of them he will succeed in reaching a great number of workers who are too unintelligent to too indifferent to read a pamphlet or an editorial on economic science. " Joe Hill, American song writer and labour activist
Výučba cudzích jazykov na vysokých školách a univerzitách [CD-ROM] ISBN 978-80-228-3002-7, 2017
Abstrakt
Odborný text, či už autentický alebo neautentický, je vo vyučovaní cudzieho jazyka hlav... more Abstrakt
Odborný text, či už autentický alebo neautentický, je vo vyučovaní cudzieho jazyka hlavným didaktickým prostriedkom. V prípade niektorých študijných programov na Filozofickej fakulte Univerzity Komenského však autentické cudzojazyčné odborné texty tvoria aj základný študijný materiál na odborných predmetoch. Kurzy odbornej jazykovej prípravy sa preto nevyhnutne venujú rozvíjaniu čitateľskej kompetencie u študentov, keďže bez schopnosti porozumieť odbornému cudzojazyčnému textu študent nemôže úspešne svoj odbor študovať. V tomto článku prezentujeme výskum orientovaný na overenie schopnosti študenta porozumieť krátkemu autentickému odbornému textu v anglickom jazyku a porovnávame, ako sa táto schopnosť mení pred a po didaktických zásahoch na hodinách odbornej angličtiny.
Kľúčové slová: odborná angličtina, čitateľská kompetencia, autentický odborný text
READING COMPREHENSION – AN ESSENTIAL PREREQUISITE FOR SUCCESSFUL STUDYING
Abstract
Reading comprehension – an essential prerequisite for successful studying
Specialised texts, both authentic and modified, are the main didactic tool in ESP classes. Authentic foreign-language texts, most frequently in English, form a substantial part of the required reading material for some study programmes at the Faculty of Arts of Comenius University. Therefore, ESP courses are inevitably oriented towards the development of reading comperehension in students, as students cannot study successfully without understanding texts written in English. In this article we present research focused on the student's ability to understand a short authentic text written in English and compare how this ability changes before and after didactic interventions in ESP classes.
Key words: professional English, reading competence, authentic specialised text
For many years now teachers of some ESP courses have experienced the lack of suitable textbooks f... more For many years now teachers of some ESP courses have experienced the lack of suitable textbooks for certain disciplines. In the absence of commercially available textbooks, tailor-made materials have to be designed by the teacher. This paper describes how a specialised textbook of English for students of Political Science was prepared, involving steps such as a needs analysis and interviews with teachers of Political Science, before the starting level of English was determined and authentic materials were selected to form the basis for exercises and tasks developing language competence to suit the needs of the future political scientist. The designed textbook, unique in the particular field of ESP, underwent a thorough verification in the classroom before it was published.
Teaching to write an abstract is an integral part of ESP language curriculum at the Department of... more Teaching to write an abstract is an integral part of ESP language curriculum at the Department of Languages, Philosophical Faculty, Comenius University. The aim of the article was to describe the process and methodology in teaching how to write an informative abstract. Through analysing theoretical background, appropriate vocabulary and grammar for abstract writing were suggested. Samples of student work were analysed in order to point out frequent and common mistakes. Consistent practice and instruction is necessary for the students to master writing an informative abstract.
ESP classes at the University level increasingly exploit modern innovative methods which give stu... more ESP classes at the University level increasingly exploit modern innovative methods which give students a much more active role in the classroom. Among such methods are knowledge visualisation techniques. This paper briefly describes the use of concept maps in ESP classes for political sciences as well as includes some examples of concept maps used in the course.
Odborný jazyk na vysokých školách 4 [CD ROM], 2008
Academic presenting is part of course structure at our Department of Languages. Throughout the 4
... more Academic presenting is part of course structure at our Department of Languages. Throughout the 4 year course, attention is paid to the development of oral competences and culminates in the final academically oriented presentation at the end of the course. Although students are gradually and systematically introduced to the theoretical information needed for preparing effective presentations, I have found it not sufficient. In order to give students extra practice with real presentations, I have introduced a short speech of self introduction, which is prepared and in turn presented by every student in the group. The speech of self introduction is like a bridge between theory and the final, evaluated academically oriented presentation. The students present their short speeches in authentic environment before a real audience (their classmates) and thus try putting their theoretical knowledge into practice and in return are provided with much needed feedback from fellow students.
