PORTFOLIO IN THE “BUSINESS ENGLISH” COURSE AS A COMPONENT OF STUDENTS’ SOCIO-PROFESSIONAL SELF-DETERMINATION

ПОРТФОЛИО ПО КУРСУ «BUSINESS ENGLISH» КАК СОСТАВЛЯЮЩАЯ СОЦИАЛЬНО-ПРОФЕССИОНАЛЬНОГО САМООПРЕДЕЛЕНИЯ СТУДЕНТОВ

Научная статья

Николаева Е.В.^1, *, Зотов В.В.², Попел А.Е.³

¹ ORCID: 0000-0001-9248-7650;

² ORCID: 0000-0002-6590-919X;

^{1, 2, 3} Российский государственный университет им. А.Н. Косыгина, Москва, Россия

* Корреспондирующий автор (elena_nika[at]bk.ru)

Аннотация

Статья посвящена актуальным вопросам педагогического сопровождения социально-профессионального самоопределения студентов вузов в условиях смены глобальной технологической и социально-экономической парадигмы. Выявляются методологические возможности образовательной технологии портфолио по курсу «Business English» в нелингвистическом вузе для реализации студентами профессиональных навыков в англоязычном медиапространстве, а также для саморефлексии относительно тех направлений и форматов профессиональной деятельности, которые максимально отвечают образовательному уровню и психологическим особенностям личности. Приводится пример portfolio с описанием заданий с элементами e-learning, максимально приближающими учебные задачи к реальным условиям будущей профессиональной коммуникации. Делается вывод, что работа студентов над Business English Portfolio содействует профессиональному самоопределению обучающихся и их социальной адаптации в международном профессиональном сообществе.

Ключевые слова: образовательная технология портфолио, социально-профессиональное самоопределение, иноязычная коммуникативная компетенция, soft skills, деловой английский язык.

PORTFOLIO IN THE “BUSINESS ENGLISH” COURSE AS A COMPONENT OF STUDENTS’ SOCIO-PROFESSIONAL SELF-DETERMINATION

Research article

Nikolaeva E.V.^1, *, Zotov V.V.², Popel A.Ye.³

¹ ORCID: 0000-0001-9248-7650;

² ORCID: 0000-0002-6590-919X;

^{1, 2, 3} A.N. Kosygin Russian State University, Moscow, Russia

* Corresponding author (elena_nika[at]bk.ru)

Abstract

The article deals with the topical issues of the pedagogical support of university students’ socio-professional self-determination in the context of a radical change in the global technological and socio-economic paradigm. This study reveals methodological possibilities of the portfolio in a “Business English” course at a non-linguistic university as an educational technology for the students’ implementation of their professional skills in the English-language media space and for self-reflection on the areas and formats of professional activity that best meet their educational level and personal psychological characteristics.

The article presents an example of a portfolio with e-learning elements and provides the description of the tasks that bring training as close as possible to the real conditions of future professional communication. It is concluded that students’ work at a Business English Portfolio contributes to their professional self-determination and social adaptation in the international professional community.

Keywords: portfolio educational technology, socio-professional self-determination, foreign language communicative competence, soft skills, Business English.

Introduction

In the context of a radical change in the global technological and socio-economic paradigm, the ultimate goals of higher professional education are increasingly determined directly by the actual needs of society and business. University programs are becoming as flexible as possible, open to technological and methodological innovations, which are determined by the interaction of the state and public organizations, as well as by the social partnership between universities and employers [1]. In this regard, the training of new formation specialists requires an effective organization of pedagogical support for the students’ socio-professional self-determination, which is based on the use of mechanisms of vertical and horizontal integration of education, including network cooperation, social partnership and interdepartmental interaction [2, P. 69]. Socio-professional self-determination in this context is considered “as a condition for the formation of professionally important qualities and successful mastering of activities, as well as a process that largely ensures the success of social adaptation and professionalization” [3, P. 30].

In the field of specialized higher education, the so-called “soft skills”, i.e. the skills of socialization and business communication, are becoming crucially important: the ability to think creatively and solve non-standard tasks, work in a team, conduct public discussions in a professional environment, etc. In addition, in the situation of inevitable economic and technological interaction between companies and specialists around the world, such professional competence of university graduates comes to the fore as the ability to realize their professional skills in the English-speaking media space, to conduct professional communication in the global informational environment through a variety of digital resources. In fact, foreign language competence in the field of business communication is among the most essential requirements for specialists in all leading sectors of professional activity, including manufacturing, business and scientific research.

