Currently, many international and regional actors have been committed to fighting trafficking in ... more Currently, many international and regional actors have been committed to fighting trafficking in human beings given the multifaceted nature of this accelerating phenomenon. Among others, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has developed its own approach to combating trafficking in human beings, and in particular of trafficking in women for sexual exploitation. This book analyzes and assesses the OSCE strategies in two comparative transitional democracies: Albania and Moldova as the two countries most effected by trafficking in women. It aims at identifying the nature of female trafficking for sexual exploitation in both countries and the OSCE programs towards meeting the needs and peculiarities of each case. The research argues that in Albania, it is mainly a gender-related cultural issue, whereas in Moldova, it is primarily an economic one. Meanwhile, the OSCE has proceeded with the same general anti-trafficking plan in each country. Therefore, the book offers some original and feasible recommendations tailored per each country towards more effective anti-trafficking policies of the OSCE meeting the specific needs of each country in the future.
Journal of Teaching English for Specific and Academic Purposes, Jun 28, 2017
Higher education institutions have turned into main actors of multidimensional societal transform... more Higher education institutions have turned into main actors of multidimensional societal transformations in the EU context but also worldwide. Moreover, these rapid international developments and dissemination of the scientific research at global level have been cohesively accomplished through English language; by now English has been acknowledged as the lingua franca of technological, economic, socio-cultural and educational advances. Consequently, the current academic debate regarding effectiveness of English teaching approaches at university programs has gained special significance. This debate has been centered into two main English teaching approaches; the one targeting English for Specific Purposes (ESP) and the other focused on Content Language Integrated Learning (CLIL). This paper will shed light upon the attributes of each of these two important English language teaching paradigms. Yet, we argue that it is precisely the flexible - agile nature of ESP to help students socially construct their linguistic potentials which matches very precisely with the social constructivism of European environment and global adjustments of international universities these days. Moreover, we aim to prove that having abundant knowledge on various subject matters is definitely important however, knowing how to express clearly, correctly and properly this immense knowledge to guarantee successful ‘competitive ‘communication in an increasingly interdependent, multi-cultural world takes more prominence than ever before. Therefore, despite similarities between ESP and CLIL, ESP promises a brighter perspective of coping with future linguistic challenges. Our analysis will be carried through a comparative method of the theoretical literature on ESP and CLIL as elaborated in line with the most representative theoretical literature of social constructivism encompassing its recent adaptation in higher educational context especially in the EU.
Journal of Teaching English for Specific and Academic Purposes
In line with the global education tendency, Higher Education Institutions in Albania are making a... more In line with the global education tendency, Higher Education Institutions in Albania are making attempts to successfully implement a competitive English Medium Instruction (EMI) University model. This chapter sheds light on a case study analysis of EPOKA University - an International University in Tirana using English language instruction for its disciplinary programs. Specifically, the chapter illuminates the contributory findings of the CLIL- HET project into the English didactic competence of the international and local non-native English-speaking academic staff of EPOKA University. This university comprises a ESP/EMI practice par excellence in Albania, however, no such theoretical training has ever been prioritized at the regional and EU level project consortium in this narrow didactic dimension. The project diagnosed the need to improve English teaching didactic for disciplinary lecturers specifically to place language goals on the same equal importance to the content goals. Mo...
Journal of Teaching English for Specific and Academic Purposes, 2021
Post Brexit European scenario has triggered speculative thoughts to linguists concerned with lang... more Post Brexit European scenario has triggered speculative thoughts to linguists concerned with language policy in the European Union. Contrary to the belief that no Brits, no further ascendancy of English in the EU territory, there is indisputable and abundant evidence demonstrating that English will retain its status as the dominant formal and informal language among EU (and prospective) members. In our study, we argue that the sustainable and irreplaceable supremacy of English is precisely linked to its effective usage for specific purposes. We examine mainly the case of the English Medium Instruction (EMI) in higher education in EU countries shedding light on the crucial role of the ESP within EMI to further internationalization and standardization of university teaching and research within the EU zone, and its future acceding members. We also analyze indispensable role of the ESP in conducting Erasmus+ Staff and Student Mobility Exchange programs of specific majors of study as a c...
