Authenticity Unlimited: An Analysis of a “Key Competencies in International Academic Communication” Course.

ŠTĚPÁNEK, Libor. Authenticity Unlimited: An Analysis of a “Key Competencies in International Academic Communication” Course. In Enhancing Learners’ Creative and Critical Thinking: The Role of University Language Centres. 2016.

Basic information

• Original name: Authenticity Unlimited: An Analysis of a “Key Competencies in International Academic Communication” Course.
• Authors: ŠTĚPÁNEK, Libor (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution).
• Edition: Enhancing Learners’ Creative and Critical Thinking: The Role of University Language Centres, 2016.

Other information

• Original language: English
• Type of outcome: Presentations at conferences
• Field of Study: 60200 6.2 Languages and Literature
• Country of publisher: Italy
• Confidentiality degree: is not subject to a state or trade secret
• RIV identification code: RIV/00216224:14640/16:00094086
• Organization unit: Language Centre
• Keywords (in Czech): CALT; komunikace v mezinárodním akademickém prostředí
• Keywords in English: CALT; international academic communication

Abstract

Exposing students to authentic tasks that require high levels of creativity, critical thinking, and active engagement in problem solving and international collaboration has recently become central to many academic language courses. This paper presents an analysis of an experimental “Key Competencies in International Academic Communication” course organised by the Masaryk University (MU) Language Centre in 2015. The objective of the thirteen-week course was to improve language and communication skills of students in international contexts. Its experimental objective was to explore the pedagogical potential of Creative Approach to Language Teaching (CALT) in highly authentic situations. To successfully complete the course, students were expected to actively participate in three parallel asymmetric tracks: Track I (Universidad Nacional del Sur, Bahía Blanca, Argentina) focused on academic language using individual asynchronous written and oral communication. MU students created short academic texts, video-reviewed papers of their Argentinean peers, and compared characteristics of written and oral language. Track II (Uppsala University, Sweden) focused on culture using oral synchronous communication. MU students discussed cultural topics in intercultural pairs via Skype, shared their experience in four videoconferences and identified cultural influences on communication. Track III (New York University Shanghai, China) focused on the meta-level of communication using task-based collaborative techniques. Having chosen bridges as a metaphor for communication, MU students communicated both synchronously and asynchronously. They gathered information and materials on pedestrian bridges in Brno and Shanghai and collaboratively produced video stories and individual synthesizing essays. The final course outcome was a list of key competencies and strategies for international academic communication created by the course participants.