Lets get started, shall we by enja KanskyRoman, MA Slovenia zenja.kanskyrozmanef.unilj.si

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Lets get started, shall we?byenja
Kansky-Roman, MASloveniazenja.kansky-rozman_at_ef
.uni-lj.si
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About our school enja
Kansky-Roman, MA
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About languages enja
Kansky-Roman, MA

• 5 languages and 13 teachers
• English, German, Italian, French, (Spanish).
• 3 contact hours a week.
• From 12-15 weeks per term.
• 20-40 students per group.

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About languages enja
Kansky-Roman, MA
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About languages enja
Kansky-Roman, MA

• Languages for specific purposes (LSP) - for
  business and economics.
• A good intermediate or upper intermediate level
  required.
• Most students have had 8 years of English or at
  least 4 years of any other language.

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About languages enja
Kansky-Roman, MA

• Study requirements
• attending lessons (80 attendance mandatory),
• participating in group presentations (Module 1)
  and formal meetings (role plays) (Module 2),
• taking a written and oral exam at the end of the
  term.

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The reasons for introducing group presentations
and formal meetings into the syllabus

enja Kansky-Roman, MA

• To ensure adequate student workload (contact
  hours individual student work).
• To formalise the practice across languages.
• To introduce and observe uniform assessment
  criteria.

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The reasons for introducing group presentations
and formal meetings into the syllabus

enja Kansky-Roman, MA

• To make students study the subject matter
  seriously.
• To give them hands-on experience of the two
  skills typical of the business environment.
• To prepare them better for their working life.

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The reasons for introducing group presentations
and formal meetings into the syllabus

enja Kansky-Roman, MA

• To foster group work
• relationship building
• team work experience
• To give them a chance to improve their final
  grade
• the points (0-10) are added to the sum total of
  the written test as extra points.

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The reasons for introducing group presentations
and formal meetings into the syllabus

enja Kansky-Roman, MA

• Why group presentations and formal meetings?
• Useful and typical skills.
• They involve a wide range of skills that need to
  be learned and mastered.
• They allow the assessment of more students at one
  go.

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Time management enja
Kansky-Roman, MA

• Week 1
• General instructions
• Week 2
• Types of meetings.
• Phrases for participating in a discussion.
• Informal meetings (role plays in pairs
  and in groups of 3-4)

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Time management enja
Kansky-Roman, MA

• Week 3
• Formal meetings
• (The procedure and phrases for chairing and
  participating)
• VIDEO.
• Week 4
• Formal meetings.
• Groups are formed and scheduled for assessment.
• (Role play in groups of 6).
• VIDEO.

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Time management enja
Kansky-Roman, MA

• Week 5
• Role plays group practice
• Week 6 Week 12
• Formal meetings as partial oral exams

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The format
enja Kansky-Roman, MA

• Assessment of each group is usually done during
  the last hour of the session (1-2 groups per
  session).
• The rest of the class can be dismissed.
• The desks are rearranged for the meeting.
• The teacher is seated away from the meeting.

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The format
enja Kansky-Roman, MA

• 6 students in a group.
• The chairperson is chosen on the spot by the
  teacher.
• Each student gets the agenda and his / her role
  card.
• Students are allowed up to 10 minutes for the
  preparation. Teachers help is offered.

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The format
enja Kansky-Roman, MA

• The time is limited to 20-25 minutes. Cutting
  short / exceeding the limit is penalized.
• During the meeting the teacher takes notes, but
  DOES NOT interfere.
• Feedback to the group as well as to each
  individual is given at the end.

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The format
enja Kansky-Roman, MA

• Why roleplays (and not free simulations)?
• Most students have no experience of real-life
  business situations. Role cards provide the
  guidelines on their behaviour, opinions and
  decisions. This gives them the opportunity to
  concentrate on HOW to present their stance and
  not worry about WHAT opinion to defend.

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Roleplays
enja Kansky-Roman, MA

• Sources for roleplays
• J. Comfort, N. Brieger Business English
  Meetings. Instant Agendas. (1998), London
  Penguin Books.
• Many cases have been adapted.
• Our own bank of role-plays is being developed.

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Assessment criteria Alenka
Umek, MA enja Kansky-Roman, MA

• TASK FULFILLMENT chairing and participating (2
  points)
• Has the student done what he/she was required to
  do according to the role card? (basic task
  fulfilment)
• Has the student made a relevant contribution to
  the meeting by making creative suggestions,
  finding alternatives and reaching agreement?
• (creativity flexibility)

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Assessment criteria Alenka
Umek, MA enja Kansky-Roman, MA

• INTERACTIVE COMMUNICATION (4points)
• Has the student taken an active part in the
  development of the conversation?
• Has the student reacted appropriately and
  politely to other students suggestions?
• Has the student used the language of meetings
  (chairing participating)
• at the basic level ?
• at the advanced level?

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Assessment criteria Alenka
Umek, MA enja Kansky-Roman, MA

• LANGUAGE RANGE ACCURACY (4 points)
• Grammar
• Vocabulary
• Pronunciation
• Fluency

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Assessment criteria Alenka
Umek, MA enja Kansky-Roman, MA
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Cons
enja Kansky-Roman, MA

• It is time consuming, especially with large
  classes.
• It means extra work for the teacher and the
  students.
• It may not offer equal opportunities to all
  participants different positions, different
  role-cards.
• It may favour more eloquent and confident
  speakers.

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Pros
enja Kansky-Roman, MA

• It makes English lessons more varied and
  livelier.
• As it can be learned at home and practiced at
  school, students usually get a fair number of
  points thus increasing their final grade.
• It gives more credibility to our teaching - the
  students feel that they have practiced and
  learned someting they will use later in their
  working life.