Findings concerning the promotion of oral English communication
Despite their different English levels, people were able to get what answered their needs, expectations and what they found important, which indicates that the course was sufficiently many-sided as a course in liberal education. However, there were some people who left the course because it did not fulfil their expectations. For the others, the course gave plenty of opportunities to speak and converse. The inclusion of easy speaking was important especially at the beginning, just as was the experience of safety. If students enjoy speaking on an oral English course, as they did here, it suggests that they will also start speaking elsewhere. Although speaking proceeded in small steps, the course gave the confidence that they would reach their aim in the future. The course made people find their own way of learning. A positive and friendly study climate and people who enjoy group work and being together and attend to others’ needs, as they did here, are important for the promotion of speaking. The unexpectedness of the tasks prepared the students for real life situations. The research results clearly show that students’ mental resources contribute to their oral English communication. The growth of these resources can have a decisive impact on speaking. Students can suffer from fears of speaking English or even have traumas of it or just cannot start speaking. With one exception, the course eliminated fears of speaking and other mental impediments to it, or at least alleviated them enough to help students to start speaking. Most probably, the course participants were motivated autonomous students who already explored their learning before the course and knew how to draw benefit from their studies on the course. The students’ increased awareness of their learning visible in the results helped them in finding their own way of learning and served them in the promotion of their autonomy. Increased courage, motivation, awareness of English and communication in English are significant aims on a course like this and can be reached.
One criterion of a successful foreign language course is that people start using the language studied. When students enjoy or at least start to like speaking on an oral English course, which took place here, it helps them to start speaking also in other contexts. Those with a good command of English but impediments to speaking it at the beginning of the course could communicate in English also in demanding contexts after the course, when the opportunity arose. In fact, many course participants who assessed their English level as A2–B1 had already communicated in English with their customers and business partners before the course. Now they were able to expand it after the course. A course like this can also serve as support for English studies at the university. Thus, the course had encouraged people to use their English. However, people who are employed by firms that use Computer-mediated communication with non-Finnish-speaking customers seldom get opportunities to speak English at work. For some people, holidays abroad and English courses are the only opportunities for speaking English.
Although institutes offering language courses provide information on the level of course, people’s choice of course and its level may be more influenced by other factors.
The advertised level can be understood to mean the general level of English or the target proficiency. Here those who had a good command of English, developed into speakers as soon as they lost their impediments to speaking. The course length of 45 hours was suitable.
The students had enough time to start speaking properly with the people they had got to know, but very few considered the others’ lower or higher level an impediment to their own speaking, which might have happened on a longer course.
Findings concerning the promotion of the teacher’s professional development
The research on the teacher’s professional development began with the oral English course planned for liberal education. This work, together with the independence, freedom and entire responsibility for the studies supported professional development. For professional growth, the course on oral communication is good. A course which is conversational by nature adds participation and empowerment. The research on the promotion of the teacher’s professional development at the UAS was not planned. This scheme was justified because teacher development cannot be planned in advance. It allows development to take its own path. The reading of literature was important. For example, a close study of the Common European Framework of Reference for languages: Learning, teaching, assessment gave a holistic view of the field. A wide study of the theories of learning, of language learning and teaching was necessary. Even if much of this served the oral English course, the reading also promoted the teacher’s professional development. Wenger’s Communities of practice was about learning in a working life context opening the teacher-researcher to different and deeper views for development. Gadamer’s philosophy altogether was challenging and rewarding, as was also his discussion on conversation, listening and dialogue. Literature like this opened up the discussion between them and me as a teacher-researcher. I could start
negotiating and drawing my own conclusions, which lifts the research to a more conceptual level, to theoretical considerations and deeper considerations of one’s work.
Two institutions as the location of teaching and researching expanded views of teaching.
On the oral English course conversations on language and on associated difficulties emerged spontaneously as did conversations on the course itself and its suitability, something which also happened in the interviews. Partly because the interview data among other things contained discussion on such important conceptions in FLE as autonomy, motivation, reflection and student awareness, these also became important elements in professional teacher development. Discussion on ethics emerged in one of the two course groups. The interviews became mutual mentoring events and sources of teacher development.
The return to the UAS gave the possibility to work and converse with colleagues there. The diary writing continued, which showed that the visit to liberal education had promoted not only knowledge of oral English communication but also ideas and thoughts about the teacher’s professional development at large in her work. It was good to expand the scope of the research, because learning from experiences in a research takes time.
Ethical considerations concerning the teacher’s work are a good example of this. I kept on reading literature and learned to discuss with the authors and negotiate between the text and my own views. During the follow-up research, much of my language teacher’ theory was encapsulated around concepts and conceptualizations, such as dialogue and listening - they were important also in Gadamer’s philosophy - and vulnerability and the familiar conceptions of motivation, autonomy, student-awareness and encouragement.
The work at the UAS made me recognize many events that were thought-provoking.
The experience of the motivated and autonomous students in liberal education made me decide to share the organization of one study unit with the students there. The English and Swedish courses at the UAS often became sites of the teacher’s professional development.
The students’ and the teacher’s professional development were entwined. I saw the power that motivation has on the students’ learning also when the studies are very demanding for the student. I also noticed how important dialogue and listening are in study guidance.
Teaching is not always necessary. It is important to hear and listen to the students’ voices and be open to them, even if they do not act as adults are expected. They may have good reasons for doing so. I also learned to consider whether and when I ought to be a facilitator rather than a teacher on a course.