Teaching Business English to Future Economists Using a Multimedia Textbook

Abstract

he purpose of the study is to examine and evaluate the impact the “flipped classroom” model-based learning environment accompanied by multimedia-based textbook entitled “English through Soft Skills” provides for the learning styles of the university students majoring in Economics. The study sought to identify tangible (seemingly measurable) and intangible (difficult to measure) gains the “flipped classroom” learning model brought to both students and instructors. A multimedia textbook “English through Soft Skills” was developed for the study. A multi method approach was used to gather feedback and quantitative methods were used to analyze the data. Specifically, Covariance-based Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) software as SPSS AMOS and Textalyzer were used to process the students’ responses to survey questions. The results reported a shift in student preferences in learning, including a greater desire to engage independently with computer-assisted work, quicker problem solving, increased motivation to study, and improved time management and lifelong learning skills. Additionally, there was a shift in teaching approaches of the instructors, namely from a teacher-centered to a student-centered approach. The study may better inform building the learning process for the students with limited learning opportunities or studying the distance learning model. Despite the experimental group involving only the students majoring in Economics, this methodology could be applicable to teaching English for Specific Purposes to other majors, such as: Business, International Relations, Psychology, Law. The research is advancing the knowledge of integration multimedia tools into teaching, and specifically the use of multimedia textbooks in the “flipped classroom” settings to deliver Business English course to the students majoring in Economics.