Vysokoškolské vzdelávanie, ktorého súčasťou sú aj kurzy odbornej jazykovej prípravy, je do značne... more Vysokoškolské vzdelávanie, ktorého súčasťou sú aj kurzy odbornej jazykovej prípravy, je do značnej miery spojené s čítaním cudzojazyčných textov. Je však čitateľská spôsobilosť našich študentov na dostatočnej úrovni? Ak nie, ako sa dá čitateľská gramotnosť posunúť vyššie? Príspevok prezentuje výsledky výskumu zameraného na rozvoj čitateľských kompetencií v troch skupinách vysokoškolských študentov prvého ročníka s približne rovnakou vstupnou jazykovou kompetenciou. Výskum sa uskutočnil v rámci dvoch semestrov akademického roka 2012/2013 a potvrdil nami stanovenú hypotézu, že zvýšením frekvencie práce s cudzojazyčnými textami, sa výrazne zvyšuje schopnosť študentov čítať takéto texty s porozumením. Príspevok zároveň navrhuje možné riešenie, ako zlepšovať čitateľskú spôsobilosť u študentov, ktorí nie sú ich vlastnými kmeňovými katedrami nútení od začiatku štúdia pracovať s cudzojazyčnými zdrojmi.
Aplikované jazyky v univerzitnom kontexte - didaktika, terminológia, preklad
Príspevok sa zaoberá inovatívnymi prístupmi a metódami vo výučbe odborného anglického jazyka na K... more Príspevok sa zaoberá inovatívnymi prístupmi a metódami vo výučbe odborného anglického jazyka na Katedre jazykov Filozofickej fakulty Univerzity Komenského v Bratislave, ktorá v súčasnej dobe poskytuje odbornú jazykovú prípravu približne 30 študijným programom (asi 900 študentov). Kurzy odborného jazyka sú preto pripravované tak, aby vyhovovali požiadavkám jednotlivých odborných katedier. Autorky článku svoju pozornosť upriamujú na moderné vyučovacie metódy v cudzojazyčnej výučbe (zahŕňajúc skúšanie i hodnotenie) v 4 kurzoch odbornej angličtiny – v kurzoch pre politológov, sociológov, pedagógov a andragógov. Teoretické východiská z ktorých autorky vychádzajú, sú následne ilustrované na konkrétnych príkladoch z praxe
Výučba cudzích jazykov na vysokých školách a univerzitách [CD-ROM], 2012
In recent years there has been a steady increase in students whose knowledge of English is substa... more In recent years there has been a steady increase in students whose knowledge of English is substandard. Teaching specialised English to low-level students has therefore become a challenge. Placed in groups with students of (sometimes) significantly higher level of English, they are struggling in all areas, be it speaking, writing, listening or reading. Reading specialised texts from their area of study is the skill most frequently needed and used even by students with the lowest levels of English. The article draws on the author's experience with teaching low-level students of sociology, describing techniques used by proficient readers among low-level students-which the less proficient low-level students should be trained in, in order to improve their reading comprehension.
Reading competence and the ability to understand texts written in the English language are extrem... more Reading competence and the ability to understand texts written in the English language are extremely important skills for any university student. Not only do they enable the student to have access to specialised knowledge from his field of study, they also form the basis and create potential for his future professional and personal development. Although this specific need has become a common requirement placed on university students, it appears that many are not able to effectively read even simple texts in English. Our experience with students in ESP courses at Faculty of Philosophy, Comenius University confirms the passive approach of students to reading. They often rely on their bilingual dictionaries, mechanically translating texts word for word. Despite the fact that this method is time-consuming, their reading comprehension remains low.
