Перейти к главному меню навигации Перейти к основному контенту Перейти к нижнему колонтитулу сайта

№ 1/18 (2023)

Artykuły

Students’ attitudes towards the use of imagination and humour in teaching and learning business correspondence and their implications for teaching

DOI: https://doi.org/10.25312/2391-5137.18/2023_19tw  [Google Scholar]
Опубликован: 2023-06-14

Аннотация

The purpose of the study has been an investigation of students’ attitudes towards the teaching of business correspondence in English with the use of imagination and humour, as expressed in the questionnaire and reflected in the students’ writing. It was assumed that the use of imagination, creativity and humour would motivate the students to practise business writing and develop their skills. The study is based on both an analysis of students’ actual writing as well as a questionnaire regarding their attitudes towards simulation and humour in practising business correspondence. As the results show, the students’ writing varies considerably, ranging from standard letters modelled on textbook examples, up to humorous letters from and to imaginary companies. Similarly, the questionnaire reveals a variety of attitudes: some students regard simulations of this kind as interesting and motivating, while others find them artificial. They also tend to prefer learning serious correspondence, which is closer to their future professional work. It can thus be concluded that, while using imagination and even humour has some benefits, such as motivating students and developing their creativity, the focus of teaching should be on more authentic business correspondence, closer to that which they will use in the future.

