Foreign language studies in Serbia and labour market - a survey - Tempus project activity

1. RESULTS OF OPINION POLL
CONDUCTED AMONG STUDENTS OF PHILOLOGY
AND UNIVERSITY LECTURERS AND COLLABORATORS
CONCERNING THE LEVEL OF ADJUSTMENT OF THE
CONTENTS OF STUDY PROGRAMMES TO THE
LABOUR MARKET
Prof. Julijana Vučo, PhD
Prof. Olivera Durbaba, PhD
Beograd, 15.12.2012. 1

2. THE OVERALL NUMBER OF
RESPONDENTS – STUDENTS
• A total of 827 respondents participated. The majority of the
respondents were from the University of Belgrade (61%) and
the University of Novi Sad (16%). The University of Kragujevac
provided 13% of the respondents, the Univerzitet of Niš 9%,
and the University of Novi Pazar 1 % of the respondents.
Beograd, 15.12.2012. 2

3. THE OVERALL NUMBER OF LECTURERS AND
COLLABORATORS:
The overall number of respondents: 66 lecturers and collaborators.
The greatest number of lecturers were polled at the Universities of
Belgrade (48%) and Novi Sad (32%).
The Universities of Niš and Kragujevac provided 9 %, and the University in
Novi Pazar1 % of the candidates.
Beograd, 15.12.2012. 3

4. THE AGE STRUCTURE OF STUDENTS AND THE
LENGTH OF STUDYING
 Most of the students polled were born between 1988 and 1991;
 15% of the students were born up to 1987, and 6% were born after 1991.
 The poll featured most students from the final years of studies – 30% from
the 4th year and 31% the 3rd year of studies. There were 23% of students
from the 2nd year and 9% of students from the 1st year of studies. A
relatively small number of students attended the Master’s Degree level of
studies, only 6% of those polled.
Beograd, 15.12.2012. 4

5. THE STRUCTURE OF LECTURERS IN TERMS OF
ACADEMIC TITLES AND THE LENGTH OF
EMPLOYMENT
• 45 % of respondents – LECTURERS
(senior lecturers, readers and full
professors);
• 55 % of respondents –
COLLABORATORS(lectors, senior
lectors, language teachers, assistants
and teachers).
• Most of the respondents have been
employed at the University between 6
and 15 years (50%).
• 29% have been employed between 16
and 25 years.
• 14% have been employed up to 5
years.
• 4% of the respondents have been
employed at the University between
26 and 35 years, or over 35 years.
Beograd, 15.12.2012. 5

6. DISTRIBUTION OF STUDENTS ACCORDING TO
FACULTY DEPARTMENTS
• The poll featured students from a Number of
total of 21 departments of foreign
language studies. Language students Percentage
English 282 34%
• The majority of the respondents German 102 12%
were students of the English
language (34%), which corresponds Russian 73 9%
to the distribution within the Spanish 73 9%
framework of the university centres
and the overall number of students French 71 9%
enrolled. Italian 49 6%
• Students studying the languages
Others 177 21%
taught at schools also featured
prominently in the poll, namely,
students of
• German (12%),
• French, Russian and Spanish (9%
each),
• Italian (6%).
Beograd, 15.12.2012. 6

7. DISTRIBUTION OF LECTURERS ACCORDING TO
THEIR SCIENTIFIC AREA
The majority of the respondents
teach linguistic subjects:
- theoretical linguistics (41%)
- applied linguistics (43%)
- pracatical language teaching
(59%).
43% of the respondents teach
literary-theoretical and
culturological subjects.
The overall number exceeds
100%, since most lecturers
teach more than one
philological area.
7
Beograd, 15.12.2012.

