Elaine Rees, Université Rennes 2Elaine Rees, Université Rennes 2

Language degrees Language degrees and careersand careersDeveloping the specific assets of Developing the specific assets of our studentsour students

OutlineOutline

How things have changed for language How things have changed for language graduatesgraduates

Situation at Université Rennes 2 Situation at Université Rennes 2 Experience of the Multicom projectExperience of the Multicom project Example of a new course in Multilingual Example of a new course in Multilingual

CommunicationCommunication

Changes and specific Changes and specific assetsassets

Increasing ‘competition’ from other coursesIncreasing ‘competition’ from other courses Language backgrounds are changingLanguage backgrounds are changing

Mobility programme studentsMobility programme students Students whose native language is not French (this Students whose native language is not French (this

year: major European languages + Albanian, year: major European languages + Albanian, Estonian, Icelandic…)Estonian, Icelandic…)

Challenge:Challenge: How to identify and develop specific How to identify and develop specific skills of language studentsskills of language students

Specific asset: multilingual communicationSpecific asset: multilingual communication

Situation at Rennes 2Situation at Rennes 2

Langues Etrangères AppliquéesLangues Etrangères Appliquées AA: French: French BB: English: English CC: German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, : German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish,

ChineseChinese (+ other language ?) (+ other language ?)

2 degree options:2 degree options: Languages and BusinessLanguages and Business Languages, Translation and Multilingual Languages, Translation and Multilingual

CommunicationCommunication

Multicom surveyMulticom surveywww.multicom-cdp.euwww.multicom-cdp.eu

Typology of professional fields which our Typology of professional fields which our students enter:students enter: Sales and marketing managementSales and marketing management Public relations and events managementPublic relations and events management International corporate or organisational International corporate or organisational

managementmanagement Translation, technical writing, content Translation, technical writing, content

managementmanagement

Multilingual CommunicationMultilingual CommunicationCourse in L3Course in L3

Bringing together specific assets and Bringing together specific assets and career skills neededcareer skills needed

Multilingual communication courseMultilingual communication courseSet up in 2012-2013Set up in 2012-2013Final year of the degree programmeFinal year of the degree programme

How the course worksHow the course works

Students are given a professional remitStudents are given a professional remit They research sources in all their They research sources in all their

working languagesworking languages They produce a document/or give the They produce a document/or give the

required oral response in one of the required oral response in one of the languageslanguages

ExampleExample

You are on a placement at the London Chamber of You are on a placement at the London Chamber of Commerce. You have been asked to research Commerce. You have been asked to research innovative ideas for improving the well-being of office innovative ideas for improving the well-being of office workers in their professional environment.workers in their professional environment.

Study the documents provided in English and French, Study the documents provided in English and French, then search for other examples in your working then search for other examples in your working languageslanguages

Write a short report describing briefly what you have Write a short report describing briefly what you have found and recommend one idea which you think s found and recommend one idea which you think s particularly pertinentparticularly pertinent

So far…So far…

Positive student reaction:Positive student reaction: «« savoir utiliser 3 langues en même temps » savoir utiliser 3 langues en même temps » « Searching for solutions to a problem in other « Searching for solutions to a problem in other

languages and seeing how this problem is dealt languages and seeing how this problem is dealt with in other countries »with in other countries »

« We learnt how to switch from one language to « We learnt how to switch from one language to another »another »

Important that students recognise their own Important that students recognise their own skillsskills

Questions raisedQuestions raised

Organisation of ‘multilingual’ courses in Organisation of ‘multilingual’ courses in compliance with institutional compliance with institutional requirementsrequirements

How to give students more confidence in How to give students more confidence in highlighting their specific assets when highlighting their specific assets when entering the job marketentering the job market

ContactContact

elaine.rees@univ-rennes2.fr