Abstract:

Currently, the Miguel Hernández University of Elche has a program of measures to promote and recognize the teaching activity carried out in English by Miguel Hernández University lecturers, which is limited to elective subjects in the final year. The Miguel Hernández University also invests in training the university community in foreign languages, through the IRIS program, which despite having quality teachers and a good online platform, is not being widely used by students. The objective of this activity was to promote an active learning approach in the classroom while fostering the development of a skill (the English language) that is essential for the employability of graduates. The activity consisted of conducting five seminars in English. These supervised monographic sessions with shared participation (teachers, students, and experts) had the purpose of building knowledge through the interaction and activity of the students. All the seminars were attended by the professor responsible for the subject (author of this communication), an English teacher from the Language Centre of the Miguel Hernández University and, on occasion, professionals who were experts in the topic of the seminar. The topics, related to the syllabus of the subject, managed to arouse the interest of the students. The reading and preparation of the questions prior to the seminars by the students, the need to express themselves in English (in small groups during the debate and before the whole class in the conclusions), and the ability to defend their own points of view on controversial issues, encourage active behaviour, autonomy, and improvement in the use of English. This project can be a good complement to the initiatives of the Miguel Hernández University to promote the use of English in its degrees: offering electives in English and the IRIS program.

Keywords:

Seminars, English, active learning, English teacher.