Program Coordinator: Université de Bordeaux, France
Program Partners:
Univerza v Ljubljani, Slovenia
Universidad de Cádiz, Spain
Fakultet strojarstva i brodogradnje (Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture), University of Zagreb, Croatia
Jade Hochschule, Wilhelmshaven/Oldenburg/Elsfle
Uniwersytet Im. Adama Mickiewicza w Poznaniu, Poland
Università degli studi di Bergamo, Italy
Arcola Research LLP, United Kingdom
Teaching Languages for Specific Purposes (LSP) in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) – TRAILs
Languages for specific purposes (LSP) in higher education are expected to enhance students’ mobility and employability. Teaching LSP in higher education is very demanding since specific and diverse types of knowledge and skills are required. Part of the explanation lies in the difficulties met by language teachers in this highly specific context, but the most likely explanation is related to the lack of formal and/or substantial teacher training courses for LSP.
Generally, LSP teachers receive very little or no specific training. Accordingly, the LSP Teacher Training Project (TRAILs), an Erasmus+ research and development project, focuses on solving these issues constructively and inclusively. It is aimed at providing for the needs of LSP teachers in higher education in Europe and beyond. The eight European partners involved in the Project (Spain, France, Slovenia, Poland, Italy, Germany, United Kingdom and Croatia) have investigated the situation and needs of teaching LSP in order to define objectives and implement LSP teacher training programme that will be offered at European higher education institutions. In addition, a network of language teacher training centres and LSP teachers has been established.
The Project comprises five intellectual outputs. The first step is the identification and analysis of LSP teacher training programmes in Europe, followed by the identification of LSP teacher needs. The next step is the identification of gaps between the provision of LSP teacher training and teachers’ needs. According to the identified gaps, the project members have defined and designed an innovative LSP teacher training programme with the defined training outcomes and objectives, topic areas, modules and methodologies to be implemented in the final outcome of the project, the international winter LSP school for (future) LSP teachers. In addition, a network of language teacher training centres and LSP teachers has been established.
The pilot school will be held at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, Zagreb (Originally, this was planned to be a summer school to be held in September, 2020. Due to Covid-19 and in line with the epidemiological recommendations, the project will close with the online International LSP Winter School in February, 2021.). The pilot winter school will consist of several modules with an emphasis on the use of modern ICT in LSP teaching as well as blended teaching and learning use. The most expected impact of the Project is the development of knowledge and skills for high quality and innovative teaching in the field of LSP.
Members of the Croatian team from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, University of Zagreb: Olinka Breka, PhD (program coordinator); Brankica Bošnjak Terzič, PhD and Snježana Kereković, PhD