Recently, there has been a growing interest in the reforms being taken by the Socialist Governmen... more Recently, there has been a growing interest in the reforms being taken by the Socialist Government in the Republic of Albania, in terms of deepening and promoting a ‘good sustainable democracy’ in the country after two decades of rocky, challenging democratic transition. This majority came in power after the overwhelming victory in the parliamentary elections held in June 2013 being credited in compliance with the European standards in terms of reliability, fairness and political honesty. This paper will evaluate the effectiveness of this ‘successful political rotation’ towards establishment of a governmental accountability tradition with regard to equal, respectful and fair job chances to every official of the public administration sector, which has been the most sensitive corrupt and over-trodden segment as highlighted by the Socialist electoral rhetoric. The research analysis will demonstrate that despite the elections triumph results, the Socialist Government is pursuing and even deepening the democratic deficit in respect of rule of law, and in particular in compliance with the civil status of public administration officials that have to be hired based on professional meritocracy instead of political affiliation be it right or left wing. In order to achieve this analysis, we refer to social constructivism theoretical framework to explore, identify and analyze the specific features of Albanian society, its cultural identity, and its economic context; in addition, we refer to democratization literature on challenges of fragile democracies. Finally, having drawn an objective picture of the current link between the newly elected decision-makers and the social-economic circumstantial factors, we highlight the democratic deficit and provide policy recommendations towards establishment of non-politically biased public administration a very significant component for the integration process of the country. Keywords: Democracy consolidation, rule of law, public administration
Trafficking in minors for sexual and labor exploitation, and, mostly for organs transplantation h... more Trafficking in minors for sexual and labor exploitation, and, mostly for organs transplantation has grown globally over the last few years. The profits of child trafficking generate billions of dollars. Various researches have acknowledged child trafficking has a human rights issue: the trafficked minors are deprived of their rights to life, equality in education, dignity and security. Some governments have been coping with child trafficking as an organized crime issue where children are kidnapped, ‘sold like market products’, coerced and exploited to street begging, and definitely, the worst scenario of being ‘slaughtered’ for organ transplantation criminal networks. Unfortunately, Albania as a fragile non-consolidated democracy has become predominately a country of origin of child trafficking for lucrative criminal targets. Our study will argue that this growing phenomenon in Albania is directly related and accelerated by the ‘pure failure’ of the justice system. It will demonstrate by comparison and contrast of the textual analysis of the academic and empirical data that politics with its powerful network have captivated the police system and paralyzed the judicial institutions. Drawing on the root causes that make children prey of the non-functioning of the judicial system, and then assessing the investigative units’ incompetence to trace the victims and their perpetrators, this research will offer a multidimensional picture of the Albanian child trafficking case noting its peculiarities in connection with the political transition profile of the country itself. Finally, we finalize with recommendations on improving the policing capacities to identify and catch criminals, with judicial reform to clean up the corrupt judges and install the professional judicial system built upon international standards. This will turn a contribution to policymakers in Albania, to specialized units dealing with child trafficking, to non-governmental sectors, to the institutional reforming attempts and challenges of the country to end up political transition and consolidate the rule of law to its population and in particular to the most vulnerable group, - the children. Keywords: child trafficking, organ transplantation, failure of law
The Republic of Albania is a parliamentary democracy. Its Constitution contains an extensive cata... more The Republic of Albania is a parliamentary democracy. Its Constitution contains an extensive catalogue of fundamental rights and freedoms, which are to be guaranteed by the State. In view of the country’s European perspective, human rights and protection of minorities play a central role in EU-Albania relations. Although Albania has an adequate legal framework to ensure the respect of human rights, existing legislation and policies are implemented unevenly due to shortcomings in law enforcement and widespread corruption, as well as to the lack of political will. Other human rights problems included enforced disappearances, unlawful killings, torture, domestic violence and discrimination against women, child abuse, and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. The present study focuses on the importance of creating a human rights culture through education in order to tackle these problems in Albania. The study argues that human rights can be protected and...