Teaching English for Specific Purposes (ESP) to philosophy students involves
addressing certain p... more Teaching English for Specific Purposes (ESP) to philosophy students involves addressing certain peculiarities stemming from the discipline itself. The study of philosophy as a discipline requires a thorough understanding of complex, original texts. The few existing specialized ESP textbooks for philosophy students may fail to meet specific course requirements, leaving the teacher in a situation where they have to design the teaching materials themselves. As the emphasis in philosophy courses primarily rests on reading comprehension, critical analysis, and interpretation of original philosophical texts, this should also be reflected in most ESP courses for students of philosophy. Due to this, the importance of teaching academic writing to philosophy students is sometimes overlooked. This paper discusses strategies for enhancing philosophy students' writing skills, including active thinking as a precursor to writing. It gives examples of two classroom activities used not only promote writing skills but also foster critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaborative skills. Feedback from philosophy students indicates a positive perception of these activities, which contribute to their overall English language proficiency and successful communication within the field of philosophy. Keywords: ESP, philosophy, academic writing, lesson design
Journal of Language and Cultural Education, 2023, 11(3) ISSN 1339-4584, 2023
Courses of English for Specific Purposes are offered by many universities, yet the potential t... more Courses of English for Specific Purposes are offered by many universities, yet the potential these courses have to enhance learning in the students´ field of study is sometimes neglected. This article describes one effective method, focusing on the use of simulated negotiations as a teaching tool in the ESP course for political scientists. Simulated negotiations have been used in teaching of political science, international relations, diplomacy and related fields for many years but so far, their use outside political science courses has not been described. Relying on personal experience, we not only outline the steps needed to run a successful simulation in the ESP classroom, but also look at the benefits simulated negotiations bring both within and outside the ESP course. Participant feedback shows that apart from developing English language proficiency, simulated negotiations in ESP classes also enhance the students´ understanding of topics and issues from the field of political science. Another perceived benefit is the development and cultivation of transferrable / soft skills. Closer cooperation between language centres and individual university departments may lead to such modifications of the ESP syllabus that will complement both the ESP course and specialised courses from the students´ field of study. Keywords: ESP, political science, simulated negotiations, language proficiency, transferrable/ soft skills
Lingua Viva XVIII/ 2022/ No 35, České Budejovice, 2022, pp. 9-20 https://www.pf.jcu.cz/images/PF/veda-vyzkum/viva/LV35_2022.pdf, 2022
Academic writing is one the fixed features in classes of English for Specific Purposes / English ... more Academic writing is one the fixed features in classes of English for Specific Purposes / English for Academic Purposes at many universities. Even those students studying in non-English environment, who normally do not write academic texts in English, may need to write an academically oriented text in English at some stage of their studiesabstract being one example. The purpose of this article is to explore the issues connected with designing a lesson on how to write an abstract. It examines some approaches available to tertiary level ESP/EAP teachers and proposes a more extensive, step-bystep plan we use in your ESP/EAP classes to teach to write an abstract. The efficiency of the more extensive approach was tested in a small-scale study, which revealed that spending more time on practicing to write an abstract is of certain benefit to the students, though this finding would need to be confirmed in a larger study.
Language Teaching in Higher Education Its Present, Current Strategies and Prospects. Kirsch-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-943906-57-8, 2021
Paraphrasing has long been considered an important academic skill. It is one of those skills that... more Paraphrasing has long been considered an important academic skill. It is one of those skills that are usually taught in English for Specific Purposes classes, especially more advanced ones. This paper examines the success of our teaching strategies in ESP classes at the Faculty of Arts, Comenius University. First, it discusses paraphrasing as a skill in the context of ESP classes, then it draws attention to some available teaching materials. In the next part it introduces five paraphrasing strategies taught to our students. Finally, it addresses the issue of success that students achieve in their paraphrases.
Abstrakt: V akademickom svete sa parafrázovanie už veľmi dlho považuje za veľmi dôležitú zručnosť. Je jednou z tých zručností, ktoré sa často vyučujú na hodinách anglického jazyka pre špecifické účely (ESP), najmä v skupinách pokročilejších študentov. V tomto článku sa zameriavame na úspešnosť našich vyučovacích stratégií na hodinách ESP na Filozofickej fakulte Univerzity Komenského. Najskôr sa venujeme parafrázovaniu ako zručnosti, pričom upozorňujeme na niektoré vhodné učebné materiály. V ďalšej časti predstavujeme päť stratégií, ktoré pri vyučovaní parafrázovania sprostredkúvame našim študentom. Na záver analyzujeme parafrázy našich študentov a kladieme si otázku, či sa naše vyučovanie dá považovať za úspešné.
The lockdown in 2020 greatly influenced teaching at universities. The aim of this article is to s... more The lockdown in 2020 greatly influenced teaching at universities. The aim of this article is to show how we tackled the challenge of online student presentations in ESP classes taught at Faculty of Arts, Comenius University in Bratislava. The first part explains the importance student presentations in our syllabus and shows how it greatly relies on group work done in the classroom. The second part briefly shows how presentations were incorporated in online classes. In the final part, in an attempt to discern if online presentations were a success or a failure, we reflect on the results obtained from a survey conducted among those students of ESP classes who participated in online presentations.
