SYNERGIES OF LANGUAGE LEARNING 

The Second International Conference on Teaching English for Specific Purposes and New Language

Learning TechnologiesFaculty of Electronic Engineering

University of Niš, SerbiaMay, 22nd - 24th, 2015

E-learning Pedagogies 1

what content ? in what ways? to what extent?

We can find answers in literature, through examples from teaching practice, and also from our students as active participants in the educational process.

• subject relevant, up to date, authentic and above all, useful for our students of specific fields of study.

ESP TEACHERS SHOULD BE:• in tune with the needs and expectations

of the students. • ESP material / a question of what but

also the question of how - not only about the content matters but the ways of presenting it too.

digital literacy is a necessary skill the digital gap between our students –

they come from different social strata classroom available equipment

• Enjoying while learning is an additional gain when we use technology in class: if we succeed in creating a fun class, we will automatically motivate our students.

• And what is both fun and useful in our students’ opinion?

• College of Vocational Studies - Belgrade Polytechnic• anonymous questionnaire • students of first and second year of study who

study English for specific purposes as a compulsory subject• Fifty-eight students participated• to analyze the students’ attitudes towards

presentation of new topics in ESP lectures, as well as to check the students’ assessment of their own aptitude for learning with the aid of modern technology

How often do you use a computer (or other devices such as smart phones etc.)?

Daily -77% Weekly - 1.7% Often - 8.6% Sometimes - 8.6% Not very often - 1.7% Never - 1.7%

How competent do you feel you are with computer technology?

very competent - 45% pretty competent -

36% not very competent -

17% not competent at all-

1.7%

How often do you search for online material related to your field of study?

daily - 25% weekly - 25% often - 29% sometimes - 9% not very often - 9% never - 1%

How often do you use computers and other technology for learning English?

daily - 23% weekly - 17% often - 25% sometimes - 23% not very often – 8% never – 1%

19% of the answers affirm that using various types of teaching materials helps in overcoming differences in students’ learning styles, it raises motivation, activates the students during class, etc.

PowerPoint Presentations and video materials 15% each, which confirms that visual stimuli are perceived by students as enticing and memorable.

Books, a whiteboard and markers are enough for an ESP lesson - 10% of the answers. Traditional language teaching tools are still seen as a reliable source of knowledge and information, but it does not mean that it necessarily implies that students are merely passive receivers in such settings.

Audio materials received only 9% of students’ answers, which is expected since combination of audio-visual materials is more common nowadays.

It is all the same to me was the answer of 6% of the students

understanding how the studentsperceive the role of digital tools in the

learning process, as well as

reconsidering the organization of some lectures in accordance with

students’ expectations.

The students do have access to computers and other devices, and do use them regularly. However, the learning process does not correlate with the frequent usage of Internet and online resources.

Some of the students stated that they use some online resources for finding out facts or searching for specific information, but they do not utilize technical resources they have for learning purposes as much as they could.

Traditional methods of learning are still perceived among students as a foundation upon which technologies add and expand the students’ knowledge.

New technologies open up the creative side of the information gathering and processing, but at the same time, the students need guidance how to access a vast range of data from a critical perspective. The teacher and the teacher’s choices and methods used in class serve as a model for students. It is of the utmost importance how the teachers apply technology effectively in their domain, how they overcome problems and find solutions.