Педагогические науки/ 5.Современные методы преподавания

O.L. Ogurtsova

Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences

Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute

Business English teaching with computer-assisted technology.

According to the curriculum of the National technical university of Ukraine “Kyiv Polytechnic Institute” - future economists should reach level B1 in Business English by the end of the first year of study, level B2 – by the end of the third year, level B2+-by the end of the fourth year and level C1-by the end of the fifth year of studying. To prepare the curriculum for students to achieve these levels, teachers are guided by the Common European Framework of Reference for languages (Verhelst, N.,2009). This framework provides a clear proficiency description for each level and provides the requirements for passing internationally recognized exams on Business English. The examinations referred to above are called BEC Preliminary for level B1, BEC Vantage for level B2 and BEC Higher for level C1. According to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (Verhelst, N., 2009), it takes approximately 180 hours to lead students from level A2 to B1, and about 200 hours to lead from level B1 to level B2 and from level B2 to level C1. The above time frames basically correspond to the number of hours given by Kyiv Polytechnic Institute for studying Business English.

Yet to reach the goals within allocated time, there is a necessity to change the way of communicating the content to students and organizing the work for them. Currently the content is presented by a teacher during class time and then students work on the lesson at home and the results of this work are checked by a teacher at the next class. However, the assessment that is taking place is limited in time and could be characterized as being rather subjective. A teacher simply doesn’t have enough time and or the tools to check everything with everybody. Thus the progress that is taking place depends mainly on the general learning capacity of the group, however, this can be changed through the active use of computer technology in the classroom of Business English. In the modern classroom in the digital age, a teacher should be involved only in those activities that computer software cannot deal with.

Hence, concerning teaching Business English to University students, computer technology can be actively used for teaching Business English Vocabulary and Grammar. According to the general practice in Ukraine, when students start the first year of a University program they already have level B1 in general English, thus they are able to deal efficiently in most situations that are likely to arise while travelling in an area where the English Language is spoken (Verhelst, N., 2009). Therefore, during the first year of University studies, students should learn to deal efficiently in most Business situations and to master special vocabulary for level B1 in Business English and learn grammar structures that are frequently used and necessary to become an efficient language user in typical Business situations.

In regards to teaching vocabulary, the University of Cambridge’s, ESOL Examinations has developed a BEC Vocabulary list (Preliminary-Higher levels) to give teachers a guide to the vocabulary needed to prepare students for BEC examinations (O’Sullivan, 2006). These lists can be used as the basis for developing a special computer program to present Business English terms and also to help learn them and to assess the knowledge of students. To present vocabulary, the technique of flash cards could be used where for each word will be given a sound representation, definition and a translation into the native language. For learning these words some other techniques can also be used. For example, students can hear the word in English (or in native language) and can be asked to type it and learn spelling of this word in such a context. Then, after the work with flashcards and on spelling, students could do a computer based test on comprehension and play 2-3 comprehension computer-based games. These can be activities with low level game elements such as rewards, competition, collaboration or story/ narrative.

Teaching grammar is also an important part of preparing students for passing the BEC exam. Numerous researches have defined a number of grammar topics to be mastered for obtaining the levels from BEC (B1) to BEC (C1) (O’Sullivan, 2006). For B1 it’s about 22 topics, for B2- it’s about 17 grammar topics and for the level C1-it’s about 8 topics. All grammar material can be easily presented to students using computer software as well as relevant training and assessment of learning outcomes. In the beginning of studying grammar, diagnostic testing has to be done and after that students should get access to grammar material that can be presented in the form of a video lectures, text and tables. The use of activities with low level game elements such as competitions/collaboration rewards and story narrative is also appropriate at this level and can increase process motivation of students.

Computer-based assessment. The content for Business English teaching outlined above can be delivered to students using computer-based technology. Thus, it’s a natural thing to suggest that the progress students make should also be assessed utilizing computer technology with results being available both to the student and to the teacher. We can also suggest that a comparative analysis of a group achievement done by computer software can be useful to make the learning process more efficient. According to the latest publications (Beatty & Ulasewicz 2006, Beetham and Sharpe, 2013,) e-assessment has the following advantages over paper based assessment: instant feedback to students and to a teacher, flexibility in respect to timing and location, high reliability, improved impartiality and quick data processing capabilities.

Thus, we can further suggest that the possibility to provide computer based content and assessment for Business English teaching together with the possibility of having access to information via Internet everywhere including mobile phone, can further lead to changing the approach to Business English teaching to students in Economics in particular, All of this should lead to the development of a special software or customizing of existing software for the creation of a special web-based Intelligent Business English learning Platform (IBELP).

This platform could be characterized as one of the management learning systems which can handle all aspects of the learning process, in particular: to deliver learning content, to provide a multi users environment, to register all students and give them the means to keep track on their progress and to their teacher the ability to monitor and administer their work, to manage skills and competence development and to make assessment of a student’s progress in more transparent and objective way. According to current literature (Beatty & Ulasewicz 2006, Beetham and Sharpe, 2013,Garrison, D., 2011) software such as Intelligent Business English learning Platform can be developed with a use of a commercial software Blackboard, open source learning platform software Moodle and web-based application Edmodo.

References

Beatty B., Ulasewicz C. (2006) Faculty perspectives on moving from Blackboard to the Moodle learning management system. Tech Trends. 50. (4). pp.36-45.

O'Sullivan, B. (2006). Issues in testing business English: the revision of the Cambridge Business English Certificates. (17). Cambridge University Press.