Philologica 76 : Lingua academica 5. - Bratislava : Univerzita Komenského, 2017. - ISBN 978-80-223-4362-6. - S. 69-80 (Zborník Filozofickej fakulty Univerzity Komenského), 2017
ESP students consider speaking a very important skill and they are both eager and reluctant to pr... more ESP students consider speaking a very important skill and they are both eager and reluctant to practise it. It is speaking anxiety which prevents many students from fully participating in speaking activities. In this article, we attempted to explore which factors can be exploited in the classroom environment in order to reduce speaking anxiety. The results of an action study conducted on 1st year university students indicate that the type of speaking activity and the method of grouping students play a significant role in reducing speaking anxiety.
Keywords: ESP, speaking activities, speaking anxiety, grouping in speaking activities
Lingua Academica, Vol. 6, Bratislava:Stimul,ISBN 978-80-8127-246-2, 2019
Vocabulary acquisition forms a substantial part of the ESP curriculum. University students need t... more Vocabulary acquisition forms a substantial part of the ESP curriculum. University students need to master specialised vocabulary, mostly in order to read texts from their field of study, but in some cases also to participate in debates and discussions and to write seminar papers or prepare presentations. In monolingual classes translation from and to L1 can be used in the vocabulary teaching process. This paper examines how the use of L1 affects vocabulary recall at the end of the teaching process and after a 3-month break.
Trendy v jazykovém vzdělávání v terciární sféře v jazykových centrech na univerzitách v ČR a SR 3, [elektronický dokument] : sborník příspěvků z konference. - : 1. vyd. ISBN 978-80-244-5325-5. - Olomouc : Univerzita Palackého v Olomouci, 2018. - S. 43-52 , 2018
This paper addresses various ways teachers can use the video website YouTube.com (or other online... more This paper addresses various ways teachers can use the video website YouTube.com (or other online streaming video websites) to teach English and stimulate learner autonomy. If students and teachers have access to the Internet, YouTube can be a valuable tool through which multiple foreign language skills can be taught. Using YouTube both inside and outside the classroom can enhance conversation, listening, and pronunciation skills. YouTube videos can also be utilized as realia to stimulate cultural lessons, enhance exposure to World Englishes, and promote authentic vocabulary development. Even reading and writing activities can be structured around YouTube videos. In-class lessons and activities will be detailed, as will homework and projects requiring the use of online streaming videos. For EFL teachers, it is often a struggle to utilize potentially useful technology, promote student autonomy, and create stimulating lessons. If students and teachers have adequate access to the Internet, however, there is a vast online audiovisual resource generally well known to students that can function effectively in multiple ways for a variety of English classes. The resource, YouTube.com, is an online video repository in which nearly any digital video file can be stored and exhibited free of charge. Started in February 2005, YouTube hosts videos that are cumulatively currently viewed more than 2 billion times each day ("Timeline," 2011). While issues involving copyright infringement and obscenity standards have often made the website controversial, the vast array of diverse content and its organic community interactivity make YouTube a tremendous resource for a multitude of educational endeavors. This paper seeks to give teachers a few starting points on how the site could be used, as well as to suggest a loose framework for online video use into which SLA and CALL researchers can conduct further research. First, a brief review of existing literature will be presented, followed by descriptions of potential YouTube applications that have been implemented. The paper will conclude with a discussion of potential limitations that might come with using online video technology and suggestions for future research. Reviewing Extant Literature Through the Lens of YouTube The two primary benefits to using YouTube in the classroom are the exposure to authentic English as well as the promotion of a learning style that is more autonomous and student
For many years teachers of ESP catering to the needs of some disciplines have been experiencing a... more For many years teachers of ESP catering to the needs of some disciplines have been experiencing a shortage of suitable textbooks. The reasons for this are twofold: either those textbooks that are available commercially do not seem to address the students' needs or do so only partially, or suitable textbooks do not exist at all. Many teacher thus have to design materials themselves. Political Science is one of such disciplines. In this article the underlying principles and the process of designing a subject-specific ESP textbook will be described and the textbook itself will be introduced.