Pedagogical support of university students in the motivated choice of professional orientation, in the definition of goals, methods and ways of self-realization in the professional community and in society is one of the key components of individual educational trajectories. Thus, educational technologies should facilitate students’ choice of those areas of specialization that meet their subjective preferences, individual abilities and objective opportunities for self-realization in a specific professional field in modern socio-economic conditions. It is obvious that the development of appropriate educational trajectories should extend not only to programs of special disciplines from the professional block, but also to all subjects included in the general training course, including such disciplines as “English for Specific Purpose” and “Business English”.

“Business English” portfolio in the context of the students’ socio-professional self-determination

One of the most important aspects in the modern practice of professionally oriented foreign language teaching is the formation of the communicative competence and the skills of self-sustained activity in the chosen professional field. This is greatly facilitated by the educational technology of the language portfolio (including e-portfolio), which in its main points is based on the concept of the European Language Portfolio [4] and in recent years has been widely used in many countries in educational programs at all levels of studies ([5], [6]). In the most general form, the portfolio of any type is a selection of student’s works, which reflects all his/her achievements within a specific educational program in accordance with the goals set by the teacher and the student him/herself. The portfolio technique allows students to take responsibility for choosing tactics and strategies for mastering the course ([7], [8]), selecting the sources of information to support the educational process, determining the content of specific tasks and the topics of project activities within the course. This ensures the integration of all skills and abilities, including those acquired by students during their interdisciplinary studies. From these positions, in the study of Business English, the emphasis is not so much on the “product” as on the communication process, on teaching communication skills in a communicative environment [9, P. 2635], which models, with the use of specialized interactive English-language web resources, real situations related to self-realization in professional activity.

In this context, the “Business English” course involves the creation of a portfolio in English, demonstrating the student’s work related to business communication in his profession and presenting himself as a specialist in this field. The portfolio in this course is as close to “professional” (or “employment”) portfolio as possible and includes a “student’s passport” (a CV, an Application letter, Reference letters), “language biography” (language certificates, diplomas of the winner/participant of conferences and contests in English, documents on foreign internships, participation in international educational programs, etc.) and “dossier” (completed practical tasks for solving organizational and personnel problems, business letters, a summary of answers to interview questions, a business plan, a research or technological project, a project presentation). An important point of motivation for working with a portfolio is that a portfolio in a foreign language will in the future give the graduate the opportunity to properly introduce himself to the employer, highlight the skills and abilities necessary for the desired position [10, P. 193], and obviously confirm the level of the foreign-language professional competence.

Here is an example of a Business English Portfolio with e-learning elements for training areas related to technology and design in the fashion industry. After minor changes, all the tasks can be used in relation to any specialty.

1. Company structure. Based on the description of the organizational structure of the top management, divisions and branches of a conditional foreign company producing high-tech garments, a flowchart of the company’s structure is compiled, reflecting all levels of subordination and interaction.
2. Company’s milestones. Based on the information from the English-language website of the foreign company chosen by the student (in the field of production, distribution or demonstration of fashionable clothes), a chronological table of the company’s development is compiled, its stated goals and mission are analyzed.
3. Location for a new jeans factory. Teamwork: discussion of the information given by the tutor about three conditional locations (countries) in the categories Economy, Transport, Labor, Government policy in business for the establishing of a new jeans factory. Elaboration of a collective decision based on consensus on the most favorable and financially advantageous location. Preparation of an analytical note in English to the “managing director’.
4. Request Letter. Drafting a business letter to a company of fabric manufacturers (shoes, clothing, etc.) with a request for a catalog of current products and information about the terms of delivery. The choice of the company is made by the student using advertising links in the English segment of the Internet.
5. Resume (CV). Drawing up a personal resume based on the CV Template from a website from the English segment of the Internet. The search and selection of the template is carried out by the student independently.
6. Application letter. Preparation of a cover letter in English in response to a vacancy posted on an English-language recruitment website or in the vacancies/jobs section on the website of a company. Job search by profession / specialization is carried out by the student independently in the English segment of the Internet.
7. Notes for the interview. Familiarization with typical questions in English that are usually asked at an interview in a foreign company. The study of examples of the most successful answers given on recruiting and consulting English-language sites. Making a summary of the answers in English that correspond to the student’s personal current situation (work experience, skills, interests, etc.).
8. Selection of an employee. Teamwork: discussion of the information given by the tutor about three conditional applicants who were interviewed for the position of a salesperson in a shoe store. Elaboration of a collective decision based on consensus on the most suitable candidate. Preparation of an analytical note in English to “the managing director”.
9. Project. Choosing a topic and developing an informational, analytical or creative project in English [11] in a certain professional field.
10. Project Presentation. Presentation of the project in English in the PowerPoint format with subsections of relevance, goals and objectives, main results. 

