In this ESP teaching course, students learn how to start their own project, manage it and launch it while learning appropriate vocabulary in English, working in collaboration with others, developing their own website/app/online product by using e-currency. The teaching activities include team building, problem solving, higher order thinking activities where students need to analyze, compare, contrast, develop cause and effect graphs, generalize, dissect information and present an online course or a e-resource, which can be potentially profitable. The project-related materials are well-structured and staged from selecting a project idea and building opportunity maps through research/modelling/designing/pilot training and promotion activities where students need to prepare a presentation of the project with its web landing (digital and financial literacy) and market it out in the project fair where they are able to collaborate, participate in the market-driven pricing system (a designated Opencoins.kz resource is prepared). The students can learn fundamentals of project branding, set goals for further personal development, see their own perspectives, learn how to build networks and partnership with other students participating online in the same project in other cities. The main aim is to teach project-related vocabulary, develop both soft skills (from critical thinking to emotional intelligence) and project management skills to be applied in their future careers. Being able to participate in a real-life project of their own from the early initiation to monitoring and controlling in English will encourage adult learners to develop their individual development trajectory, show either team leading, monitoring or designing skills required for many jobs nowadays. Working with opportunities maps allows teachers to help learners discover or rediscover themselves, let them position themselves to see their areas of expertise, personal identity, competency, talents and limitations. All the learners receive special coins online for the completion of certain tasks and assignments along the way, they are assigned by a teacher in the designated online website and can be used for the future project fair where the participants might spend these coins to purchase other people’s projects and concepts. It stimulates younger learners to work hard, complete all the tasks, take more responsibility while adult learners can share more expertise and collaborate with others to make strong connections.
Teaching and Learning Setting
Innovation Dimension
Education Sector