Jazyk a politika: na pomedzí lingvistiky a politológie 2. - Bratislava : Ekonóm, 2017. - ISBN 978-80-225-4424-5. , 2017
The relationship between music and politics has not yet been widely researched in the social scie... more The relationship between music and politics has not yet been widely researched in the social sciences, with the corpus of work on music and politics focusing on protest songs. For this reason, it is perhaps understandable that students of political science are generally not familiar with this research area. This article explores the interface between music and politics from the point of view of a teacher of English for Specific Purposes in the classes of undergraduate students of political science at Comenius University. Experience shows that the majority of undergraduates do not seem to be aware of a connection between music and politics and initially dismiss even a possibility of it, undervaluing the potential of music as a political tool. The final part of the article describes the procedure used to raise the studentsáwareness of political messages in the lyrics of the 20 th and 21 st century pop and rock music and the role of music as a communication tool in the world of politics, integrating thus selected subject-specific content with language teaching aims. Keywords: music, messages in lyrics, English for Specific Purposes Kľúčové slová: hudba, politické posolstvá v textoch piesní, angličtina pre špecifické účely " A pamphlet, no matter how good, is never read but once, but a song is learned by heart and repeated over and over. And I maintain that if a person can put a few cold common sense facts in a song, and dress them up in a cloak of humor to take the dryness off of them he will succeed in reaching a great number of workers who are too unintelligent to too indifferent to read a pamphlet or an editorial on economic science. " Joe Hill, American song writer and labour activist
Výučba cudzích jazykov na vysokých školách a univerzitách [CD-ROM] ISBN 978-80-228-3002-7, 2017
Abstrakt
Odborný text, či už autentický alebo neautentický, je vo vyučovaní cudzieho jazyka hlav... more Abstrakt
Odborný text, či už autentický alebo neautentický, je vo vyučovaní cudzieho jazyka hlavným didaktickým prostriedkom. V prípade niektorých študijných programov na Filozofickej fakulte Univerzity Komenského však autentické cudzojazyčné odborné texty tvoria aj základný študijný materiál na odborných predmetoch. Kurzy odbornej jazykovej prípravy sa preto nevyhnutne venujú rozvíjaniu čitateľskej kompetencie u študentov, keďže bez schopnosti porozumieť odbornému cudzojazyčnému textu študent nemôže úspešne svoj odbor študovať. V tomto článku prezentujeme výskum orientovaný na overenie schopnosti študenta porozumieť krátkemu autentickému odbornému textu v anglickom jazyku a porovnávame, ako sa táto schopnosť mení pred a po didaktických zásahoch na hodinách odbornej angličtiny.
Kľúčové slová: odborná angličtina, čitateľská kompetencia, autentický odborný text
READING COMPREHENSION – AN ESSENTIAL PREREQUISITE FOR SUCCESSFUL STUDYING
Abstract
Reading comprehension – an essential prerequisite for successful studying
Specialised texts, both authentic and modified, are the main didactic tool in ESP classes. Authentic foreign-language texts, most frequently in English, form a substantial part of the required reading material for some study programmes at the Faculty of Arts of Comenius University. Therefore, ESP courses are inevitably oriented towards the development of reading comperehension in students, as students cannot study successfully without understanding texts written in English. In this article we present research focused on the student's ability to understand a short authentic text written in English and compare how this ability changes before and after didactic interventions in ESP classes.
Key words: professional English, reading competence, authentic specialised text
For many years now teachers of some ESP courses have experienced the lack of suitable textbooks f... more For many years now teachers of some ESP courses have experienced the lack of suitable textbooks for certain disciplines. In the absence of commercially available textbooks, tailor-made materials have to be designed by the teacher. This paper describes how a specialised textbook of English for students of Political Science was prepared, involving steps such as a needs analysis and interviews with teachers of Political Science, before the starting level of English was determined and authentic materials were selected to form the basis for exercises and tasks developing language competence to suit the needs of the future political scientist. The designed textbook, unique in the particular field of ESP, underwent a thorough verification in the classroom before it was published.
Teaching to write an abstract is an integral part of ESP language curriculum at the Department of... more Teaching to write an abstract is an integral part of ESP language curriculum at the Department of Languages, Philosophical Faculty, Comenius University. The aim of the article was to describe the process and methodology in teaching how to write an informative abstract. Through analysing theoretical background, appropriate vocabulary and grammar for abstract writing were suggested. Samples of student work were analysed in order to point out frequent and common mistakes. Consistent practice and instruction is necessary for the students to master writing an informative abstract.
ESP classes at the University level increasingly exploit modern innovative methods which give stu... more ESP classes at the University level increasingly exploit modern innovative methods which give students a much more active role in the classroom. Among such methods are knowledge visualisation techniques. This paper briefly describes the use of concept maps in ESP classes for political sciences as well as includes some examples of concept maps used in the course.