Trafficking in minors for sexual and labor exploitation, and, mostly for organs transplantation h... more Trafficking in minors for sexual and labor exploitation, and, mostly for organs transplantation has grown globally over the last few years. The profits of child trafficking generate billions of dollars. Various researches have acknowledged child trafficking has a human rights issue: the trafficked minors are deprived of their rights to life, equality in education, dignity and security. Some governments have been coping with child trafficking as an organized crime issue where children are kidnapped, ‘sold like market products’, coerced and exploited to street begging, and definitely, the worst scenario of being ‘slaughtered’ for organ transplantation criminal networks. Unfortunately, Albania as a fragile non-consolidated democracy has become predominately a country of origin of child trafficking for lucrative criminal targets. Our study will argue that this growing phenomenon in Albania is directly related and accelerated by the ‘pure failure’ of the justice system. It will demonstrate by comparison and contrast of the textual analysis of the academic and empirical data that politics with its powerful network have captivated the police system and paralyzed the judicial institutions. Drawing on the root causes that make children prey of the non-functioning of the judicial system, and then assessing the investigative units’ incompetence to trace the victims and their perpetrators, this research will offer a multidimensional picture of the Albanian child trafficking case noting its peculiarities in connection with the political transition profile of the country itself. Finally, we finalize with recommendations on improving the policing capacities to identify and catch criminals, with judicial reform to clean up the corrupt judges and install the professional judicial system built upon international standards. This will turn a contribution to policymakers in Albania, to specialized units dealing with child trafficking, to non-governmental sectors, to the institutional reforming attempts and challenges of the country to end up political transition and consolidate the rule of law to its population and in particular to the most vulnerable group, - the children. Keywords: child trafficking, organ transplantation, failure of law
This study examines the added beneficial value of needs analysis prior to designing ESP universit... more This study examines the added beneficial value of needs analysis prior to designing ESP university courses to guarantee inclusive teaching and learning at English language programs in Albania. The study is conducted by combining both research methods of textual analysis with the survey questionnaire delivered to 150 students of English major at Tirana State University, EPOKA University, and Catholic University “Our Lady of Good Counsel” in Albania. It analyzes the feedback and perceptions of students on the content and inclusivity of the courses to better match their linguistic needs. The findings from this study reveal the need to systematically consider learners' needs prior to deciding the content materials and assessment methods aiming at a fair and transparent teaching, learning, and knowledge evaluation process. The last criteria comprise essential contributors to realizing inclusive teaching at university courses of English for Specific Purposes in Albania.
Journal of Teaching English for Specific and Academic Purposes, 2021
Currently, soft skills mainly communication skills of engineering/architecture graduates have bee... more Currently, soft skills mainly communication skills of engineering/architecture graduates have been considered as essential as their hard skills for the 21st century competitive global market. Given the cramped curricula of engineering/architecture programs, the research examines the beneficial impact that ESP undergraduate courses have on the tailored communication of engineering/architecture students at a case study analysis - EPOKA University in Tirana, Albania. In order to obtain feedback and unbiased perceptions on the tangible improvement in advanced English communication skills and disciplinary content knowledge acquisition, a questionnaire survey was conducted with the undergraduate students of EPOKA University at the Faculty of Architecture and Engineering upon successful completion of the two mandatory ESP courses at undergraduate level. A mixed method was utilized to collect the statistical data from questionnaires and the semi-structured interviews with students of engi...
Journal of Teaching English for Specific and Academic Purposes, 2016
English has indisputably been accredited as the Lingua Franca of conducting almost every human ac... more English has indisputably been accredited as the Lingua Franca of conducting almost every human activity of political, economic, diplomatic, commercial, educational and cultural aspect. It is not in vacuum that English teaching has gained recognition and research interest since successful English language acquisition is directly depended on the quality of English teaching programs designed by English Departments at Foreign Languages Faculties. Among other post-communist transitional societies, Albania has been encountered with the immediate need for qualified English teachers to accelerate the rapid and efficient teaching –learning process. As a follow-up measure this issue has resulted into critical reconsiderations of English Language departments at public universities as the major responsible actors to prepare qualified English teachers. However, despite reflections and investigations, I argue that the focus of such English university programs is mainly on the Teaching of General ...
