saturs - rpiva

DIĀNA LIEPA, INTA RATNIECE, INESE URPENA
Riga Teacher Training and Educational Management Academy, Latvia
AGNESE RATNIECE
Pumpuri Secondary School, Latvia
CREATING MEANINGFUL ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE
COURSE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: PROJECT-BASED
INSTRUCTION FOR PODCASTING
SUMMARY
Introduction. Latvian EFL researchers and English as a Foreign Language teacherspractitioners
have appreciated the value of project work in English language
teaching/learning process. Characterized by student and academic staff collaboration on
concrete outcomes, project work has a number of advantages or benefits including purposeful
language use and increased student involvement and responsibility (Sheppard and Stoller,
1995; Špona, Čamane, 2009).
The Aim of the Study. To promote Project work in EFL studies, as it can also add extra
motivation for students, because it offers them the opportunity to use their language skills in a
new and challenging way.
Materials and methods. Analysed pedagogical, psychological and scientific literature and
interpreted the results of scientific research and empirical experiment about project work
inclusion in EFL studies at tertiary level.
Main results. Considers results of content and language integrated learning (CLIL) provision
in EFL studies, as well as its organization. It also considers results of projects, ongoing
debate and barriers that have to be overcome, if this kind of instruction becomes more
widespread. The study focuses on tertiary education.
Conclusions.
Increased motivation for collaboration and participation by students.
More opportunities to interact with the target language and content area because
students spend more time on task.
The possibility to implement pedagogy based problem solving and critical thinking.
More self-paced cooperative learning that is learner-controlled rather than teachercontrolled.
Keywords: cooperation, Content and Language Integrate Learning (CLIL), English as a
Foreign Language (EFL), collaboration of students and academic staff, project work,
sustainable development
INTRODUCTION
Ensuring that everyone can become proficient in several languages is a daunting
challenge in Europe, in which mobility and cooperation are intensified. Different studies and
experimental initiatives are being carried out to improve the teaching of languages at school.
Against this background, here the first appraisal of CLIL type project provision is offered,
which really has started to become adopted in Europe as an integral part of foreign language
teaching since 1990s. In this type of provision, certain subjects in the curriculum are taught in
a language other than the mainstream curriculum language of instruction. The language in
question may be a foreign language, a regional or minority language, or even a second state
language. This study considers CLIL provision in the education systems of 12 European
Union countries and beyond (its status and that of its target languages), as well as its
organisation (admission requirements, aims, the subjects concerned, student and pupil
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