Odborný jazyk na vysokých školách 4 [CD ROM], 2008
Academic presenting is part of course structure at our Department of Languages. Throughout the 4
... more Academic presenting is part of course structure at our Department of Languages. Throughout the 4 year course, attention is paid to the development of oral competences and culminates in the final academically oriented presentation at the end of the course. Although students are gradually and systematically introduced to the theoretical information needed for preparing effective presentations, I have found it not sufficient. In order to give students extra practice with real presentations, I have introduced a short speech of self introduction, which is prepared and in turn presented by every student in the group. The speech of self introduction is like a bridge between theory and the final, evaluated academically oriented presentation. The students present their short speeches in authentic environment before a real audience (their classmates) and thus try putting their theoretical knowledge into practice and in return are provided with much needed feedback from fellow students.
Vysokoškolské vzdelávanie, ktorého súčasťou sú aj kurzy odbornej jazykovej prípravy, je do značne... more Vysokoškolské vzdelávanie, ktorého súčasťou sú aj kurzy odbornej jazykovej prípravy, je do značnej miery spojené s čítaním cudzojazyčných textov. Je však čitateľská spôsobilosť našich študentov na dostatočnej úrovni? Ak nie, ako sa dá čitateľská gramotnosť posunúť vyššie? Príspevok prezentuje výsledky výskumu zameraného na rozvoj čitateľských kompetencií v troch skupinách vysokoškolských študentov prvého ročníka s približne rovnakou vstupnou jazykovou kompetenciou. Výskum sa uskutočnil v rámci dvoch semestrov akademického roka 2012/2013 a potvrdil nami stanovenú hypotézu, že zvýšením frekvencie práce s cudzojazyčnými textami, sa výrazne zvyšuje schopnosť študentov čítať takéto texty s porozumením. Príspevok zároveň navrhuje možné riešenie, ako zlepšovať čitateľskú spôsobilosť u študentov, ktorí nie sú ich vlastnými kmeňovými katedrami nútení od začiatku štúdia pracovať s cudzojazyčnými zdrojmi.
Aplikované jazyky v univerzitnom kontexte - didaktika, terminológia, preklad
Príspevok sa zaoberá inovatívnymi prístupmi a metódami vo výučbe odborného anglického jazyka na K... more Príspevok sa zaoberá inovatívnymi prístupmi a metódami vo výučbe odborného anglického jazyka na Katedre jazykov Filozofickej fakulty Univerzity Komenského v Bratislave, ktorá v súčasnej dobe poskytuje odbornú jazykovú prípravu približne 30 študijným programom (asi 900 študentov). Kurzy odborného jazyka sú preto pripravované tak, aby vyhovovali požiadavkám jednotlivých odborných katedier. Autorky článku svoju pozornosť upriamujú na moderné vyučovacie metódy v cudzojazyčnej výučbe (zahŕňajúc skúšanie i hodnotenie) v 4 kurzoch odbornej angličtiny – v kurzoch pre politológov, sociológov, pedagógov a andragógov. Teoretické východiská z ktorých autorky vychádzajú, sú následne ilustrované na konkrétnych príkladoch z praxe
Výučba cudzích jazykov na vysokých školách a univerzitách [CD-ROM], 2012
In recent years there has been a steady increase in students whose knowledge of English is substa... more In recent years there has been a steady increase in students whose knowledge of English is substandard. Teaching specialised English to low-level students has therefore become a challenge. Placed in groups with students of (sometimes) significantly higher level of English, they are struggling in all areas, be it speaking, writing, listening or reading. Reading specialised texts from their area of study is the skill most frequently needed and used even by students with the lowest levels of English. The article draws on the author's experience with teaching low-level students of sociology, describing techniques used by proficient readers among low-level students-which the less proficient low-level students should be trained in, in order to improve their reading comprehension.
Reading competence and the ability to understand texts written in the English language are extrem... more Reading competence and the ability to understand texts written in the English language are extremely important skills for any university student. Not only do they enable the student to have access to specialised knowledge from his field of study, they also form the basis and create potential for his future professional and personal development. Although this specific need has become a common requirement placed on university students, it appears that many are not able to effectively read even simple texts in English. Our experience with students in ESP courses at Faculty of Philosophy, Comenius University confirms the passive approach of students to reading. They often rely on their bilingual dictionaries, mechanically translating texts word for word. Despite the fact that this method is time-consuming, their reading comprehension remains low.
