C OMMUNICATIVE EVENTS IN THE STUDY AND THE WORK SITUATION

students identify their linguistic needs appropriately, however, the target linguistic needs cover a wider range of these needs relevant to EU English.

Table 16b Communicative events in the study and work situation

Communicative Events Identified from or related to Recommended to be

incorporated in the course the study

situation

the work situation

Reading job application forms + + +

Reading online terminology databases - + +

Reading project documents - + +

Reading emails - + +

Writing

Writing a job application + + +

Writing summaries - + +

Writing job specific reports - + +

Writing emails - + +

Writing reports - + +

Writing documents for projects - + +

Writing/compiling language glossaries - + -

Writing a CV + + +

Writing a motivation letter + + +

Listening

Listening to presentations - + +

Listening in conferences - + +

Listening to speeches - + +

Listening to spoken instructions - + +

Speaking

Delivering oral presentation + + +

Attending conferences - + -

Talking about daily tasks (talking with colleagues, conversations in the professional context)

- + +

Talking in daily life situations - + +

Talking on the phone - + +

Using video conference - + +

Talking to non-native speakers + + +

Small talk + + +

Using technical terms (EU or non-EU) - + +

Attending meetings in person / via the Internet - + +

Negotiation + + +

Participating in formal speech - + +

Participating in informal speech - + +

Translation

Translating words/expressions + + +

Translating EU documents - + +

Terminology

Building terminology databases - + -

In the workplace situation, all four language skills were found to be necessary. Reading was named as the most essential one. Responses given inthe EU professional interviews suggest that speaking is slightly more significant than writing in the professional work context, as speaking skills were mentioned in all the EU professional interviews: however, writing skills were only mentioned in the EU project-related work context. Writing skills were more emphasised by the students and was mentioned by one teacher-researcher focusing on writing up summaries for managers.

In the following section, one communication event has been selected to be illustrated in detail. The purpose of its selection was to describe the profile of a communication need which involves diverse skills primarily identified in the work situation and not extensively focused on extensively in the study situation. Consequently, it can serve as a basis for pedagogical considerations for an EU English class.

4.12.1 The profile of a communication need in the target situation

4.12.1.1 Talking about daily tasks (conversations in the professional context)

Talking about daily tasks, coordinating work, having conversations on job-related issues, using formal and informal language, incorporating the specialist terminology of the EU and that of the specific professional jargon were mentioned by all EU professionals. This identified communication need integrates speaking and general communication and workplace skills.

Therefore, they are highly recommended to be implemented in the study situation. As was previously mentioned in the interviews, the engineering professional at her company has to make phone calls to potential partners on a daily basis. On this occasion, Szonja begins with a powerful introduction of the company where she works. She has to explain what the company does and say why they would like other companies to join them. According to Szonja, it is an event which is repeated frequently and quite a lot of job roles are involved. Szonja commented on this in the following:

There are people whose work is primarily to find partners, which is called partner research. But it is also possible that this task has to be delivered during projects, so it can be someone else’s task. By making phone calls, or talking via Skype, communication becomes faster than writing emails. Contacting partners can be via videoconferencing or in person. (Szonja, EUPR/2)

This extract implies that on a daily basis she uses English speaking skills, technology-related and interpersonal skills.

Similarly, the interpreter professional emphasised personal contact and the role of talking to colleagues on a daily basis. Blanka talked about these issues in connection with the arrangement of her everyday work. She mentioned that she uses a lot of online resources relative to the topic of the interpretation session inher preparation. These can be read and additionally, specialist glossaries need to be consulted. This happens before the day of interpreting. On the day when she interprets, she goes to the booth, asks the Hungarian representative if he/she wants to speak and whether there is any written material on the planned talk. Moreover, she has to discuss the work process with her colleagues, the time scheduling and the languages they are using.

Talking with colleagues and verbal coordination work were reported by both the terminologist professional and the translator. They mentioned that their daily work involved making contact with internal and external colleagues either in Hungarian or in English. The terminologist professional talked extensively about the work she co-ordinated before Hungary joined the EU. She explained that the work she was involved in meant the coordination of the translation of the whole legal body of the EU legislation. This work involved many different tasks and relevant skills. Apparently, the majority of the work was related to translating EU legislation and establishing the Hungarian terminology of EU legal documents, as well as, compiling glossaries and creating databases. However, at the same time, it meant being in contact with EU administrative workers and EU and Hungarian translators, lawyer-linguists both in the EU and in the Hungarian context, and Hungarian linguists. Moreover, she worked

with Hungarian language graduates, lawyers with translation experience and terminologists with various backgrounds, e.g., technical training. To be able to effectively deliver the terminology-related work, terminology committees had to be set up to have professionals from all sorts of specialist fields that the EU oversaw. She pointed out that apart from delivering work closely related to EU terminology, considerable efforts had to be made in the field of personal contacts and professional discussions with specialists in diverse subject areas.