This paper discusses sequenced materials development for content/language integrated learning (CLIL) in a team-taught Content/English introductory philosophy class at Miyazaki International College (MIC), Japan. A short introduction... more
This paper discusses sequenced materials development for content/language integrated learning (CLIL) in a team-taught Content/English introductory philosophy class at Miyazaki International College (MIC), Japan. A short introduction situates the authors’ particular CLIL approach, one developed for an English as a Second Language (ESL) environment in a Japanese liberal arts college. They then offer a template for a sequence of language exercises that are adaptable to a variety of discipline-specific content texts and lectures of varying degrees of language difficulty. The approach can be used in team-taught or solo-taught courses. The authors also reflect on implementing their materials in an active-learning classroom to enhance the CLIL advantages.
In this paper we report on the operation and results of a pilot trial on the use of Science-Fiction Prototyping (SFP) as a means to motivate students to engage with STEM and language learning courses. In particular we describe two case... more
In this paper we report on the operation and results of a pilot trial on the use of Science-Fiction Prototyping (SFP) as a means to motivate students to engage with STEM and language learning courses. In particular we describe two case studies. The first was conducted in Shijiazhuang University, China, and involved approximately 102 students following a course aimed at improving their English language abilities for computer science applications. The second case study concerned the use of micro science-fiction prototypes, in the form of Twitter-fiction, as a means of motivating pre-university students to take up STEM studies and careers. Finally, the paper concludes by describing future directions of this work
The application of blended learning in higher education has practically increased through the years, this is however aimed to develop the students rare 21st century skills. Furthermore, the present study investigates the differences in... more
The application of blended learning in higher education has practically increased through the years, this is however aimed to develop the students rare 21st century skills. Furthermore, the present study investigates the differences in learning process across one semester, and the research design comprised of quasi experimental method without conducting any pre-test, particularly for the conventional and blended learning class. Therefore, self-evaluation questionnaire on 21st century skills were distributed, and the experimental outcome revealed the significant skill practice performed by students in blended learning classes compared to the counterparts in conventional programmes. This learning method was assessed to contain soft and hard skills, in addition to an increased GPA. The aim of this study, therefore, is to investigate the impact of blended learning in course application, with the goal of optimizing students’ 21st century skills and GPA.
The omission of tense and aspect markers belongs to the common body of errors pointing to universal learning mechanisms. The English tense and aspect system has been particularly notorious among foreign language learners for its alleged... more
The omission of tense and aspect markers belongs to the common body of errors pointing to universal learning mechanisms. The English tense and aspect system has been particularly notorious among foreign language learners for its alleged complexity and complication. A pedagogical model is proposed, drawing on a comparative/contrastive explication and generative insights, in which the apparent difficulty is considerably reduced without compromising on the learners' final repertoire of linguistic expression.
Professional English is a mandatory module in all Chinese universities, being taught alongside the students major. However, students often find learning English somewhat tedious as it can seem disconnected from their major and aspirations... more
Professional English is a mandatory module in all Chinese universities, being taught alongside the students major. However, students often find learning English somewhat tedious as it can seem disconnected from their major and aspirations for the future. To try to overcome this shortcoming we have introduced the use of creative science as a means of linking language learning to exploring futuristic technologies with the aim of fuelling their engagement with language learning while at the same time helping them acquire valuable creative-thinking skills. In this paper we describe a two year trial be conducted at Shijiazhuang University where we operated this scheme with two batches of students, reporting our findings which show this approach produces significant learning gains over traditional methods. Finally, we describe our plans for developing an online EFL facility based around an i-Lab n the form of a virtual spacestation.
