Abstract:

Professional Practice is a series of courses for students of English language and culture study program which is part of Bachelor's and Master's studies focusing on practical implications of the English language in a cultural and business environment. Students work in companies and organizations where they practice written and oral communication in the English language, such as travel agencies, cultural institutions, non-profit organizations, translation and interpreting agencies, grant agencies, civic associations, or national and international business companies. The paper presents an evaluation of professional practice reports and self-assessment forms written by students and collected during a five-year-long program. Through the use of qualitative techniques, students replied to questions in the reports about the language and cultural barriers they experienced during their professional practice. The outcomes of the research show that cross-cultural communication along with intercultural mediation have become a necessity and therefore teachers should pay attention to teaching intercultural competence. Moreover, the research results offer implications for the implementation process of effective transformation in the context of higher education.

Acknowledgement:
The research for this paper was financially supported by Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Slovakia, The University Grant Agency, grant no. V/13/2021.

Keywords:

Professional practice, professional English, English language, intercultural mediation, intercultural competence.