Pushing Horizons of the English Language Classroom: Edutainment as a Tool to Boost Innovative Potential of Engineering Students

Abstract

As the world faces unprecedented diverse change, the future viability of any company depends essentially on whether and to what extent its employees can build the innovation of tomorrow as well as tackle problems in the workplace. To transform ideas into value-creating and beneficial reality, would-be engineering specialists are to have access to the educational opportunities that enhance their innovative potential. English proficiency for specialists in the field of Engineering and Technology today is not only social, but also an economic necessity for successful innovation. The ESP approach is believed both to increase the relevance of what the students are learning and to enable them to use English they know to learn even more English, since their interest in their field will motivate them. As fluency in ESP is considered to be equally important as major related abilities therefore teaching methods and approaches are to be adjusted to educational goals, current resources and emerging trends that should be timely noticed. The research focuses on describing the model of teaching an ESP course based on the edutainment technology which ensures advance in English as well as innovative potential development. The study comprises a theoretical basis, a methodology including instructional design and measurement methods evaluating effectiveness of the entire model. Students are trained by being involved into solving a variety of tasks many of which require conceptualization, up-to-date technologies and strategic insights such as role-plays and simulation of managing potential workplace issues. The results indicate that the edutainment model of teaching ESP course allows for alterations in engineering students’ personality characteristics, thereby enabling their innovative potential development. The findings of the study would provide foreign language teachers with a tool of qualifying students in two directions: their innovative potential is strengthened through acquiring soft skills; English proficiency is improved.