The application of blended learning in higher education has practically increased through the years, this is however aimed to develop the students rare 21st century skills. Furthermore, the present study investigates the differences in... more
The application of blended learning in higher education has practically increased through the years, this is however aimed to develop the students rare 21st century skills. Furthermore, the present study investigates the differences in learning process across one semester, and the research design comprised of quasi experimental method without conducting any pre-test, particularly for the conventional and blended learning class. Therefore, self-evaluation questionnaire on 21st century skills were distributed, and the experimental outcome revealed the significant skill practice performed by students in blended learning classes compared to the counterparts in conventional programmes. This learning method was assessed to contain soft and hard skills, in addition to an increased GPA. The aim of this study, therefore, is to investigate the impact of blended learning in course application, with the goal of optimizing students’ 21st century skills and GPA.
Este artículo tiene por objeto la aplicación de la técnica de innovación docente conocida como aprendizaje cooperativo en la modalidad del puzle, para la enseñanza del Derecho Civil. A estos efectos, se estudiará el marco teórico... more
Este artículo tiene por objeto la aplicación de la técnica de innovación docente conocida como aprendizaje cooperativo en la modalidad del puzle, para la enseñanza del Derecho Civil. A estos efectos, se estudiará el marco teórico existente de esta técnica de innovación docente para proponer su aplicación práctica en distintas instituciones de Derecho Civil. Finalmente, se evaluará este método para analizar sus ventajas e inconvenientes en su aplicación.
Resumen: El Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior exige un cambio en las metodologías docentes tradicionales que las nuevas tecnologías pueden favorecer. La Web 2.0 ofrece gran variedad de posibilidades para hacer del estudiante un agente... more
Resumen: El Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior exige un cambio en las metodologías docentes tradicionales que las nuevas tecnologías pueden favorecer. La Web 2.0 ofrece gran variedad de posibilidades para hacer del estudiante un agente activo en el proceso de aprendizaje, pero es la tecnología wiki la que parece adaptarse mejor a las nuevas necesidades docentes, como son la consideración de una serie de competencias genéricas para la formación integral del alumno que van más allá de los meros conocimientos específicos de una asignatura. Los profesores universitarios están empezando a experimentar con wikis en sus asignaturas, pero el apoyo institucional que reciben no parece suficiente para que el uso de esta herramienta se generalice en toda la universidad. / Abstract: The European Space for Higher Education requires a change in the traditional teaching methodologies that can be helped by the new technologies. The Web 2.0 provides a great number of possibilities to make the student an active agent in the learning process, but the wiki technology seems to best adapt the most recent teaching needs, such as the generic competences for the integral formation of the students which go beyond the specific knowledge of a particular subject. University teachers are beginning to experience wikis in their subjects, but the institutional support is not enough to make the use of wikis general in all Spanish universities.
Scholars from three complementary disciplines (Legal History, Private Law and Criminal Law) have been working together since 2017 to provide UPF Law students with a broad gender perspective which helps them develop priceless professional... more
Scholars from three complementary disciplines (Legal History, Private Law and Criminal Law) have been working together since 2017 to provide UPF Law students with a broad gender perspective which helps them develop priceless professional and personal skills. The optional course “Gender and the Law”, entirely taught in English, is based on readings, real cases and activities that students are presenting and discussing. It has achieved an unprecedented degree of commitment and popularity.
The discussion focuses on the use of ad hoc corpus in teaching ESP. The participants share their views on how digital language resources (and specifically, corpus) are being created today and how they are used for teaching and learning... more
The discussion focuses on the use of ad hoc corpus in teaching ESP. The participants share their views on how digital language resources (and specifically, corpus) are being created today and how they are used for teaching and learning purposes.
Issues raised include 1) whether corpus is better suited for automatic generation of exercises, students’ data-driven learning (DDL) or training language teachers, and 2) what types of exercises can be generated from ad hoc corpus using programs like TextStat or AntConc.
The round table is addressed to those language teachers who wish to create their own materials. The audience is invited to discuss the abovementioned issues and share their own experiences on designing ESP course.
The video is composed from skype recordings of the on-line round table held during the International Conference "Magic of Innovation: New Techniques and Technologies in Teaching Foreign Languages" organized in MGIMO (Moscow) in November 2013.