Uploads
Papers by Denisa Šulovská
addressing certain peculiarities stemming from the discipline itself. The study of
philosophy as a discipline requires a thorough understanding of complex, original texts.
The few existing specialized ESP textbooks for philosophy students may fail to meet
specific course requirements, leaving the teacher in a situation where they have to design
the teaching materials themselves. As the emphasis in philosophy courses primarily rests
on reading comprehension, critical analysis, and interpretation of original philosophical
texts, this should also be reflected in most ESP courses for students of philosophy. Due
to this, the importance of teaching academic writing to philosophy students is sometimes
overlooked. This paper discusses strategies for enhancing philosophy students' writing
skills, including active thinking as a precursor to writing. It gives examples of two
classroom activities used not only promote writing skills but also foster critical thinking,
creativity, communication, and collaborative skills. Feedback from philosophy students
indicates a positive perception of these activities, which contribute to their overall
English language proficiency and successful communication within the field of
philosophy.
Keywords: ESP, philosophy, academic writing, lesson design
Keywords: ESP, political science, simulated negotiations, language proficiency, transferrable/ soft skills
Abstrakt: V akademickom svete sa parafrázovanie už veľmi dlho považuje za veľmi dôležitú zručnosť. Je jednou z tých zručností, ktoré sa často vyučujú na hodinách anglického jazyka pre špecifické účely (ESP), najmä v skupinách pokročilejších študentov. V tomto článku sa zameriavame na úspešnosť našich vyučovacích stratégií na hodinách ESP na Filozofickej fakulte Univerzity Komenského. Najskôr sa venujeme parafrázovaniu ako zručnosti, pričom upozorňujeme na niektoré vhodné učebné materiály. V ďalšej časti predstavujeme päť stratégií, ktoré pri vyučovaní parafrázovania sprostredkúvame našim študentom. Na záver analyzujeme parafrázy našich študentov a kladieme si otázku, či sa naše vyučovanie dá považovať za úspešné.
Keywords: ESP, speaking activities, speaking anxiety, grouping in speaking activities
Odborný text, či už autentický alebo neautentický, je vo vyučovaní cudzieho jazyka hlavným didaktickým prostriedkom. V prípade niektorých študijných programov na Filozofickej fakulte Univerzity Komenského však autentické cudzojazyčné odborné texty tvoria aj základný študijný materiál na odborných predmetoch. Kurzy odbornej jazykovej prípravy sa preto nevyhnutne venujú rozvíjaniu čitateľskej kompetencie u študentov, keďže bez schopnosti porozumieť odbornému cudzojazyčnému textu študent nemôže úspešne svoj odbor študovať. V tomto článku prezentujeme výskum orientovaný na overenie schopnosti študenta porozumieť krátkemu autentickému odbornému textu v anglickom jazyku a porovnávame, ako sa táto schopnosť mení pred a po didaktických zásahoch na hodinách odbornej angličtiny.
Kľúčové slová: odborná angličtina, čitateľská kompetencia, autentický odborný text
READING COMPREHENSION – AN ESSENTIAL PREREQUISITE FOR SUCCESSFUL STUDYING
Abstract
Reading comprehension – an essential prerequisite for successful studying
Specialised texts, both authentic and modified, are the main didactic tool in ESP classes. Authentic foreign-language texts, most frequently in English, form a substantial part of the required reading material for some study programmes at the Faculty of Arts of Comenius University. Therefore, ESP courses are inevitably oriented towards the development of reading comperehension in students, as students cannot study successfully without understanding texts written in English. In this article we present research focused on the student's ability to understand a short authentic text written in English and compare how this ability changes before and after didactic interventions in ESP classes.
Key words: professional English, reading competence, authentic specialised text
Key words: abstract, teaching abstract, abstract writing, academic vocabulary, tenses, ESP
Key words: ESP, concept maps, student involvement, efficient learning
year course, attention is paid to the development of oral competences and culminates in the final
academically oriented presentation at the end of the course. Although students are gradually and
systematically introduced to the theoretical information needed for preparing effective presentations,
I have found it not sufficient. In order to give students extra practice with real presentations, I have
introduced a short speech of self introduction, which is prepared and in turn presented by every
student in the group. The speech of self introduction is like a bridge between theory and the final,
evaluated academically oriented presentation. The students present their short speeches in authentic
environment before a real audience (their classmates) and thus try putting their theoretical knowledge
into practice and in return are provided with much needed feedback from fellow students.
addressing certain peculiarities stemming from the discipline itself. The study of
philosophy as a discipline requires a thorough understanding of complex, original texts.
