STHI Conference Oberwiesenthal: EAP in Saxony and the Czech Republic

Chemnitz University of Technology:       

Prof 1:                              

I would say most students come from the region around Chemnitz, about 89 %, and only few from other parts of Germany. They feel more at home in this region, so that they often choose a university close to home. Some have a clear conception of their future career. As English is a lingua franca, I think it is a good choice to study.

Prof 2:                       

What makes our programme in Chemnitz special is the compulsory semester abroad. Another point is that the Bachelor offers a broader overview, everything is compulsory, more like school.

Jan Evangelista Purkyně University Ústí nad Labem:

Prof 1:

What makes our programme special is that our university offers solid training in the three main branches linguistics, literature (English and American) and cultural studies.

Prof 2:

I would say that English is till a very favoured study and our university, especially our faculty has well-qualified teachers.

University of Westbohenia Pilsen:

In my opinion, students should study English because the knowledge of the English language provides them with more possibilities for choosing a job.

Masaryk University:

Well, our programme is so special because it offers several study programmes; sometimes just single subject - in this case English; day-time and distance programmes; but also double subject variants such as English and special pedagogy, French, history, Russian, music. In former times, we also offered physical education, mathematics and physics.

Technical University of Liberec:

I think that our programme is so special because it provides students with solid basics of didactics and methodology early on. And it also offers good practical training, as well as continuous teaching practice.

Prof 1:

Mh, they are all important, depending on which job you will specialize. For instance, our TESOL programme is relevant for students who want to work as teachers in the private sector. Especially the BA is important because it’s the basis for almost all jobs, for example working as a press officer. But I think for finding a job after their studies, students also need to do internships in their free time.

Prof 2:

Ok, this depends if students believe in the traditional model where university prepares you for everything. I would say that apart from the English studies programme, soft skills are very important, which is also true for all humanities studies. But also the methodology part, research unity and intercultural competence are relevant for employment chances. In some countries, the BA is like vocational training so students need to stress this later when applying for a job.

Jan Evangelista Purkyně University Ústí nad Labem:

Prof 1:

That’s a good question. I guess that in the Czech, methodology is most relevant for employment chances.

Prof 2:

I think literature is very important as it includes many aspects of language, such as culture and philology.

University of Westbohenia Pilsen:

I would say that practical language courses are as relevant for a good employment as to know about the cultural background of the target language.

Masaryk University:

I think literature is very important as it includes many aspects of language such as culture and philology.

Chemnitz University of Technology:

Prof 1:
It’s ok I guess. The BA is only one subject to study. Students should be willing to work hard because they want to gain a university degree in the end. In the Master's programme, students can specialize in two fields, which are more according to their interests, so better for finding a job.

Prof 2:
This also really depends. There is a mixture of students who are not informing themselves enough about options and tasks, and there are others who pay more attention. Our KOVO (annotated university calendar) helps studtens with self-organization and time management. However, many problems are not always due to the schedule.

Jan Evangelista Purkyně University Ústí nad Labem:
What I experienced is that students are shocked because they don’t expect the ‘hard training’. They really need to prepare and work a lot. Usually students come with very different levels.

University of Westbohenia Pilsen:
I would say that the students have to do a lot of work and they really need to be prepared for each class.

Masaryk University:
The students at our university need to be prepared for every class. We have regular attendance and students always need to hand in their homework in time.

Technical University of Liberec:
I think that the studies at our university are very demanding for certain subject combinations because students have more work.

Chemnitz University of Technology:

Prof 1:
As our programme includes many different areas, our students can work in many different branches. I It is not restricted to one or two occupations. But I think most of our students will become teachers in adult education or work as translators.

Prof 2:
That‘s a good question. Actually I am not really sure about that. They can work in so many different branches. Some might become adult education teachers, others might go into the publishing sector, or become translators. I think this also depends on which specialization modules the students chose. But all in all, our programme prepares our students to work in many fields.

