Experiential Learning in Language Classes at University: Developing Social and Intercultural Skills of Future Managers
Sprache des Vortragstitels:
Englisch
Original Tagungtitel:
Languages for Europe
Sprache des Tagungstitel:
Englisch
Original Kurzfassung:
Today's business world is looking for graduates with excellent social and intercultural competences, as these help managers cope with the challenges of cultural diversity among the workforce. This situation opens up new opportunities for language departments catering to students of business, economics and social sciences. In her presentation the author will share with the audience some research results and will provide examples of good practice based on her own teaching experience.
Language departments can give themselves a new profile by offering courses that fill the gaps of current degree programmes in business. By doing so, they manage to attract not only the local students but also large numbers of international students. Such multicultural classrooms create a rich forum for intercultural learning and lend themselves readily for integrating content and language teaching. In addition to describing this approach in detail, the author will give an account of her team teaching experiences with colleagues from other universities and other disciplines where classes were held either in the same classroom or on a virtual basis using modern technology. Finally, she will provide a new perspective for international programmes which can be made even more valuable and attractive by developing degree courses that combine the strengths of the partner universities involved.