IMPROVING UNDERGRADUATE TECHNICAL ENGLISH VIA WEB-BASED LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

Although the main objective of Bologna process is the coordination of the common degrees in different countries to make possible free movement of graduates across European Union, there are other secondary objectives that are essential to get a real implantation of the EHEA. One of them is the obligation to get a minimum level (B1) in English before to complete the degree. In University of Jaen, students will have to attend to English classes in the "Foreign Language Center" and will have to pass a B1 level exam. However, English grammar or communication skills are not the only language tools that enterprises will demand to the grads in Europe. Specific vocabulary belonging to every particular discipline is needed to work in the corresponding professional environment, in general, increasingly demanding. This fact has provoked that lecturers from different subjects belonging to Department of Mechanical and Mining Engineering in University of Jaen are working in different tools to improve the technical English of the engineering undergraduates. To appreciate the effectiveness of the tools, students will have to pass a previous exam to determinate the knowledge a priori of important technical keywords. After one semester, the same students will have to pass a similar exam again. In this way, teachers will be able to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed learning tools. The tools proposed to improve specific English vocabulary in engineering students will be basically two: Wikis and Glossaries. Both are powered by ILIAS, an open source web-based learning management system, developed by University of Cologne and used in University of Jaen. Activities developed and evaluating system will be described in the present paper.