Библиографические ссылки

  1. Aronson E., Carlsmith J.M. (1968), “Experimentation in social psychology” [in:] G. Lindzey, E. Aronson (Eds.), Handbook of Social Psychology, 2nd ed., Vol. 2, p. 1–79, Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA. [Google Scholar]
  2. Ashley A. (2003), Oxford Handbook of Commercial Correspondence, Oxford University Press, Oxford. [Google Scholar]
  3. Bale J.T., Coonrad H.A. (1970), Simulation and business communication, “The Journal of Business Communication”, 7(3), p. 5–12. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/002194367000700302 [Google Scholar]
  4. Beer A. (2017), “From business letters to email and mobile communication” [in:] G. Mautner, F. Rainer (Eds.) Handbook of Business Communication, p. 153–173, Walter de Gruyter Inc., Boston/Berlin. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/9781614514862-008 [Google Scholar]
  5. Bhatia V. K., Bremner S. (2012), English for Business Communication. “Language Teaching”, 45(4), p. 410–445. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444812000171 [Google Scholar]
  6. Çerkez Y., Altınay Z., Altınay F., Bashirova E. (2012), Drama and role playing in teaching practice: The role of group works, “Journal of Education and Learning”, 1(2), p. 109–120. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5539/jel.v1n2p109 [Google Scholar]
  7. Deiter R. (2000), The use of humor as a teaching tool in the college classroom, “NACTA Journal”, June 2000, p. 20–28. [Google Scholar]
  8. Dörnyei Z. (2005), The Psychology of the Language Learner: Individual Differences in Second Language Acquisition, Lawrence Erlbaum Mahwah, NJ. [Google Scholar]
  9. Dörnyei Z. (2009), “The L2 motivational self-system,” [in:] Z. Dörnyei, E. Ushioda (Eds.) Motivation, Language Identity and the L2 Self, (p. 9–42), Multilingual Matters, Bristol/Buffalo/Toronto. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21832/9781847691293-003 [Google Scholar]
  10. Dudley-Evans T., St John M.J. (1998), Developments in English for Specific Purposes, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. [Google Scholar]
  11. Dunbar K. (1995), “How scientists really reason: Scientific reasoning in real-world laboratories,” [in:] R.J. Sternberg, J. Davidson (Eds.) Mechanisms of Insight, p. 365–395, MA. MIT press, Cambridge. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/4879.003.0017 [Google Scholar]
  12. Ehrenreich S. (2009), English as a lingua franca in multinational corporations: Exploring business communities of practice, [in:] A. Mauranen, E. Ranta (Eds.), English as a Lingua Franca: Studies and Findings, p. 126–151, Cambridge Scholars Publisher, Newcastle. [Google Scholar]
  13. Flowerdew J., Wan A. (2006), Genre analysis of tax computation letters: How and why tax accountants write the way they do, “English for Specific Purposes”, 25(2), p. 133–153. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2005.03.005 [Google Scholar]
  14. Gardner R. (2001), Integrative motivation and second language acquisition, [in:] Z Dörnyei, R. Schmidt (Eds.) Motivation and Second Language Acquisition, p. 1–20, University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, HI. [Google Scholar]
  15. Garvey D.M. (1969), Simulation: A catalogue of judgements, findings and hunches, [in:] P.J. Tansey (Ed.) Educational Aspects of Simulation, p. 204–227, McGraw-Hill, London. [Google Scholar]
  16. Gastão Saliés T. (1995), Teaching language realistically: role play is the thing; https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED424753 (access: 04.12.2016). [Google Scholar]
  17. Gerritsen M., Nickerson C. (2009), BELF: Business English as a lingua franca, [in:] F. Bargiela-Chiappini (Ed.), The Handbook of Business Discourse, p. 180–192, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/9780748631834-021 [Google Scholar]
  18. Goodman J. (1995), Laffirmations: 1001 Ways to Add Humor to Your Life and Work, Health Communications, Deerfield Reech, FL. [Google Scholar]
  19. Hartmann K., Krois J., Waske B. (2018), E-Learning Project SOGA: Statistics and Geospatial Data Analysis,Department of Earth Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin; https://www.geo.fu-berlin.de/en/v/soga/Basics-of-statistics/Descriptive-Statistics/Measures-of-Relation-Between-Variables/Contingency-Coeficient/index.html (access: 03.08.2022). [Google Scholar]
  20. Hutchinson T., Waters A. (1987), English for Specific Purposes, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511733031 [Google Scholar]
  21. Jenkins J. (2009), English as a lingua franca: interpretations and attitudes, “World Englishes”, 28(2), p. 200–207. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-971X.2009.01582.x [Google Scholar]
  22. Kankaanranta A., Louhiala-Salminen L. (2010), “English? – Oh, it’s just work!”: A study of BELF users’ perceptions, “English for Specific Purposes,” 29(3), p. 204–209. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2009.06.004 [Google Scholar]
  23. Kankaanranta A., Louhiala-Salminen L., Karhunen P. (2015), English in multinational companies: Implications for teaching “English” at an international business school, “Journal of English as a Lingua Franca”, 4(1), p. 125–148. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/jelf-2015-0010 [Google Scholar]
