Abstract
The rampant urbanization across the world is forcing city planners to be more innovative and creative with technology in how limited resources and amenities are used. Smart homes (SH) technology is one such use. Until now, this has not been a subject for study in the language curriculum, and more so, not as part of the EFL curriculum. This paper discussed a model project-based language learning (PBLL) coursework on SH offered as part of foreign language coursework in a computer science university in Japan in collaboration with a German technical university. This course is aimed at developing students’ ability for information comprehension, data analysis, note-taking, summarization, speaking, video design, technical presentations, and poster design, all in English. The paper is a case study on how to make such technical writing/communication courses interesting and engaging for students who see the technology side of a smart city design context but do not necessarily see through the human side of the urban design and usability. This paper is aimed at helping language practitioners offer language courses using a soft-CLIL model that focuses on design thinking, urban planning, language acquisition, and project management all as a package in the pedagogical design, as is often necessary for industrial projects. The idea is to help language practitioners offer coursework that has societal relevance and transfer skills in-built, and is just not focused on language elements in isolation, but develops project management and communication skills as well.
Highlights
This entire process happened over a two-months window leading up to an international ACM conference where all the Japanese and German students came face to face and made project presentations
The section discussed the value of CLIL, and project-based language learning (PBLL), and how the Smart homes (SH) technology and business context provides an appropriate platform to contextualize an international project in a PBLL-based SOFT CLIL context
How was SH used as an effective project topic towards building project management skills? The above two questions were answered through comments documented by the two graduate students who collaborated with the three undergraduate student groups (11 students) and the German student groups (10 students)
Summary
This entire process happened over a two-months window leading up to an international ACM conference where all the Japanese and German students came face to face and made project presentations. How did the graduate-undergraduate-foreign collaborators combine towards handling this international project, and does it provide preliminary indication that some amount of cultural awareness, exposure, experience of project handling, communication, and technical communication skills developed? The above two questions were answered through comments documented by the two graduate students who collaborated with the three undergraduate student groups (11 students) and the German student groups (10 students). We explored the above research questions in light of the communication between the graduate students and the undergraduate groups enrolled in the elective English course at the Japanese university, the suggestions made by these graduate student mentors and how they were accepted, initial impressions about group communication and project management skills etc
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call