3. • Purpose
Describes the creation, implementation, development and
evaluation of a Business English Self-Access Center.
• Research Question
Which VLE would support the development of Business English
students’ communicative competencies in Business Management?
• Key words
Communicative competencies, strategies, metacognition, critical
autonomy, e-learning and Business English Self-Access Center.
Business English
Self-Access Center
5. Context
Educational Setting
- Ecuadorian University
- Business Studies
- English Program – 40 credits
4 General English Courses
3 Business English Courses
- 10 Business English students
in two consecutive courses
- 18-20 years old
- Spanish speakers
- Business English users according to the
principles of communicative English
teaching of the Common European
Framework of Foreign Languages
Teaching/learning.
Research Methodology
Participants
6. Research Project:
Qualitative Techniques.
Research Sources:
a) Director of Business School Interview.
b) Students videos in oral communicative activities: interviews,
meetings, phone calls and business presentations.
c) Students’ business documentation.
Research Methodology
7. 1 2 43
Business
English Videos
Uploaded to
You Tube
Students were filmed using
digital devices, i.e. students’
video cameras not
smartphones.
Students videos
were posted
through
de Nicenet. ICA.
Videos were
analized
to identify students’
strengths and
weaknesses in
terms
of communication
skills development
Class oral activities Nicenet (ICA) Data application
Data was used to
formulate the
proposal.
Research Process
8. Results
• Students’ Infrequent use of comercial expressions commonly used in
meetings, interviews, negotiations and comercial contacts among others.
• Students’ unawareness of communication strategies that maximize
negotiation of meaning among interlocutors.
• Students’ unawareness of Business English formality levels.
• Students’ unawareness of commercial written conventions in e-mails,
reports, letters and memos among others.
• Insufficient learning time.
• Students’ lack of learning strategies through VLEs.
• No training.
• No policies.
9. Pedagogic Proposal
• Users:
University students
• Language:
Business English / English for Specific Purposes
• Purpose:
Provide students a e-Business English VLE with optimal conditions to acquire, manage
knowledge and develop communicative strategies according to communicative, connectivist
and constructionist principles.
• Administration:
Tutors
• Center Profile:
Blog with a menu of thematic units: Commercial Communication, Collaborative Interaction,
Negotiation, Leadership and Time Management Interacción Colaborativa among others. They
can change according to curricular needs.
General Objective and Specific Objectives .
Availability of technological tools such as discussion forums, e-mail, bulletin boards, coffee
lounge and directory of resources.
12. Creation, Implementation and
Development
Project Stages Action points
- Implementation.
- Development.
- Institutionalization.
- Multidisciplinary team work
aimed at the design, plan and structure.
4 (four) professionals : (1) Informatics ,
(1) Graphic Design , (2) Business English
-Didactic resources uploading to the
directories
- Tests and launching
13. Evaluation
Initial Stage
Development stage
Before launching it, the center will be evaluated to
test its planning and functionality.
Final Stage
During the center management, the center will be evaluated to
collect data that allows academic staff to know its operational state.
Finally there will be an overall evaluation of the center and
the efficiency of interventions and strategies for further
recommendations and changes.
See Manual of Parameters and Follow-Up Stages in CREAD
Article published in 2016.
14. •Planning
•Development
•Institutionalization
• Mutidisciplinary team work
for the design,plan and
structure with
four professionals
Informatics (1),
Graphic Design (1),
Business English for (2)
•Planning and uploading of de
Didactic resources.
•Test and launching.
Project Stages Timetable
2016-2017
•January to June 2016
•July to Nov 2016
•May 2017
•Domain cost
$ 10 and use
per year
$200,00
(5)
Work meetings
$300,00
•(20) work hours
$450,0
•(5) work hours
$150,00
Timetable and Budget
BudgetAction points
15. Conclusions
The Business English Self-Access Center shares characteristics of an
interactive VLE systematically organized and friendly user. It promotes and
facilitates virtual tutoring, self-access, critical autonomy, permanent learning,
communication and collaborative interaction. See research paper for further
information.
Maximizes the scope, management, organization and functionality of content
in optimal time frameworks the same as providing space and learning
resources.
Supports the development of students’ digital competencies required in the
planning, selection, monitoring and evaluation of information sources for
knowledge management used before, during and after the process for
present and/or future professional purposes.
It is a collaborative learning environment where tutors and/or students can
create and innovate processes through the combination of multimedia
resources (videos, podcasts, infographics) and technologic tools such as
forums, directories, webquests, wikis and/or electronic messages for the
management, evaluation and creation of present and future knowledge.
16. Referencias Bibliográficas
Bransford, J.D., “Como la Gente Aprende: Cerebro, Mente, Experiencia y Escuela”.
Desarrollos en la Ciencia de Aprendizaje y Comités de Desarrollos en la Ciencia de
Investigación, Práctica Educacional, Ciencias Sociales y de Comportamiento, Consejo
Nacional de Investigación.
Clegg, J. (2015). Metacognition: an overview of its uses in language-learning en:
http://www.puglia.istruzione.it/portfolio_new/allegati/j_clegg_metacognition_an_ovwerview_of
_its_uses_in_language-learning.pdf
Desarrollos en la Ciencia de Aprendizaje y Comités de Desarrollos en la Ciencia de
Investigación, Práctica Educacional, Ciencias Sociales y de Comportamiento, Consejo
Nacional de Investigación.
Comisión Nacional de Evaluación y Acreditación Universitaria. Ministerio de Educación,
Ciencia y Tecnología. Comisión Asesora de Educación a Distancia. (1997). Informe Final.
Consejo de Europa. Marco Común Europeo para la Enseñanza de Lenguas Extranjeras.
(2002) en: http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/linguistic/Cadre1_en.asp
Oxford, R. (1990). Language Learning Strategies. What every teacher should know. New
York: Newbury House Publishers.
Simon, H.A. (1996) Observations on the Sciences of Science Learning. Paper prepared for
the Committee on Developments in the Science of Learning for the Sciences of Science
Learning: An Interdisciplinary Discussion. Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon
University.
Stern, H. (2001), “Conceptos Fundamentales de la Enseñanza de Lenguas”. Gran Bretaña:
Oxford University Press.
Vygotsky, L.S. (1978), “La Mente en la Sociedad”. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
