Proceedings of the 8th International Academic Conference on Education
Year: 2024
DOI:
[PDF]
Professional Immersion for Effective Adult English Training
Fernando Javier Muñoz López
ABSTRACT:
Adult English training has been widely studied but there are still opportunities for exploring new learning methods with a focus on using English in professional contexts. In adult training, content can be chosen based on CERF Levels Descriptors (2018), professional goals, personal aims and interests and, most importantly, the development of transferable and innovation skills. Transferable skills are known as generic skills, key for attaining professional development and potential promotions in the workplace. Improving English communicative skills in adults requires not only good practices but also continual assessment, proficient daily coaching, developing thinking as a learning value and innovation-based thinking for a paradigm shift regarding learners’ cultural objective. English Coaching LS, an English training center based in Chile, has, for the last 4 years, been developing an innovative English training method for professional adults in the mining and energy industries, both highly technical contexts that require proficiency but not necessarily native-like communication, due to frequent international audits. Building on the foundations of earlier research regarding textual complexity for learners’ specific purposes (Muñoz, 2019), and international innovation trainings for SMEs, an effective method for English adult training was developed, providing data and evidence for developing customized programs involving continuous coaching, immersing the student in professional experiences for highly effective learning in short periods. The following paper will analyze the outcomes of an effective English coaching training method applied to adults in Chile.
keywords: coaching; transferable skills; innovation; practitioner; awareness