8. REASONS FOR SELECTING THE AREA OF STUDIES
Response Percenta
ge
Interest in a foreign language 83
Mastery of a foreign language 51
Interest in becoming a literary translatior 46
Interest in becoming a professional translator 46
Interest in becoming a teacher 39
Interest in consecutive or simultaneous 37
translation
Interest in literature 37
A sought-after profession, good chances of 23
finding a job
Interest in the native language 15
Stimulus provided by family or friends 5
Belief that philological studies are easy/easier 3
than other fields of study Beograd, 15.12.2012. 8

9. DEGREE OF PERSONAL (DIS)SATISFACTION
WITH THE PHILOLOGICAL PROFESSION
• very or mostly satisfied: 68%
• partly satisfied: 25%
• mostly or very dissatisfied: 7%
Beograd, 15.12.2012. 9

10. PLANS CONCERNING THE CHOICE OF
PROFESSION
Prospects Percenta Future profession:
ge translator (42%)
Very good 15 language teacher (41%)
other (17%)
Relatively good 54
Medium 25
Limited and poor 5
None 1
Beograd, 15.12.2012. 10

11. LECTURERS’ VIEWS ON THE CONTENTS AND ELEMENTS
OF TEACHING THAT SHOULD BE IMPROVED FOR THE
SAKE OF BETTER CHANCES OF EMPLOYMENT
• Linking teaching and practice;
• intensifying the teaching of narrowly professional subjects
with a view to modularisation and professionalisation of
philological professional titles, areas and profiles;
• reform of translation teaching (both literary and non-literary),
introducing professional translation in the curriculum;
• Intensifying speech production teaching and development of
communicative competence (e.g.. Through use of a foreign
language and within the framework of teaching other
theoretical disciplines);
• changing the didactic forms of higher education (interactive
manner of work, necessity of professional advancement of
universitety lecturers);
• reducing the number of classes dedicated to theoretical
subjects (especially literature and history of language) and
exam requirements of factographic nature.
Beograd, 15.12.2012. 11

12. STUDENTS’ VIEWS ON THE USEFULNESS OF
TEACHING CONTENTS
Beograd, 15.12.2012. 12

13. STUDENTS’ VIEWS ON THE TEACHING
CONTENTS IRRELEVANT FOR THEIR FUTURE
PROFESSION
A generally negative view of subjects, mainly because of their
general character or predominantly theoretical concept:
“I believe that some subjects are useful only if one plans to teach
at a faculty. However, most students will never be able to
use the majority of the knowledge they acquire in a
professional context.”
Beograd, 15.12.2012. 13

14. A negative view of theoretical subjects from the students’ own
department (literature, theoretical linguistics, history of
language):
“What’s the use of literature, anyway? It is useful only to those
who will stay to work at the faculty, and that means one
person in every five generations.”
STILL: there is some awareness of the function of teaching
literature:
“For, even those subjects that we tend to refer to as ‘useless’
(meaning literature, which has no specific use after we finish
our studies), do provide a certain amount of knowledge,
some general culture, which can be of use after all, both in
translation and teaching.”
Beograd, 15.12.2012. 14

15. A critical view on the necessity of programmatic,
methodological or organisational innovations in the sphere
of teaching:
“Instead of there being at least two semesters of teaching
simultaneous/consecutive translation, we get two semesters
of subjects totally irrelevant to students, who have opted for
the translation vocational stream with good reason.”
Beograd, 15.12.2012. 15

16. A critical view on the didactic methods or competence of
lecturers and teaching collaborators, and the relevance of
literature:
“I would say that there are contents which lecturers place too
much emphasis on, while neglecting others. Such views of the
lecturers make me feel that such contents are unnecessary.”
Beograd, 15.12.2012. 16

17. A POSITIVE VIEW OF VARIETY OF PHILOLOGICAL
CONTENTS
A positive view of variety of philological contents:
“Actually, from my point of view, there is no superfluous
information. There are contents of greater or lesser
importance for my future profession, but there are none that
are devoid of value altogether.”
Beograd, 15.12.2012. 17

18. STUDENTS: CONTENTS THAT ARE NECESSARY FOR
THEIR FUTURE WORK, BUT ARE NOT OFFERED IN THE
COURSE OF THEIR STUDIES

translation, simultaneous, consecutive, professional

practice – connection between what is taught and its
practical professional application

contemporary programmes, contemporary forms of work

active language teaching

new subjects

extracurricular activities, student exchange programmes

equipment
Beograd, 15.12.2012. 18