Language Teacher Development for Business Applications

1
Language Teacher Development for Business
Applications

• Maria Antonia Cowles
• The Lauder Institute
• University of Pennsylvania
• cowlest_at_wharton.upenn.edu

2
The Lauder Program

• MBA Wharton
• MA School of Arts and Sciences
• Eight Languages
• Entry Advanced (ACTFL)
• Exit Superior (ACTFL)

3
The Students

• Profile
• Task oriented
• Adult learners (average 28)
• Focused
• Time conscious
• Analytical

4
Student Wants and Needs

• Use appropriate and effective discourse in
  business-related situations
• Determine learning goals and direct own
  learning
• Receive guidance in areas of need
• Validate language learning

5
Language Teacher Profiles

• Majority trained in Literature, few in SLA
• Institution-wide Pre-assignment Teacher Training
• Experience using a textbook-based syllabus and
  some technology
• Experience with undergraduate students

6
Supplemental Training at Lauder

• Pre-Term In-Service Training
• needs assessment of students
• syllabus design (one-on-one)
• adult learning styles and attitudes
• portfolio building

7
On-Going Training

• Teacher-led seminars on the following
• Second language methodology
• Discourse analysis
• Sociolinguistics/Inter-cultural communication
• Heritage speakers and speakers of cognate
  languages
• Leadership and interaction with students

8
Challenges

• Frustration on both sides
• Teacher
• Difficulty with selecting and spiraling business
  topics to develop higher level skills
• Difficulty in giving a business perspective to
  current events
• Difficulty in designing materials on business
  topics
• Conclusion discourse analysis not enough

9
Challenges

• Student Frustrations
• Teacher credibility
• Motivation decline
• Poor performance
• Absenteeism

10
Short-term Solution

• Thirty-hour team-taught workshop
  - Business and Methods Professor
• An overview of the functional areas of business
• A language methodology course with emphasis on
  designs for specific purposes
• Hands-on development of materials for business
  practitioners
• A final business language curriculum project

11
Outcomes

• Ability to design relevant materials
• Ability to add a business perspective to current
  events
• Ability to ask appropriate business questions
• Improved motivation and performance of students
• Instructor credibility

12
Long-Term Solution

• Joint Graduate Certificate from Penns Wharton
  School and Graduate School of Education (Penn
  CIBER Support)
• Marketing, Management, Finance, and Accounting or
  Legal Issues or Operations Management
• Overview of SL Pedagogy, Sociolinguistics,
  Intercultural Communication, Language for
  Specific Purposes
• A final project