The paper deals with the issue of distance learning in the field of the foreign language training for academic purposes. The purpose of the article is to analyze achievements and current practices of distance language learning in order to present a unified model providing solutions for foreign language training of the academic staff by means of the distance learning.

1. Learning a Foreign Language
for Academic Purposes by Means
of Distance Education
Iryna Sekret, Miroslav Hrubý
DisCo 2013
Prague, June 24, 2013
Dniprodzerzhinsk State Technical University, Ukraine,
University of Defence, Czech Republic

2. 2
Agenda:
1 Goal of the paper
2 Authors’ environments
3 Introduction into the problem domain
4 Target group - foreign language competence
required
5 Possibilities of ICT Usage
6 Description of model proposal
7 Conclusion

3. 3
1 Goal of the paper
• to demonstrate a foreign language
teacher᾽s and user᾽s point of view on
the topic;
• to open this problem domain for wider
range of takers.

4. 4
2 Authors’ environments (1/3)
UoD (* 1. 9. 2004)
• Faculty of Economics and Management
(9)
• Faculty of Military Technology (13)
• Faculty of Military Health Sciences (9+2)
• NBC Defence Institute
• Language Training Centre
• Physical Training and Sports Centre

5. 5
2 Authors’ environments (2/3)
Department of CIS (* 1. 9. 2005)
Current structure (18 + 2):
• Radio communication systems
• Telecommunication systems
• Information systems and programming
• Computer networks and operation
systems
• Information security

6. 6
2 Authors’ environments (3/3)
Study Branch: Communication and
Information Systems (CIS)
• Bachelor Study (P) (+ in English)
• Following Master Study (P,C)
• Doctoral Study (P,C) (+ in English)
• Lifelong Learning - Courses

7. 7
3 Introduction into the
problem domain (1/4)
• Vocational education without necessary required soft
skills such as knowledge of a foreign language, loses
its meaning.
• Language education in Ukraine and the Czech
Republic has undergone a great development in the
last years.
• Increased interest in travel and various forms of
cooperation with foreign partners continuously
strengthen the demand for effective language
learning.
• Target groups differ in many aspects such as age,
level of education, profession, etc.

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3 Introduction into the problem domain (2/4)
• Sometimes an underestimation of the socio-
cultural specifities of the population can be
found.
• This fact in some cases negatively reflected
especially in the selection of educational
materials and teaching methods.
• Especially the efforts to strengthen the listening
skills of students and their readiness in dealing
with various model situations in a foreign
language environment can be evaluated very
positively.

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3 Introduction into the problem domain (3/4)
• However, for example the method “Work in
Groups” may appear very controversial. (Bad
pronunciation and inappropriate phrases can
be disseminated.)
• Especially the general availability of personal
computers and accessibility of the global
computer network (Internet) for all ages of the
population have brought the new possibilities
into language learning.

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3 Introduction into the problem domain (4/4)
• The increasing use of ICT for communication,
however, creates a special pressure on its
users.
• Required fast transmission and transfer of
information, often under time pressure on
communicating people, leads to the use of
a new specific language (the language of
abbreviations and symbols).
• This new language has its own rapid
development and expansion of its specific
vocabulary.

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4 Target group - foreign
language competence
required (1/4)
• The academic staff members of the universities and
colleges in terms of language training specifics are
a highly diversified audience.
• Their foreign language needs can be structured into
a general knowledge of a foreign language and
knowledge of a foreign language in a specific area
the individual concrete focus.‒
• Each academic staff essentially requires knowledge of
at least one foreign language at a level enabling
him/her:

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4 Target group - foreign language competence
required (2/4)
 to read with understanding a foreign language professional
literature from his/her professional focus;
 to write articles in professional and scientific journals in the
field of his/her specialization;
 to prepare contributions to conference proceedings, technical
and scientific conferences;
 to process expert opinions to publications and other scientific
works;
 to create computer presentations for conferences and
seminars;
 to work actively at conferences and seminars on the topic
prepared;

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4 Target group - foreign language competence
required (3/4)
 to engage in discussions at conferences and seminars;
 to prepare study materials for students in a foreign language;
 to conduct formal and informal discussions when dealing with
foreign students;
 to conduct formal and informal discussions during negotiations
with partners from abroad;
 to use e-mail communication in a foreign language.
• Another approach to the foreign language competence
required:
 Linguistic dimension;
 Cognitive dimension;
 Socio-cultural (psychological) dimension.

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4 Target group - foreign language competence
required (4/4)
• The main form of the language training for academic
staff should probably be a form of distance learning,
supplemented by group self-guided tutorials.
• This self-study should be supported properly processed
electronic materials available on a server of the faculty,
which employs academic staff.
• This method of language learning of academics may be
due to their uneven workload and work a very effective
way.

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5 Possibilities of ICT Usage
(1/7)
• Information and communication technologies can
play a key role in the current language education of
the academic staff.
• It is suitable to use the university information systems
as the language education supporting tool.
• The dominant role of human resources should be
played by Language Training Centre or Department
of Languages and a technical oriented department
focusing on ICT (Department of Communication and
Information Systems, Information Technology Centre
of an educational institution, etc.).

