Learning a /through a foreign language in higher education: employers’ and students’ perceptions

Morgado, Margarida; Gómez Garcia, Luis Vicente; Gaspar, Marcelo

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.11/8351

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Authors

Morgado, Margarida

Gómez Garcia, Luis Vicente

Gaspar, Marcelo

Abstract(s)

Introduction: Higher Education Institutions (HEI) are allegedly preparing students for a globalized working area where people will need to be ready to communicate effectively in one or more foreign languages in international working environments, which puts a lot of pressure on how foreign languages (FL) are learned in Higher Education (HE). Methods: This article explores how a FL or learning through a FL could be approached in HEI, focusing mainly on what employers claim in terms of skills of recent graduates or on-the-job workers. Case studies are used, combining interviews to employers and questionnaires to HE students to find out their perceptions on FL learning requirements for greater employability. Conclusions: A series of recommendations are made for HEI on how to promote students’ employability skills; on the best practices for the development of intercultural communicative competence and FL skills to communicate effectively in international or digitally-mediated working environments; as well as on how to prepare the teaching staff for emerging trends that involve using a FL as medium of instruction or CLIL, a content and language integrated approach. These testify to the importance of learning a FL or through a FL, as well as the need to combine transversal skills development in connection to FL learning.

Keywords

Foreign languages in Higher Education Intercultural communicative competence Employers’ perceptions Students’ perceptions CLIL

URI

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.11/8351

Citation

MORGADO, M., GÓMEZ GARCIA, L. V. & CALVETE, M. (2019). Learning a /through a foreign language in higher education: employers and students’ perceptions. Millenium, 2(9), 51-58.

Publisher

Instituto Politécnico de Viseu (IPV) NIPC – 680033548 Centro de Estudos em Educação, Tecnologias e Saúde Unidade de I&D do Instituto Politécnico de Viseu