Conclusion

The portfolio in the course “Business English” includes materials developed by the student on various aspects of business communication in the professional sphere. It demonstrates the student’s foreign language competence related to the corresponding soft skills and reveals the student’s strengths and weaknesses in various types of communicational practices connected with his future professional activity. This allows the student to identify the most interesting and successful areas of self-realization in the professional community, to find new “growth points” for himself, as well as to make a motivated choice of business communication formats that best meet his educational level and individual psychological characteristics.

In the project part of the portfolio, the student independently determines the thematic field of scientific research or technological solutions, developing the most interesting questions and problems for him within the framework of his specialization. Thereby it lays the contours of the future research field in which it will be possible to achieve maximum results both in professional career and in self-realization in social environment.

Thus, the portfolio in the “Business English” course is not only an effective tool for the formation of the student as an independent subject in learning a foreign language in the professional sphere, but also an important component of the process of socio-professional self-determination of the future specialist.

Конфликт интересов Не указан.

Conflict of Interest None declared.

Список литературы / References

1. Кривых С.В. Формы социального партнерства вузов и работодателей / С. В. Кривых, В. Г. Игишев // Социальное партнерство как фактор развития сетевого взаимодействия учреждений образования в условиях подготовки компетентных рабочих кадров и специалистов. – Тюмень: ТюмГНГУ, 2010. – С. 23-29.
2. Сергеев И.С. Система организационно-педагогического сопровождения профессионального самоопределения обучающихся в условиях вертикально интегрированного непрерывного образования / И.С. Сергеев. – М.: Издательство «Перо», 2017. – 226 с.
3. Иванова Н. Л. Самоопределение личности в бизнесе: проблемы и модели исследования / Н. Л. Иванова // Психология. Журнал Высшей школы экономики. – 2011. – Т. 8. – № 2. – С. 28–39.
4. European Language Portfolio. Goal Setting and learning how to learn. – 2011. Council of Europe. – 52 p. [Electronic resource]. URL: https://rm.coe.int/16804932c3 (accessed 12.10.2021).
5. Коряковцева Н. Ф. «Европейский языковой портфель для России» – новая образовательная технология в области обучения иностранным языкам / Н. Ф. Коряковцева. – М.: МГЛУ «РЕМА», 2009. – 153 с.
6. Toulouse M. Electronic Portfolios in Foreign Language Learning / M. Toulouse, M. Geoffrion-Vinci; Van Deusen-Scholl N., May S. (eds) Second and Foreign Language Education. Encyclopedia of Language and Education (3rd ed.). – 2017, Springer, Cham. – P. 151-166.
7. Ziegler N. A. Fostering self-regulated learning through the European Language portfolio: An embedded mixed methods study / N. A. Ziegler // The Modern Language Journal. – 2014. – Vol. 98(4). – 921-936.
8. Луферов Д.Н. Языковое портфолио как технология организации самостоятельной работы студентов, изучающих дисциплину «иностранный язык» / Д. Н. Луферов //Вестник Московского государственного областного университета. Серия: Педагогика. – – № 4. – С. 152-163.
9. Demirel M. The Use of Portfolio in English Language Teaching and Its Effects on Achievement and Attitude / Demirel, H. Duman // Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences. – 2015. – Vol. 191. – P. 2634-2640.
10. Громова Д.А. Самостоятельная работа студентов при изучении английского языка и методы ее оценки: создание языкового портфолио студентов / Д.А. Громова, Л. Д. Ребикова // Труды Санкт-Петербургского государственного университета культуры и искусств. – 2014. – Т. 202. – C. 189-194.
11. Николаева Е.В. Творческий учебный проект в условиях дистанционного профессионально-ориентированного обучения иностранному языку / Е. В. Николаева // Дизайн и технологии. – 2020. – №77 (119). – С. 126-133.

