Innovation in Language Learning

Formulating clear goals and tasks of the study programme as well as learning outcomes to be reached is the major precondition in ensuring high quality education and training of the students. In the context of language learning, Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment (CEFR) has been the major reference point for the language educators since 1970-s. Although CEFR provides comprehensive information to ensure unified approach to teaching, learning and assessment, it does not account for specific language skills required from the users of languages for specific purposes (LSP). That is the reason why in 2004, Riga Technical University together with the partners from five European countries – the UK, Estonia, Germany, Latvia, and Lithuania developed a handbook for reconciling the CEFR descriptors and requirements with the skills and competences to be developed and the learning outcomes to be reached in teaching LSP at technical universities in the partner countries.

In the last decade, the learning outcomes to be reached in learning LSP have had to be reformulated to meet the needs of the modern knowledge society. Language skills and competences to be possessed by a contemporary engineer have to reflect the growing tendency for interdisciplinarity and transdiciplinarity of studies and research.

Pursuing the academic and scientific excellence in the multilingual environment the formulation of the learning outcomes for the students of the interdisciplinary programmes involves not only developing their critical and analytical thinking skills, but also teaching them to approach the process of decision-making and problem solving creatively, employing innovative methods and sharing best practices efficiently. In this regard, the descriptions of the learning outcomes for the courses in languages have been updated to position them in the multifaceted context of life-long learning considering the opportunities offered by e-learning tools.

The current study is dedicated to the discussion of the changes in the contemporary requirements put forward for language skills and competences to be possessed by engineers in the multilingual environment and in the context of knowledge intense economy. The multimodal teaching methods that involve not only problem-oriented interactive tasks but also extensive use of e-learning tools applied in educating and training engineering students of the interdisciplinary study programmes at Riga Technical University are discussed and exemplified considering the recently launched study programmes Adaptronics, Financial Engineering, and Building Entrepreneurship.