Integrated Language Learning Lab
The main objective for creating the ILLLab in 2009 was to initiate a series of practical strategies to incorporate English into the teaching and learning of a traditional engineering curriculum. The ILLLab provides engineering students with opportunities to practise their English and to extend their learning through guided activities. The lab is divided into three main areas: a Cultural Program, Content and Language Integrated Learning and Research.
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Cultural Program
The workshop «English through films» offers three films with on-line activities followed by a film forum in the second semester (February-May).
Also in the second semester of the course three conferences by English language speakers are taking place within the programme: «Around the world in English».
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CLIL
Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) where the integration is understood from a communicative perspective. Here we develop materials both for autonomous learning as well as for more traditional «others directed learning syllabus design», all of these, including the use of information technologies.
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Research
Another not less important area in the lab concerns the actual testing of the students’ proficiency at different levels. It is understood that a large number of students start their University studies in the UPM and it is important to know as accurately as possible what the departure point is and to register any eventual tendency along the years.
Although students studying at university are expected to start their degree with an intermediate level of proficiency in English language, this expectation has been proven not to be true. In September 2009, 255 students at the EUIT de Telecomunicación, UPM took a placement test and 65% demonstrated that they had not reached an intermediate level of proficiency in English. The Integrated Language Learning Lab was created to provide a response to help students develop their English proficiency and in particular to demonstrate practical strategies to incorporate English language learning into the routine of a Spanish engineering centre, the EUIT de Telecomunicación (UPM).
ILLLab members
Dr. Irina Argüelles Álvarez (Project Coordinator and member of the GIEM-EUITT)
Dr. Inmaculada Álvarez de Mon y Rego, Dr. Rafael Herradón Díez, Prof. Margarita Millán Valenzuela (EUITT) Prof. Rupert Herington (University of Leeds)
2009-2010 David Baños (Technical Support), Paloma Chacón (Documentation), 2010-2012 Jose Manuel Baños (Cultural Program), Eduardo Laorden (e-learning activities), 2012-2013 Jorge Mir and Cristian Sánchez (Technical Support, Cultural Program and e-learning activities).
The Project Integrated Language Learning Lab has been supported by the UPM within the annual programmes for Innovation Projects (2009-2013)