Journal of Teaching English for Specific and Academic Purposes, 2017
This article will discuss the significant importance of ESP textbooks evaluation used in tertiary... more This article will discuss the significant importance of ESP textbooks evaluation used in tertiary level of studies. Particularly, there is a dilemma to what degree should disciplinary content-based materials dominate the classroom language? Another follow-up question related to the first one is - How does deep disciplinary-tailored books impact the language performance and attitude of undergraduate students? In order to seek for a convincing and feasible answer to such questions, this paper will conduct a comparative analysis of the Business English undergraduate course offered to students of Faculty of Economics and Business at the English speaking international university – EPOKA University in Tirana, Albania. The paper will be carried out by utilizing a mixed research method of content textual analysis with the observation and survey findings through the comparative case study of two ESP textbooks taught at Epoka University. The paper will also rely on comparison of the results b...
Higher education institutions have turned into main actors of multidimensional societal transform... more Higher education institutions have turned into main actors of multidimensional societal transformations in the EU context but also worldwide. Moreover, these rapid international developments and dissemination of the scientific research at global level have been cohesively accomplished through English language; by now English has been acknowledged as the lingua franca of technological, economic, socio-cultural and educational advances. Consequently, the current academic debate regarding effectiveness of English teaching approaches at university programs has gained special significance. This debate has been centered into two main English teaching approaches; the one targeting English for Specific Purposes (ESP) and the other focused on Content Language Integrated Learning (CLIL). This paper will shed light upon the attributes of each of these two important English language teaching paradigms. Yet, we argue that it is precisely the flexible agile nature of ESP to help students socially...
Currently, many international and regional actors have been committed to fighting trafficking in ... more Currently, many international and regional actors have been committed to fighting trafficking in human beings given the multifaceted nature of this accelerating phenomenon. Among others, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has developed its own approach to combating trafficking in human beings, and in particular of trafficking in women for sexual exploitation. This book analyzes and assesses the OSCE strategies in two comparative transitional democracies: Albania and Moldova as the two countries most effected by trafficking in women. It aims at identifying the nature of female trafficking for sexual exploitation in both countries and the OSCE programs towards meeting the needs and peculiarities of each case. The research argues that in Albania, it is mainly a gender-related cultural issue, whereas in Moldova, it is primarily an economic one. Meanwhile, the OSCE has proceeded with the same general anti-trafficking plan in each country. Therefore, the book offers some original and feasible recommendations tailored per each country towards more effective anti-trafficking policies of the OSCE meeting the specific needs of each country in the future.
Journal of Teaching English for Specific and Academic Purposes, Jun 28, 2017
Higher education institutions have turned into main actors of multidimensional societal transform... more Higher education institutions have turned into main actors of multidimensional societal transformations in the EU context but also worldwide. Moreover, these rapid international developments and dissemination of the scientific research at global level have been cohesively accomplished through English language; by now English has been acknowledged as the lingua franca of technological, economic, socio-cultural and educational advances. Consequently, the current academic debate regarding effectiveness of English teaching approaches at university programs has gained special significance. This debate has been centered into two main English teaching approaches; the one targeting English for Specific Purposes (ESP) and the other focused on Content Language Integrated Learning (CLIL). This paper will shed light upon the attributes of each of these two important English language teaching paradigms. Yet, we argue that it is precisely the flexible - agile nature of ESP to help students socially construct their linguistic potentials which matches very precisely with the social constructivism of European environment and global adjustments of international universities these days. Moreover, we aim to prove that having abundant knowledge on various subject matters is definitely important however, knowing how to express clearly, correctly and properly this immense knowledge to guarantee successful ‘competitive ‘communication in an increasingly interdependent, multi-cultural world takes more prominence than ever before. Therefore, despite similarities between ESP and CLIL, ESP promises a brighter perspective of coping with future linguistic challenges. Our analysis will be carried through a comparative method of the theoretical literature on ESP and CLIL as elaborated in line with the most representative theoretical literature of social constructivism encompassing its recent adaptation in higher educational context especially in the EU.