Jan Evangelista Purkyně University Ústí nad Labem:
Well, the majority of the students stays and continues teaching and others leave to other universities. Some students are interested in human relations and others study sociology in their Master.

University of Westbohenia Pilsen:
That it’s clear. They will all become English teachers.

Masaryk University:
We noticed that the situation is slightly changing. The majority of our graduates will definitely be teachers, they have good job opportunities. But also for translators and interpreters there are enough jobs. In general, most students want to become teachers but they also have other good opportunities, such as in big companies.

Technical University of Liberec:
Some of our graduates teach, but others also get bored of teaching and go into other sectors. This is also because they don’t get enough money.

Chemnitz University of Technology:

Prof 1:
I believe that a lot of people choose to study English because it is a global language.
Although it does not envolve actual teacher training, TESOL might be a reason to study English at TUC
Some might choose English because they have no other job perspectives.
Some think, I am not bad in English, why not study it.
Others may see no other option (‘Parkstudium’)

Prof 2:
That’s a good question:
A passion for language, which probably originated in school and a love for English literature might be a reason to study English.
For many English is only a second choice, because they might not have been accepted to any other studies.
Many students enjoyed English in school and so decide to study it, but underestimate the work that it involves.

Jan Evangelista Purkyně University Ústí nad Labem:
There is a high demand for English teachers in the Czech Republic.

University of Westbohenia Pilsen:
The future seems to be much easier with a great knowledge of English.

Masaryk University:
A lot of Czech students want to study foreign languages because during the socialist period people had no interest in studying foreign languages. But with increasing globalization the Czech realized the importance of a foreign language

Technical University of Liberec:
In the B.A. programme some don't know what else to do, while others know from the beginning that they want to teach English. M.A. students do it because it's what they want to do.

Chemnitz University of Technology:

Prof 1:
That really depends on the field of study the students have chosen.
A B.A. seems to offer less chances but an M.A. degree offers good job opportunities.
Students of English studies can become teachers in adult education, work in journalism, or possibly research.

Prof 2:
A B.A. is not good anymore. It is more like vocational training.
Vocational training in certain fields might be good enough.
It strongly depends on the region within Germany.

Jan Evangelista Purkyně University Ústí nad Labem:
Prof 1:
Our students usually already have an employment, but they need the degree for better payment.
Prof 2:
With a university degree students get jobs that are far better paid.

University of Westbohenia Pilsen:
Without a university degree, people will have a lower level of employment. With a university degree people will get work in higher positions.

Masaryk University:
Our students have very good chances, especially as teachers, translators or interpreters. B.A. graduates are officially not allowed to teach because there are no methodology courses in the BA programme. Therefore B.A.s don't have proper methodology training. An M.A. degree is necessary in order to become a teacher and with an M.A. degree a teacher can earn much more money.

Chemnitz University of Technology:

Prof 1:
 We try to create a good atmosphere. We expect students to be on time, be prepared for discussions, and read the required books and texts.
 We try to include different and interesting materials into our seminars.

Prof 2:
That depends on the students:
 It can range from great to “oh no nobody read the text again!!!”
The problem with the B.A. programme is that the lecturer has to offer what he has to offer instead of what might be interesting. There is only one seminar and everybody has to take it. As a lecturer I have almost no say in the content of the lectures.
Studying in Chemnitz is very restricted.

Jan Evangelista Purkyně University Ústí nad Labem:
Prof 1:
Due to the combined programs, students are a bit overworked. Students who only study English are very motivated and speak very good English. Even in their first year they enjoy the language.
Prof 2:
It is a rather friendly atmosphere, but I also want my students to participate in discussions and be prepared when they come to my classes.

University of Westbohenia Pilsen:
The lectures are optional, but the students know that they have to be prepared if they choose to come to my lecture.

Masaryk University:
I tend to be strict during the courses to achieve the maximum, but during exams I am usually less strict in order to help them to make the best performance they can. Most of the teachers do it the other way around.