Abstract:

The teaching/learning of foreign languages (FL) in Higher Education (HE) has undergone a huge evolution due to the constant need for innovation and adaptation to the current contexts of globalization and rapid technological progress. The demands of society and the job market require one to rethink the skills to be developed during academic training and the role and practices of teachers. The position of students as active actors in the teaching-learning process needs to be reviewed, followed by a readjustment of the interactions between those involved.

FL plays a fundamental role in the internationalization of HE and in preparing students to take on the responsibilities of 21st century citizens and highly qualified and competent professionals. As it is well known today, teaching a language is not just about developing vocabulary: it must enable the acquisition of various other skills, particularly in terms of intercultural communication, which is crucial for keeping up with new economic and social challenges.

In this context, this article aims to highlight the path taken in the curricular units (CU) of FL at the School of Education (ESEV) of the Polytechnic Institute of Viseu (IPV) (Portugal) in the undergraduate Media Studies course, based on the various projects implemented in an articulated manner and developed by international and multidisciplinary teams with the support of the Center for Studies in Education and Innovation of the aforementioned Institution. The LEE project highlights the needs of companies/ businesses in the Viseu region in terms of FL, as well as professional development based on FL practice. The JASM project shows how to combine learning FL for specific purposes, through projects, with digital tools. The APSASeG project also focuses on active FL learning in HE with the gamification of teaching based on serious games.

In addition to a reflection on the conclusions of each project in terms of learning practices, we discuss the key competences to be worked on with the students at issue, the evolution of these competences considering the rapid progress of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the best way to deepen and enhance competences associated with those inherent in FL learning. The conclusion is in line with recent European recommendations, in terms of FL practice, for the development of multicultural and intercultural competences.

Keywords:

Foreign language competences and the labour market, Project based learning, FL learning and gamification, intercultural competences.