Arab World English Journal (AWEJ) Volume 12. Number1 March 2021 Pp.388 -400
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.24093/awej/vol12no1.26
Global Issues in ESP Classroom: Challenges and Opportunities in Higher Education
Yana Diachkova
Department of Foreign Languages of the Faculty of Economics of Taras Shevchenko National
University of Kyiv, Ukraine
Corresponent Authpr: yanadyachkova@i.ua
Lilia Sazhko
Department of German Philology of the Institute of Philology of Borys Hrinchenco Kyiv
University, Ukraine
Liudmyla Shevchenko
Department of Foreign Languages of the Faculty of Economics of Taras Shevchenko National
University of Kyiv, Ukraine
Anastasiia Syzenko
Department of Foreign Languages of the Faculty of Economics of Taras Shevchenko National
University of Kyiv, Ukraine
Received: 11/1/2020 Accepted: 3/1/2021 Published: 3/24/2021
Abstract:
In English for Specific Purposes, one of the challenges is to transform teaching and learning into a process, which focuses on the development of professional skills, enables students to become successful learners of the target language, and makes them more aware of the local and global environments. This paper aims to analyse key challenges that teachers and learners face in the classrooms and suggest a way of integrating global issues into the process of development of professional soft and hard skills. The paper studies the existing ESP literature in terms of presence of global issues, explores the perceptions of global issues among university students in Ukraine, outlines the correlation between professional skills and global competence. The findings suggest that there are numerous advantages of introducing materials based on global issues into the teaching process as it has synergetic effect of fusing professional skills, soft skills and global competence. The paper concludes that this fusion improves the skill set of a future professional and has a positive impact on the quality of higher education in general.
Keywords: English for Specific Purposes, ESP, global education, global issues, professional skills, soft skills, life competences, higher education, classroom challenges, Ukraine
Cite as: Diachkova, Y., Sazhko, L., Shevchenko, L., & Syzenko,A. (2021). Global Issues in ESP Classroom: Challenges and Opportunities in Higher Education. Arab World English Journal, 12 (1)388 -400.
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.24093/awej/vol12no1.26
References
Andrusiak, I., & Onischuk, I. (2018). ESP Teaching in the Context of Ukrainian Higher Education: Challenges and Solutions.
APN (2017). The Uncomfortable Truth: Racism, Injustice, and Poverty in New Jersey. Retrieved from http://www.antipovertynetwork.org/resources/Documents/The%20Uncomfortable%20Truth%20Final%20-%20web.pdf
Byram, M. (2020). Teaching and Assessing Intercultural Communicative Competence: Revisited. Multilingual Matters
Cabau, B. (2016). Language and Content Courses: A Plea for Synergy in Academic Programmes. Journal of European Languages and Literatures, (1). Available at http://interface.org.tw/index.php/if/article/view/25/187
Cates, K. (2000). Entry for ‘Global Education’, In M. Byram, (Ed.), Routledge Encyclopaedia of Language Teaching and Learning (pp. 241-243). London: Routledge
Council of Europe. (2018). Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture. Context, Concepts and Model (Vol.1). Council of Europe.
DFID (2008). Communication Matters. Retrieved from https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/57a08b3c40f0b64974000a58/DFID_research_final_161008.pdf
Global Situation Report (2020). A United Voice for Global Change. Retrieved from https://www.interaction.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Global-Situation-Report-1.pdf
Hogg, M., & Shah, H. (2010). The impact of global learning on public attitudes and behaviours towards international development and sustainability. DEA, London, CAN Mezzanine. Retrieved from http://www.ceipaz.org/images/contenido/DEA-Impact_of_global_learning_research.pdf
Jacobs, G. M. (1998). Cooperative learning or just grouping students: The difference makes a difference. In W.A. Renandya, & G.M. Jacobs, (eds.), Learners and language learning (pp. 172-193). Singapore: SEAMEO Regional Language Centre.
Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. T. (1994). Learning together and alone. Cooperative, Competitive, and Individualistic Learning (4th ed.). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon.
Kagan, S. (1994). Cooperative learning. San Clemente, CA: Kagan Cooperative Learning. Retrieved from https://www.scirp.org/(S(351jmbntvnsjt1aadkposzje))/reference/ReferencesPapers.aspx?ReferenceID=1412298
Karapetian, A. O. (2020). Creating ESP-Based Language Learning Environment to Foster Critical Thinking Capabilities in Students’ Papers. European Journal of Educational Research, 9(2), (pp. 717-728).
Kennedy, K. (2007). Student constructions of active citizenship: What does participation mean to students? British Journal of Educational Studies, 55(3), 304–324.
Martínez Lirola, M. (2015). Introducing global issues in a language classroom: getting to know other cultures through the analysis of multimodal texts from NGOs. International Journal of Education for Piece and Development, 3(1), 27–36. Retrieved from https://rua.ua.es/dspace/bitstream/10045/48806/1/2015_Martinez-Lirola_IJEPD.pdf
Volunteering in Ukraine. Nationwide Research Publication. – Kyiv, 2015. – 32 p. Retrieved from: http://www.un.org.ua/images/volunteer.pdf
Yakovchuk, N. (2004). Global Issues and Global Values in Foreign Language. University of Warwick, the UK. Retrieved from https://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/3245/1/WRAP_Yakovchuk_yako-volume8.pdf