Journal of Teaching English for Specific and Academic Purposes
In line with the global education tendency, Higher Education Institutions in Albania are making a... more In line with the global education tendency, Higher Education Institutions in Albania are making attempts to successfully implement a competitive English Medium Instruction (EMI) University model. This chapter sheds light on a case study analysis of EPOKA University - an International University in Tirana using English language instruction for its disciplinary programs. Specifically, the chapter illuminates the contributory findings of the CLIL- HET project into the English didactic competence of the international and local non-native English-speaking academic staff of EPOKA University. This university comprises a ESP/EMI practice par excellence in Albania, however, no such theoretical training has ever been prioritized at the regional and EU level project consortium in this narrow didactic dimension. The project diagnosed the need to improve English teaching didactic for disciplinary lecturers specifically to place language goals on the same equal importance to the content goals. Mo...
Journal of Teaching English for Specific and Academic Purposes, 2021
Post Brexit European scenario has triggered speculative thoughts to linguists concerned with lang... more Post Brexit European scenario has triggered speculative thoughts to linguists concerned with language policy in the European Union. Contrary to the belief that no Brits, no further ascendancy of English in the EU territory, there is indisputable and abundant evidence demonstrating that English will retain its status as the dominant formal and informal language among EU (and prospective) members. In our study, we argue that the sustainable and irreplaceable supremacy of English is precisely linked to its effective usage for specific purposes. We examine mainly the case of the English Medium Instruction (EMI) in higher education in EU countries shedding light on the crucial role of the ESP within EMI to further internationalization and standardization of university teaching and research within the EU zone, and its future acceding members. We also analyze indispensable role of the ESP in conducting Erasmus+ Staff and Student Mobility Exchange programs of specific majors of study as a c...
Recently, there has been a growing interest in the reforms being taken by the Socialist Governmen... more Recently, there has been a growing interest in the reforms being taken by the Socialist Government in the Republic of Albania, in terms of deepening and promoting a ‘good sustainable democracy’ in the country after two decades of rocky, challenging democratic transition. This majority came in power after the overwhelming victory in the parliamentary elections held in June 2013 being credited in compliance with the European standards in terms of reliability, fairness and political honesty. This paper will evaluate the effectiveness of this ‘successful political rotation’ towards establishment of a governmental accountability tradition with regard to equal, respectful and fair job chances to every official of the public administration sector, which has been the most sensitive corrupt and over-trodden segment as highlighted by the Socialist electoral rhetoric. The research analysis will demonstrate that despite the elections triumph results, the Socialist Government is pursuing and even deepening the democratic deficit in respect of rule of law, and in particular in compliance with the civil status of public administration officials that have to be hired based on professional meritocracy instead of political affiliation be it right or left wing. In order to achieve this analysis, we refer to social constructivism theoretical framework to explore, identify and analyze the specific features of Albanian society, its cultural identity, and its economic context; in addition, we refer to democratization literature on challenges of fragile democracies. Finally, having drawn an objective picture of the current link between the newly elected decision-makers and the social-economic circumstantial factors, we highlight the democratic deficit and provide policy recommendations towards establishment of non-politically biased public administration a very significant component for the integration process of the country. Keywords: Democracy consolidation, rule of law, public administration
Trafficking in minors for sexual and labor exploitation, and, mostly for organs transplantation h... more Trafficking in minors for sexual and labor exploitation, and, mostly for organs transplantation has grown globally over the last few years. The profits of child trafficking generate billions of dollars. Various researches have acknowledged child trafficking has a human rights issue: the trafficked minors are deprived of their rights to life, equality in education, dignity and security. Some governments have been coping with child trafficking as an organized crime issue where children are kidnapped, ‘sold like market products’, coerced and exploited to street begging, and definitely, the worst scenario of being ‘slaughtered’ for organ transplantation criminal networks. Unfortunately, Albania as a fragile non-consolidated democracy has become predominately a country of origin of child trafficking for lucrative criminal targets. Our study will argue that this growing phenomenon in Albania is directly related and accelerated by the ‘pure failure’ of the justice system. It will demonstrate by comparison and contrast of the textual analysis of the academic and empirical data that politics with its powerful