The few existing specialized ESP textbooks for philosophy students may fail to meet
specific course requirements, leaving the teacher in a situation where they have to design
the teaching materials themselves. As the emphasis in philosophy courses primarily rests
on reading comprehension, critical analysis, and interpretation of original philosophical
texts, this should also be reflected in most ESP courses for students of philosophy. Due
to this, the importance of teaching academic writing to philosophy students is sometimes
overlooked. This paper discusses strategies for enhancing philosophy students' writing
skills, including active thinking as a precursor to writing. It gives examples of two
classroom activities used not only promote writing skills but also foster critical thinking,
creativity, communication, and collaborative skills. Feedback from philosophy students
indicates a positive perception of these activities, which contribute to their overall
English language proficiency and successful communication within the field of
philosophy.
Keywords: ESP, philosophy, academic writing, lesson design
Keywords: ESP, political science, simulated negotiations, language proficiency, transferrable/ soft skills
Abstrakt: V akademickom svete sa parafrázovanie už veľmi dlho považuje za veľmi dôležitú zručnosť. Je jednou z tých zručností, ktoré sa často vyučujú na hodinách anglického jazyka pre špecifické účely (ESP), najmä v skupinách pokročilejších študentov. V tomto článku sa zameriavame na úspešnosť našich vyučovacích stratégií na hodinách ESP na Filozofickej fakulte Univerzity Komenského. Najskôr sa venujeme parafrázovaniu ako zručnosti, pričom upozorňujeme na niektoré vhodné učebné materiály. V ďalšej časti predstavujeme päť stratégií, ktoré pri vyučovaní parafrázovania sprostredkúvame našim študentom. Na záver analyzujeme parafrázy našich študentov a kladieme si otázku, či sa naše vyučovanie dá považovať za úspešné.
Keywords: ESP, speaking activities, speaking anxiety, grouping in speaking activities
Odborný text, či už autentický alebo neautentický, je vo vyučovaní cudzieho jazyka hlavným didaktickým prostriedkom. V prípade niektorých študijných programov na Filozofickej fakulte Univerzity Komenského však autentické cudzojazyčné odborné texty tvoria aj základný študijný materiál na odborných predmetoch. Kurzy odbornej jazykovej prípravy sa preto nevyhnutne venujú rozvíjaniu čitateľskej kompetencie u študentov, keďže bez schopnosti porozumieť odbornému cudzojazyčnému textu študent nemôže úspešne svoj odbor študovať. V tomto článku prezentujeme výskum orientovaný na overenie schopnosti študenta porozumieť krátkemu autentickému odbornému textu v anglickom jazyku a porovnávame, ako sa táto schopnosť mení pred a po didaktických zásahoch na hodinách odbornej angličtiny.
Kľúčové slová: odborná angličtina, čitateľská kompetencia, autentický odborný text
READING COMPREHENSION – AN ESSENTIAL PREREQUISITE FOR SUCCESSFUL STUDYING
Abstract
Reading comprehension – an essential prerequisite for successful studying
Specialised texts, both authentic and modified, are the main didactic tool in ESP classes. Authentic foreign-language texts, most frequently in English, form a substantial part of the required reading material for some study programmes at the Faculty of Arts of Comenius University. Therefore, ESP courses are inevitably oriented towards the development of reading comperehension in students, as students cannot study successfully without understanding texts written in English. In this article we present research focused on the student's ability to understand a short authentic text written in English and compare how this ability changes before and after didactic interventions in ESP classes.
Key words: professional English, reading competence, authentic specialised text
Key words: abstract, teaching abstract, abstract writing, academic vocabulary, tenses, ESP
Key words: ESP, concept maps, student involvement, efficient learning
year course, attention is paid to the development of oral competences and culminates in the final
academically oriented presentation at the end of the course. Although students are gradually and
systematically introduced to the theoretical information needed for preparing effective presentations,
I have found it not sufficient. In order to give students extra practice with real presentations, I have
introduced a short speech of self introduction, which is prepared and in turn presented by every
student in the group. The speech of self introduction is like a bridge between theory and the final,
evaluated academically oriented presentation. The students present their short speeches in authentic
environment before a real audience (their classmates) and thus try putting their theoretical knowledge
into practice and in return are provided with much needed feedback from fellow students.