Teaching English as a content subject at the tertiary level - a modular approach

 

TE-Con3 project is an attempt to introduce a content-based model of foreign language teaching at the tertiary level, where language is taught through a carefully selected sequence of content units, each reflecting a different academic domain.

We wish to develop an innovative methodology for teaching General English in higher education using content modules to reflect a variety of academic disciplines: architecture, art and media, automotive engineering, biomedical sciences & health communication, and geography.

Top quality language provision for university students is a necessary condition for the implementation of social ideas promoted by the European Union and it proves indispensable in the global village. Student mobility, competitive job markets, development of pan-European economy and geo-political cohesion all require competent control of English as a contemporary lingua franca. To help students meet these expectations, we are developing  an innovative English teaching methodology with a triple focus on language, content and culture, based on ideas from CLIL, ESP, EAP, distance learning and corpus linguistics. By offering a broad spectrum of academic topics we aim at promoting education for active citizenship while stimulating linguistic and academic development. 

PROJECT OUTCOMES

  • a report on the state of English for Higher Education in Europe, 
  • TE-Con3 framework – guidelines for teaching English as modular content, 
  • lesson scenarios from five academic disciplines, ready for immediate classroom application,
  • an on-line Manual for TE-Con3 teachers,
  • MUL-TECON – a multimedia platform integrated with a dedicated website for storage and sharing of all TE-Con3 resources,
  • an international conference and a series of local dissemination seminars.

 

PROJECT PARTNERS

  • University of Warsaw (Poland) – project coordinator
  • Tallinn University (Estonia)
  • Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (Germany)
  • Łukasiewicz Research Network – Institute for Sustainable Technologies (Poland)
  • Warsaw University of Technology (Poland)
  • University of Algarve (Portugal)
  • University of Pitesti (Romania) 

 

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