network have captivated the police system and paralyzed the judicial institutions. Drawing on the root causes that make children prey of the non-functioning of the judicial system, and then assessing the investigative units’ incompetence to trace the victims and their perpetrators, this research will offer a multidimensional picture of the Albanian child trafficking case noting its peculiarities in connection with the political transition profile of the country itself. Finally, we finalize with recommendations on improving the policing capacities to identify and catch criminals, with judicial reform to clean up the corrupt judges and install the professional judicial system built upon international standards. This will turn a contribution to policymakers in Albania, to specialized units dealing with child trafficking, to non-governmental sectors, to the institutional reforming attempts and challenges of the country to end up political transition and consolidate the rule of law to its population and in particular to the most vulnerable group, - the children. Keywords: child trafficking, organ transplantation, failure of law
The Republic of Albania is a parliamentary democracy. Its Constitution contains an extensive cata... more The Republic of Albania is a parliamentary democracy. Its Constitution contains an extensive catalogue of fundamental rights and freedoms, which are to be guaranteed by the State. In view of the country’s European perspective, human rights and protection of minorities play a central role in EU-Albania relations. Although Albania has an adequate legal framework to ensure the respect of human rights, existing legislation and policies are implemented unevenly due to shortcomings in law enforcement and widespread corruption, as well as to the lack of political will. Other human rights problems included enforced disappearances, unlawful killings, torture, domestic violence and discrimination against women, child abuse, and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. The present study focuses on the importance of creating a human rights culture through education in order to tackle these problems in Albania. The study argues that human rights can be protected and...
Trafficking in minors for sexual and labor exploitation, and, mostly for organs transplantation h... more Trafficking in minors for sexual and labor exploitation, and, mostly for organs transplantation has grown globally over the last few years. The profits of child trafficking generate billions of dollars. Various researches have acknowledged child trafficking has a human rights issue: the trafficked minors are deprived of their rights to life, equality in education, dignity and security. Some governments have been coping with child trafficking as an organized crime issue where children are kidnapped, ‘sold like market products’, coerced and exploited to street begging, and definitely, the worst scenario of being ‘slaughtered’ for organ transplantation criminal networks. Unfortunately, Albania as a fragile non-consolidated democracy has become predominately a country of origin of child trafficking for lucrative criminal targets. Our study will argue that this growing phenomenon in Albania is directly related and accelerated by the ‘pure failure’ of the justice system. It will demonstrate by comparison and contrast of the textual analysis of the academic and empirical data that politics with its powerful network have captivated the police system and paralyzed the judicial institutions. Drawing on the root causes that make children prey of the non-functioning of the judicial system, and then assessing the investigative units’ incompetence to trace the victims and their perpetrators, this research will offer a multidimensional picture of the Albanian child trafficking case noting its peculiarities in connection with the political transition profile of the country itself. Finally, we finalize with recommendations on improving the policing capacities to identify and catch criminals, with judicial reform to clean up the corrupt judges and install the professional judicial system built upon international standards. This will turn a contribution to policymakers in Albania, to specialized units dealing with child trafficking, to non-governmental sectors, to the institutional reforming attempts and challenges of the country to end up political transition and consolidate the rule of law to its population and in particular to the most vulnerable group, - the children. Keywords: child trafficking, organ transplantation, failure of law
This study examines the added beneficial value of needs analysis prior to designing ESP universit... more This study examines the added beneficial value of needs analysis prior to designing ESP university courses to guarantee inclusive teaching and learning at English language programs in Albania. The study is conducted by combining both research methods of textual analysis with the survey questionnaire delivered to 150 students of English major at Tirana State University, EPOKA University, and Catholic University “Our Lady of Good Counsel” in Albania. It analyzes the feedback and perceptions of students on the content and inclusivity of the courses to better match their linguistic needs. The findings from this study reveal the need to systematically consider learners' needs prior to deciding the content materials and assessment methods aiming at a fair and transparent teaching, learning, and knowledge evaluation process. The last criteria comprise essential contributors to realizing inclusive teaching at university courses of English for Specific Purposes in Albania.
