NEEDS ADDRESSED

There is an identified need in the educational programmes of initial vocational training schools for specific English language competences of the initial vocational schools instructors of technical subjects, linked to work-related professional language and subject knowledge.

Palacky University linguists in co-operation with job centre representatives, vocational schools directors, and distance learning university methodologists in Europe confirmed that vocational training schools instructors need specific professional language competences to have competitive skills to increase employability of vocational school leavers in the European labour market.

English language teaching has been a traditional part of the vocational training schools curricula in all European countries. However, our research shows that the traditional English language programs at initial vocational training schools represent usually only a slight derivation of universal English language programmes targeted at the general public and therefore do not address fully the specific language competences required from the vocational schools leavers.

The need for labour market mobility has become one of the vital needs for a large proportion of vocational training schools leavers. Therefore the English language skills related to specific professional language and subject knowledge represent one of the prerequisites for the adequate labour market competitive skills of the vocational training schools leavers.

In a recent training survey conducted by the Employment Service Training Centre in the Czech Republic (August 2001) more than 90% of respondents (job centre counsellors, vocational training schools directors, instructors, and apprentices) called for a 'professional language' vocabulary elements in both vocational and professional English language programmes and curricula.

Several researches confirmed that while there are many English language teaching programmes oriented at specific professions (finances, medicine, law, computer technology), there is a vital lack of English language teaching programmes oriented at vocational subjects and specific work-related language in initial vocational education systems.