Elias De Leon (University of Panama, Panama)
Abstract
Food is a part of every culture. National and international regulations compel culinary arts specialists to internationalize their skills, thus requiring English. In Panama, gastronomy students have limited exposure to the English language throughout their careers. The University of Panama (UP) offers a BSc in gastronomy, including courses such as English Common Core and Technical English Applied to Gastronomy (ING-355). The latter not having a syllabus, I aimed to develop one, including English for specific purposes (ESP) topics within the gastronomy context. I measured the students' preference for ESP topics within gastronomy-oriented settings using 12 items in an anonymous, 4-point Likert survey. While chi-squared tests confirmed the hypothesis that the UP gastronomy students acknowledged the importance of English concepts for their career development, the research did not awake the required interest of the authorities for a syllabus. Instead, the research became an exciting class exercise, easy to adapt and recreate.
Research (Video, 25 minutes)
Content-Based Instruction / EMI / CLIL
Primarily of interest to teachers of university students
About the Presenter
Elias de Leon has had the opportunity to teach from preschool to university level. He holds a Bachelor of Humanities specializing in English, a master's in English applied linguistics, a master's in virtual learning environments, and a master's in higher education and research. Currently enrolled in a PhD program in English linguistics, he researches curriculum, virtual learning environments, and text analysis.