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5 Possibilities of ICT Usage (2/7)
Vocabulary and Phrases
• It should be emphasized that each person is an
individual also due to his/her vocabulary, favourite
topics of conversation and professional focus.
• Therefore it is necessary to enrich the academic staff
usable vocabulary in a foreign language especially
individually and according to his/her time schedule.
• Internet resource materials prepared by native
speakers are an inexhaustible source of suitable
study materials.

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5 Possibilities of ICT Usage (3/7)
Grammer, Typical Examples in the Area of Interest
• Necessary grammatical phenomena can be prepared
in the forms of suitable examples and with the help of
ICT they can be shared and distributed.
• The academic staff can use and maintain his/her own
typical examples according to the needs of his/her
professional focus.
• ICT allow an individualized treatment of the
necessary grammar and its easy availability in the
shape that best suits a given individual.

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5 Possibilities of ICT Usage (4/7)
Listening Skills
• Ability to listen should be supported by appropriate
shorter audio, respectively video records.
• They could be stored at a faculty server and be
available for all academic staff members.
• The records of native speakers should be preferred.
• Furthermore, academic staff should have a regularly
updated list of links to recommended selected
records that are available on the Internet.
• Older people can have worse hearing. That is the
main reason why they should pay more attention for
listening skill practising.

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5 Possibilities of ICT Usage (5/7)
Writing Skill
• The academic staff is currently required to publish
especially in impacted magazines, journals registered
in the world’s leading databases (e.g. Scopus) and
conference proceedings recorded in the Web of
Science (www.isiknowledge.com).
• To strengthen the skills of writing, it seems to be
useful to take advantage of group consultation with
interested and competent native speaker or language
expert.
• ICT can be used for sending the required data, its
display and sharing.

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5 Possibilities of ICT Usage (6/7)
ICT Supported Communication under Time Pressure
(Chat, Voice Communication over the Internet,
Videoconferencing)
• ICT supported written and voice communication in
a foreign language under the time pressure is one of
the most difficult skills manageable. Knowledge of
a foreign language and gained previous experience
but also an immediate state of mind of the person
who is communicating are shown significantly .
• This language competence requires greater attention
and necessary support from the management of
faculty.

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5 Possibilities of ICT Usage (7/7)
See please also:
Table 1: ICT in Enhancing Foreign Language
Competence Applied for Academic Purposes

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6 Description of model
proposal (1/4)
Basic ideas of the model proposal
Firstly, the model proposal should be based on:
• openness to the improvement and next development;
• high-quality feedback;
• openness to the new ideas;
• independence on contemporary software.

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6 Description of model proposal (2/4)
Secondly, the model proposal should be based on the
characteristics of the target group (academic staff)
such as:
• various age groups and consequences to the
appropriate health status (e. g. older people have
worse hearing);
• various types of personalities with higher IQ;
• irregular workload;
• various professional focus;
• independence;
• higher capabilities for self management.

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6 Description of model proposal (3/4)
Thirdly, two types of user’s access to the electronic
study materials should be supported:
• regular user with language expert support;
• irregular (totally independent) user, which uses study
materials totally free without a language expert
support.

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6 Description of model proposal (4/4)
Structure definition
Schematically the model of enhancing foreign language
competence applied to academic contexts can be
presented as a unity of a number of aspects
functioning simultaneously.
• Available at the article (Figure 1: Theoretical Model of
Enhancing Foreign Language Competence applied to
Academic Contexts by Means of Distance
Education).

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7 Conclusion (1/5)
• Firstly, the content of learning a foreign language for
academic purposes should be determined by the
specifics of the professional activity of the university
academic staff. Therefore, it is urgent to discriminate
types of professional activities, possible situations of
professional communication and academic
interaction, main kinds of professional tasks and
problems which academicians have to solve, in order
to create appropriate learning conditions modelling
the given situations.

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7 Conclusion (2/5)
• Secondly, the introduction of ICT should be motivated
by the content, clear in purposes, and not too
cognitively overburdening even if the learners have
certain experience of using ICT for personal
purposes.
• Thirdly, any new learning activity needs adaptation
which can be achieved through thoroughly planned
group work, mutual discussions, sharing ideas and
feelings where ICT can act as a mediator of
communication and a means to work out and to
present the results of one’s creative thinking.

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7 Conclusion (3/5)
• Fourthly, face-to-face sessions should be primarily
aimed at establishing personal connections and
communication between the learners and the
instructor, while ICT-mediated learning interaction
must be purposed to achieving learning tasks which
would presuppose the involvement of representatives
of other social and academic communities for making
learning as close to the real professional situations
and academic interactions as possible.

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7 Conclusion (4/5)
Final comments:
• European states cannot prosper long without
ensuring quality and effective foreign language
education for their citizens, particularly with emphasis
on selected world languages.
• In language education of the academic staff is
obviously appropriate to apply the teaching approach
based on guided distance learning and to ensure the
exchange of information among different faculties.

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7 Conclusion (5/5)
• The seriousness of the issue deserves a regular
exchange of information among interested persons
on the premises of a university.
• A suitable form of the exchange of information seems
to be a conference attended by linguists, educators,
foreign language teachers, information and
communication technology teachers, foreign
language students and experts from commercial
companies, which represent the suitable suppliers of
advanced technology.
• Comparing different approaches and discussions are
irreplaceable.

31. Thank you for your
attention.
irenesekret@mail.ru miroslav.hruby@unob.cz