Список литературы на английском языке / References in English

1. Krivykh S.V. Formy sotsial'nogo partnerstva vuzov i rabotodateley [The forms of social partnership of universities and employers] / S. V. Krivykh, V. G. Igishev // Sotsial'noye partnerstvo kak faktor razvitiya setevogo vzaimodeystviya uchrezhdeniy obrazovaniya v usloviyakh podgotovki kompetentnykh rabochikh kadrov i spetsialistov: materialy nauchno-prakticheskoy konferentsii [Social partnership as a factor in the development of network interaction of educational institutions in the conditions of training competent workers and specialists: The scientific and practical conference proceedings]. – Tyumen’: TyumGNGU Publ. – 2010. – P. 23-29. [in Russian]
2. Sergeev I. S. Sistema organizatsionno-pedagogicheskogo soprovozhdeniya professional'nogo samoopredeleniya obuchayushchihsya v usloviyah vertikal'no integrirovannogo nepreryvnogo obrazovaniya [The system of orgabizational-padagogical support to students’ professional self-determination in the conditions of vertically integrated continuous education] / I. S. Sergeev. – M.: «Pero», 2017. – 226 p. [in Russian]
3. Ivanova N. L. Samoopredeleniye lichnosti v biznese: problemy i modeli issledovaniya [Personal self-determination in business: problems and research models] / N. L. Ivanova // Psikhologiya. Zhurnal Vysshey shkoly ekonomiki. [Psychology. Journal of Higher School of Economics]. – 2011. – Vol. 8(2). – P. 28-39. [in Russian]
4. European Language Portfolio. Goal Setting and learning how to learn. – 2011. Council of Europe. ­– 52 p. [Electronic resource]. URL: https://rm.coe.int/16804932c3 (accessed: 12.10.2021).
5. Koryakovtseva N. F. «Evropeyskiy yazykovoy portfel' dlya Rossii» – novaya obrazovatel'naya tekhnologiya v oblasti obucheniya inostrannym yazykam [“European Language Portfolio for Russia” – a new educational technology in foreign language teaching] / N. F. Koryakovtseva. – Moscow: MGLU «REMA», 2009. – 153 p. [in Russian]
6. Toulouse M. Electronic Portfolios in Foreign Language Learning / M. Toulouse, M. Geoffrion-Vinci; Van Deusen-Scholl N., May S. (eds) Second and Foreign Language Education. Encyclopedia of Language and Education (3rd ed.). – 2017, Springer, Cham. – P. 151-166.
7. Ziegler N. A. Fostering self-regulated learning through the European Language portfolio: An embedded mixed methods study / N. A. Ziegler // The Modern Language Journal. – 2014. – Vol. 98(4). – P. 921-936.
8. Luferov D.N. Yazykovoe portfolio kak tekhnologiya organizatsii samostoyatel'noy raboty studentov, izuchayushchih distsiplinu «inostrannyy yazyk» / D. N. Luferov [Language Portfolio as a technology of students’ self-regulated work in foreign language learning] // Vestnik Moskovskogo gosudarstvennogo oblastnogo universiteta. Seriya: Pedagogika [The Bulletin of Moscow State Regional University]. – 2017. – № 4. – P. 152-163. [in Russian]
9. Demirel M. The Use of Portfolio in English Language Teaching and Its Effects on Achievement and Attitude / M. Demirel, H. Duman // Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences. – 2015. – Vol. 191. – P. 2634-2640.
10. Gromova D. A. Samostoyatel'naya rabota studentov pri izuchenii angliyskogo yazyka i metody ee otsenki: sozdanie yazykovogo portfolio studentov / D. A. Gromova, L. D. Rebikova // Trudy Sankt-Peterburgskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta kul'tury i iskusstv [Proceedings of the St. Petersburg State University of Culture and Arts]. – 2014. – Vol. 202. – P. 189-194. [in Russian]
11. Nikolaeva E.V. Tvorcheskiy uchebnyy proekt v usloviyah distantsionnogo professional'no-orientirovannogo obucheniya inostrannomu yazyku [A creative educational project under conditions of professionally oriented foreign language distant teaching] / E. V. Nikolaeva // Dizayn i tekhnologii [Design and Technologies]. – 2020. – №77 (119). – P. 126-133. [in Russian]