Developing communicative competence for the globalized workplace in english for occupational purposes course in china

Abstract

This article reports an investigative case study of an English for occupational purposes course in the Chinese university context which aims to help students attain a level of communicative competence suitable for the globalized workplace. Methods of document analysis, semi-structured student focus group interview and survey with 21 participants, participant observation and teacher reflectionare used to examine the possible outcomes of communicative competence development and the influencing factors. The results are analyzed based on a synthesized course analysis framework which record positive learning outcomes and success factors including helpful training methods and activities, learning materials tailoring, teacher’s relevant background and experience, learners’ strong motivations and clear learning objectives. Constraint factors include limitations in course time and length, learning environment, English co-curricular activities and learners’ lack of practical experiences. Pathway to enhance teaching effectiveness is proposed to promote English teaching reform in both China and the world.