Are we talking about the same thing? Comparative study of language programmes for specific purposes in two universities in the United States and Spain
Keywords:
languages for specific purposes, linguistics, applied linguistics, specialised discourse, discourse studies, pragmatics, language teaching, translation, interpreting, English for specific purposes, pedagogyAbstract
Language courses for specific purposes vary due to their context and purpose. However, it is possible to find common features between programs in two different countries, with different characteristics and languages in question. It is interesting then toobserve how different courses work according to their specific characteristics to highlight in addition to their similarities their limitations and challenges. In this sense, this paper addresses the cases of Spanish for specific purposes in the Faculty of Foreign Languages of Valdosta State University in the United States and English in the Faculty of Education of the University of Alcalá in Spain. The contrastive study refers to the characteristics of both programs, their courses and students, the methodology and materials used for instruction, the use of the target language and evaluation. The paper concludes that in spite of the different nature of the programs and courses in question, more similarities can be found than differences of substance, so that future studies will address these contrasts in the elaboration of an international common framework.
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