Foreign language learning: a deterrent or an incentive for engineering students?

摘要

The impression that some academics have about foreign language learning in engineering education is that it is irrelevant at worst, or an unnecessary additional workload for the students at best. The truth may be that engineering students have plenty to gain from the complementary aspects of languages and engineering at initial training level. The environment in which tomorrow's engineers will operate also encourages the introduction of languages as a mandatory subject into engineering courses. The article presents a number arguments showing that the combined national-communicative approach is particularly well-adapted to engineering students in terms of learning time and effort saved, confidence gained and motivation and interest aroused.