Journal of Teaching English for Specific and Academic Purposes, 2021
Currently, soft skills mainly communication skills of engineering/architecture graduates have bee... more Currently, soft skills mainly communication skills of engineering/architecture graduates have been considered as essential as their hard skills for the 21st century competitive global market. Given the cramped curricula of engineering/architecture programs, the research examines the beneficial impact that ESP undergraduate courses have on the tailored communication of engineering/architecture students at a case study analysis - EPOKA University in Tirana, Albania. In order to obtain feedback and unbiased perceptions on the tangible improvement in advanced English communication skills and disciplinary content knowledge acquisition, a questionnaire survey was conducted with the undergraduate students of EPOKA University at the Faculty of Architecture and Engineering upon successful completion of the two mandatory ESP courses at undergraduate level. A mixed method was utilized to collect the statistical data from questionnaires and the semi-structured interviews with students of engi...
Journal of Teaching English for Specific and Academic Purposes, 2016
English has indisputably been accredited as the Lingua Franca of conducting almost every human ac... more English has indisputably been accredited as the Lingua Franca of conducting almost every human activity of political, economic, diplomatic, commercial, educational and cultural aspect. It is not in vacuum that English teaching has gained recognition and research interest since successful English language acquisition is directly depended on the quality of English teaching programs designed by English Departments at Foreign Languages Faculties. Among other post-communist transitional societies, Albania has been encountered with the immediate need for qualified English teachers to accelerate the rapid and efficient teaching –learning process. As a follow-up measure this issue has resulted into critical reconsiderations of English Language departments at public universities as the major responsible actors to prepare qualified English teachers. However, despite reflections and investigations, I argue that the focus of such English university programs is mainly on the Teaching of General ...
Journal of Teaching English for Specific and Academic Purposes, 2017
This article will discuss the significant importance of ESP textbooks evaluation used in tertiary... more This article will discuss the significant importance of ESP textbooks evaluation used in tertiary level of studies. Particularly, there is a dilemma to what degree should disciplinary content-based materials dominate the classroom language? Another follow-up question related to the first one is - How does deep disciplinary-tailored books impact the language performance and attitude of undergraduate students? In order to seek for a convincing and feasible answer to such questions, this paper will conduct a comparative analysis of the Business English undergraduate course offered to students of Faculty of Economics and Business at the English speaking international university – EPOKA University in Tirana, Albania. The paper will be carried out by utilizing a mixed research method of content textual analysis with the observation and survey findings through the comparative case study of two ESP textbooks taught at Epoka University. The paper will also rely on comparison of the results b...
Higher education institutions have turned into main actors of multidimensional societal transform... more Higher education institutions have turned into main actors of multidimensional societal transformations in the EU context but also worldwide. Moreover, these rapid international developments and dissemination of the scientific research at global level have been cohesively accomplished through English language; by now English has been acknowledged as the lingua franca of technological, economic, socio-cultural and educational advances. Consequently, the current academic debate regarding effectiveness of English teaching approaches at university programs has gained special significance. This debate has been centered into two main English teaching approaches; the one targeting English for Specific Purposes (ESP) and the other focused on Content Language Integrated Learning (CLIL). This paper will shed light upon the attributes of each of these two important English language teaching paradigms. Yet, we argue that it is precisely the flexible agile nature of ESP to help students socially...
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