Mediation in Language Teaching in Higher Education: Qualitative Results of an Interdisciplinary Project
Keywords:
Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT), foreign language, English, higher education, interdisciplinarityAbstract
One of the basic principles of English for Specific Purposes is that the classroom becomes the meeting point of the students' academic and professional spheres. Generally, the success of this subject is measured by the practical utility of students' linguistic competence. Therefore, this project was implemented based on the “action-oriented approach” and the “task-based approach,” considered the most suitable methods to achieve this goal. This article outlines the implementation of these approaches and describes participants' perceptions of the pedagogical experience. Additionally, the project aimed to develop mediation skills in two subjects of the B.A. in Hotel Management at the University of the Balearic Islands (Spain), specifically, English for Executives and Labor Relations in the Hotel Sector. This study explored students' perceptions of the project through a survey that was distributed on the last day of the semester. The analysis of the data revealed that the project helped to develop communicative competence in the foreign language and to apply their knowledge to a practical case. The activity was not only satisfying and motivating, but also promoted the development of essential skills for the integration of future graduates into the job market.
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