Proceedings of The International Conference on Research in Education
Year: 2019
DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.33422/icreconf.2019.04.219
To Apply or not to for a Job Efficiently: That is the Questiono
M. Iglesias
ABSTRACT:
This paper presents a pedagogical proposal for higher education students of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) who need to be trained on how to apply for jobs. Students are required to produce oral elevator pitches, written CVs with covering emails, and take part in job interview simulations. The students’ oral productions are video recorded, and self, peer and teacher feedback is provided through a class blog. The paper includes an account of the rationale and lessons plan, as well as the materials used and authentic examples illustrating their implementation. This approach was followed during the academic year 2018-19 with a group of first year students of the Bachelor’s degree in Tourism in the context of the School of Tourism, Hospitality and Gastronomy CETT-UB, from the University of Barcelona (Spain). The students’ level of English was B2 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Due to their very limited or even non-existent work experience, the development of their communicative competence in EFL with a specific professional orientation is a must so as to become successful job applicants for middle or top management positions in the tourism sector. The most significant aspects of the teaching-learning-assessment process are reported, along with the main drawbacks, limitations, practical implications and future research avenues.