Abstract
Language instructors teaching English for specific purposes in engineering contexts are required to design varied materials aimed at helping their students familiarize themselves with their subject matter areas in English and develop the skills which will be necessary in their professional careers. This chapter explores the implementation of telecollaborative activities in an ESP course addressed to undergraduates. Apart from linguistic and digital skills, these tasks aimed to help them develop their civic and entrepreneurial competences. The participants had to use their knowledge and expertise to design a fictitious start-up which would help humanity live more sustainably. To do so, 49 students worked in groups to design a virtual poster presentation illustrating their results. Data were collected through observation, a pre- and post-task questionnaire, and video recordings of participants' online interactions. Results show that they were better able to identify new opportunities, develop productive ideas, take the initiative, or work better in teams, among others.
TopIntroduction
Teaching in university-level English for specific purposes (ESP) contexts requires language instructors to be aware of 21st-century students’ present and future needs and profiles as well as of their academic, technical, or professional backgrounds. Additionally, lecturers must carefully explore how teaching methods are constantly evolving and adapting in response to these parameters. For example, teaching English to students who will make use of the language in engineering contexts requires lecturers to design a diverse range of activities closely connected to their subject matter areas. Apart from exposing learners to their specialization fields in English, the tasks designed should also be aimed at developing their professional, academic, communicative, and critical-thinking skills, among others.
With regard to task design and the methodology employed in the classroom, previous studies have already explored the role that telecollaboration is able to play in higher education contexts and its contribution to the development of students’ linguistic and intercultural skills (Schenker, 2012; O’Dowd, 2012). Telecollaboration is even more relevant when considering that it combines the advantages and strengths required to respond to the digital demands that have emerged and which have become more evident over the last years, as academic institutions from all over the world were forced to move to a completely online environment in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. This specific situation led the authors of this chapter to implement an increased number of collaborative activities in their ESP virtual classrooms. The use of collaborative tasks had already become common practice before the health crisis, since their students are usually required to take part in some other tasks conducted in small groups. For instance, learners are asked to design a virtual poster presentation collaboratively and some tasks are carried out by the entire group in a collaborative manner throughout the semester, such as designing a glossary comprising idiomatic expressions as well as specialized and technical vocabulary. It has been considered that these activities would allow students to participate more actively and enrich their knowledge by collaborating with their classmates while carrying out tasks based on the use of authentic materials.
Keeping all of these ideas in mind, this chapter documents a study which aimed to analyze and measure how the introduction of telecollaborative activities contributes to the development of students’ civic and entrepreneurial competences. These two types of competences will be explained in further detail in the Literature Review section. Both the study and the activities designed for students’ practice and data collection were also implemented in an attempt to give participants the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)1 and with the challenges currently faced by the planet and humanity at large. The research is based on data from a small-scale pilot study contextualized in an ESP course, which is primarily aimed at teaching students some of the most relevant linguistic and behavioral patterns associated with oral and written communication channels in professional and academic domains.
The research questions addressed by this study are the following:
RQ1: Can civic and entrepreneurial competences be developed or enhanced by creating a start-up through telecollaboration?
RQ2: Is it possible to reach business agreements without personally knowing the other participants in a telecollaboration project?
RQ3: Can telecollaboration be effective with students of the same nationality?
Key Terms in this Chapter
Linguistic Competences: The skills shown by a user of a language to understand and communicate effectively in that particular language.
Collaborative Learning: “A way of learning in which students at various performance levels work together in small groups toward a common goal.” ( Vinagre & Lera, 2008 ).
Teamwork: Work done in groups in a collaborative, responsible, and organized way when trying to attain a common goal.
Interest Fields: Knowledge areas related to students’ fields of study/specialization or knowledge areas students could show interest for.
Synchronous Communication: “Communication occurs when learners communicate in real time, either in a face-to-face situation, on the telephone or using the Internet” ( Vinagre & Lera, 2008 ).
Civic Competences: Those skills which are able to lead and “equip individuals to fully participate in civic life, based on knowledge of social and political concepts and structures and a commitment to active and democratic participation” (Education and Culture DG, 2007 AU44: The in-text citation "Education and Culture DG, 2007" is not in the reference list. Please correct the citation, add the reference to the list, or delete the citation. ).
Sustainability: Taking action to allow present generations to meet their current needs while contributing to the protection of the planet in order to ensure that future generations can meet their own needs too.
Sense of Initiative and Entrepreneurship: “Sense of initiative and entrepreneurship refers to an individual’s ability to turn ideas into action. It includes creativity, innovation and risk-taking, as well as the ability to plan and manage projects in order to achieve objectives. This supports individuals, not only in their everyday lives at home and in society, but also in the workplace in being aware of the context of their work and being able to seize opportunities, and is a foundation for more specific skills and knowledge needed by those establishing or contributing to social or commercial activity. This should include awareness of ethical values and promote good governance.” (Education and Culture DG, 2007 AU45: The in-text citation "Education and Culture DG, 2007" is not in the reference list. Please correct the citation, add the reference to the list, or delete the citation. ).