  24. Kotowicz J. (2020), Statystyka matematyczna – wykład ósmy. Testowanie hipotez – część III. Kierunek: matematyka I◦. Specjalność: matematyka finansowa, Instytut Informatyki, Uniwersytet w Białymstoku, Białystok; http://math.uwb.edu.pl/~kotowicz/1516-s1r2-SM-Lec08-200408.pdf (access: 03.08.2022). [Google Scholar]
  25. Louhiala-Salminen L., Charles M., Kankaanranta A. (2005), English as a lingua franca in Nordic corporate mergers: Two case companies, “English as a Lingua Franca in International Business Contexts”, 24(4), p. 401–421. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2005.02.003 [Google Scholar]
  26. Luganskaya E.V. (2013), “Using role play in teaching business English,” [in:] N.G. Bobkova, (Ed.) [Biznes-obrazovanye kak instrument innovatsyonnovo razvitiya ekonomiki: materialy nauchno-prakticheskoy konferentsyi] Irkutsk, 3 December 2012 – 29 March 2013, p. 282–286, Baikal International Business School, Irkutsk. [Google Scholar]
  27. MacIntyre P., Gregersen T. (2012), Emotions that facilitate learning: The positive-broadening power of the imagination, “Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching”, 2(2), p. 193–213. DOI: https://doi.org/10.14746/ssllt.2012.2.2.4 [Google Scholar]
  28. MacIntyre P.D., MacKinnon S., Clement R. (2009), Toward the development of a scale to assess possible selves as a source of language learning motivation, [in:] Z. Dörnyei, E. Ushioda (Eds.) Motivation, Language Identity and the L2 Self, p. 193–214, Multilingual Matters, Bristol. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21832/9781847691293-011 [Google Scholar]
  29. Nakamura J., Csikszentmihalyi M. (2002), “The concept of flow,” [in:] C.R. Snyder, S.J. Lopez (Eds.) Handbook of Positive Psychology, p. 89–105, Oxford University Press, Oxford. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780195135336.003.0007 [Google Scholar]
  30. Puvenesvary M. (2003), A Comparative Study of the Criteria Employed by Academics and Workplace Professionals in Evaluating Business Correspondence. Unpublished PhD thesis, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne. [Google Scholar]
  31. Robinson P. (1991) ESP Today: a Practitioner’s Guide, Prentice Hall International, Hemel Hempstead. [Google Scholar]
  32. Siek-Piskozub T. (2001), Uczyć się bawiąc. Strategia ludyczna na lekcji języka obcego, PWN, Warszawa. [Google Scholar]
  33. Siek-Piskozub T. (2016), The compatibility of positive psychology and the Ludic strategy in foreign language education, “Glottodidactica”, 43(1), p. 97–106. DOI: https://doi.org/10.14746/gl.2016.43.1.7 [Google Scholar]
  34. Simonton D.K. (2002), “Creativity,” [in:] C.R. Snyder, S.J. Lopez (Eds.) Handbook of Positive Psychology, p. 189–201, Oxford University Press, Oxford. [Google Scholar]
  35. Sing C.S. (2017), English as a lingua franca in international business contexts: Pedagogical implications for the teaching of English for Specific Business Purposes, [in:] G. Mautner, F. Rainer (Eds.) Handbook of Business Communication, p. 319–355, Walter de Gruyter Inc., Boston/Berlin. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/9781614514862-014 [Google Scholar]
  36. Stoddart A., Chan J., Liu G. (2016), Enhancing successful outcomes of wiki-based collaborative writing: a state-of-the-art review of facilitation frameworks, “Interactive Learning Environments”, 24(1), p. 142–157. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2013.825810 [Google Scholar]
  37. Stowers R., Barker R. (2003), Improved student writing in business communication classes: strategies for teaching and evaluation, “Journal of Technical Writing & Communication”, 33(4), p. 337–348. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2190/02MT-8NUL-KVHR-8R7M [Google Scholar]
  38. Swales J. M. (1990), Genre Analysis: English in Academic and Research Settings, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. [Google Scholar]
  39. Szanajda A., Ou F.C. (2017), A Simulation-Based Model for Teaching Business Writing: Exploration and Applications, “International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research”, 16(2), p. 35–47. [Google Scholar]
  40. Van Ments M. (1983), The Effective Use of Role-play: A Handbook for Teachers and Trainers, Kogan Page, London. [Google Scholar]
  41. Washington M. (2014), The impact of writing assignments in business education: Toward a competitive advantage in the workplace, “American Journal of Business Education”, 7(3), n/a. DOI: https://doi.org/10.19030/ajbe.v7i3.8748 [Google Scholar]
  42. Więckowska B. (2022), Podręcznik użytkownika – PQStat. Poznań: PQStat Software; http://download.pqstat.pl/Dokumentacja.pdf (access: 03.08.2022). [Google Scholar]
  43. Włosowicz T.M., Kopeć A. (2017, May 18–20) “The acquisition of business correspondence skills at university and in a company.” [Paper presentation]. The 29th International Conference on Foreign/ Second Language Acquisition, Szczyrk, Poland. [Google Scholar]
  44. Zhang Z. (2013), Business English students learning to write for international business: What do international business practitioners have to say about their texts?, “English for Specific Purposes”, 32(3), p. 144–156. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2013.01.002 [Google Scholar]

Скачивания

Данные скачивания пока недоступны.