NUR-SULTAN, KAZAKHSTAN, JULY 2019 225
THE IMPORTANCE OF LEARNING PROFESSIONAL TERMINOLOGY IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE IN THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS OF THE FUTURE EMPLOYEES IN THE FIELDS OF TOURISM AND GASTRONOMY Jolanda Melanšek Teacher of English and German,
teacher of professional terminology
in English and German, School centreVelenje
(School of Electrical and Computer Engineering),
Velenje, Slovenia
Abstract: We are all learners and lifelong learning should be our objective, no matter what science field we major in. According to Pierce (2010), learning is a lifelong process that goes beyond any individual training programme or educational initiative. He claims that learning is the process by which individuals develop new competences (skills, knowledge and capabilities) that enable them to continually deepen their understanding of the social, ecological and economic context. In this respect, learning a foreign language in general and/or learning professional terminology in a foreign language in particular are no exception, since both provide us with a variety of competences and skills to acquire and practise, as well as with a better understanding of another context, namely our professional or working environment. The conference article is about investigating the importance and benefits of learning professional terminology in a foreign language for the future employees in the fields of tourism and gastronomy (in connection with the observation of the already implemented module of Professional terminology in a foreign language for students of School of Electrical and Computer Engineering), further defining its key and operational goals, as seen through the usage and implementation of the following language skills: listening, reading, speaking and writing. It also covers the selection and description of professional competences acquired through learning professional terminology in a foreign language. Since professional terminology in a foreign language explores specific vocabulary, in our case tourism and gastronomy, the emphasis is put on the content structure as well. Being a teacher of professional terminology in a foreign language has proven to be an extremely positive, never-ending challenge, with constant demand for new acquisition of knowledge and information in the specific area, thus personally being included into a lifelong learning process as well.