Currently, soft skills mainly communication skills of engineering/architecture graduates have been considered as essential as their hard skills for the 21st century competitive global market. Given the cramped curricula of engineering/architecture programs, the research examines the beneficial impact that ESP undergraduate courses have on the tailored communication of engineering/architecture students at a case study analysis - EPOKA University in Tirana, Albania. In order to obtain feedback and unbiased perceptions on the tangible improvement in advanced English communication skills and disciplinary content knowledge acquisition, a questionnaire survey was conducted with the undergraduate students of EPOKA University at the Faculty of Architecture and Engineering upon successful completion of the two mandatory ESP courses at undergraduate level. A mixed method was utilized to collect the statistical data from questionnaires and the semi-structured interviews with students of engineering majors and architecture at the Faculty of Architecture and Engineering of EPOKA University who took English for Academic Purposes and Engineering English during 2018-2020 academic years. Research findings revealed the growing appreciation and high interest that students are placing into ESP courses as significant contributors to knowledge acquisition and soft skill betterment alongside the classic disciplinary courses of their disciplines. Key words; engineering/architecture major, ESP courses, needs analysis survey, EPOKA University
Post Brexit European scenario has triggered speculative thoughts to linguists concerned with language policy in the European Union. Contrary to the belief that no Brits, no further ascendancy of English in the EU territory, there is indisputable and abundant evidence demonstrating that English will retain its status as the dominant formal and informal language among EU (and prospective) members. In our study, we argue that the sustainable and irreplaceable supremacy of English is precisely linked to its effective usage for specific purposes. We examine mainly the case of the English Medium Instruction (EMI) in higher education in EU countries shedding light on the crucial role of the ESP within EMI to further internationalization and standardization of university teaching and research within the EU zone, and its future acceding members. We also analyze indispensable role of the ESP in conducting Erasmus+ Staff and Student Mobility Exchange programs of specific majors of study as a catalyst to equal promotion and dissemination of technological and scientific innovation. We believe that the ESP is being the tool to guaranteeing economic and scientific synergy and socio-educational coherence among all EU countries.
Since 2004 Albanian academics have been making efforts to establish the best Western practices of academic writing associated with critical thinking and writing skills for university students. In this article, I will shed light upon the special challenges and peculiarities the establishment of Academic Writing discipline has encountered in Albania over the years of educational transformation in the broad framework of democratic political transition. I argue that the socio-political indoctrination of the society during five decades of communist dictatorship has delayed the cultivation of critical thinking, reading and, consequently, critical writing skills for academic and occupational opportunities. Moreover, the research will not be limited only to causal factors of delay, instead, it will pave the way to recommendations that accelerate the successful acquisition and possession of such crucial academic writing skills for Albanian university graduates and academia in general.First, I provide literature on definition of critical thinking and its improvement through writing courses; next I depict the typical political indoctrination of students during communist dictatorship tracing the legacy of mechanic reading and the huge lack of critical discourse even among the academic staffs themselves; later on I discuss the contemporary academic focus being placed upon the need of critical academic writing to prepare independent thinkers successful to face the democratic transition. Finally, and most importantly, I offer substantial suggestions and recommendations how to implement successfully the Western Academic writing tradition in the higher education curricula by taking into consideration Albania's educational legacy.
<p>This paper will shed light upon the profile of the Democratic Party of Albania aiming to examine whether the party’s self-claimed ideology of conservatism is in coherence and cohesion with its political evolution, policies and activities during democratic transition since early 1990s. Moreover, the party’s doctrine will be inspected through the leader’s sole philosophy as the first shaper and founding –father of the party. The empirical comparison with the other sister-like European political parties will be expounded by the theoretical interpretations on conservative values and conservative ideology. I argue that the profile of the Democratic Party of Albania draws mainly from the core values of classical conservatism; however, it also demonstrates particular features shaped by its leadership authoritarian authenticity and the domestic political - economic legacy of Albania</p>
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.