Theoretical framework, methods and materials Regarding the recommendations of the CPI, the module should include the following
ingredients: key goals, professional competences as well as operational goals. Since
professional terminology in a FL generally covers specific terminology of the chosen
educational programme, aimed at enhancing learners' skills in reading and comprehending
terminological texts as well as in understanding and using correctly the subject
area's terminology (Dimitrova and Dicheva, 1998), the content of the module depends on that
programme, in our case tourism and gastronomy.
As for the key goals in professional terminology in a FL, these revolve around acquiring
knowledge and developing competences (of reading and listening to authentic texts, basic
communication in the professional field, forming simple texts according to corresponding
everyday situations), deepening the perception of foreign languages and cultures, acquiring
strategies to work with dictionaries, encyclopaedias, data and modern technologies, as well as
developing competences for further independent and lifelong learning.
The latter already coincides with the so-called professional competences, which can be
best described as ‗a complex combination of knowledge, skills, understanding, values, attitudes
and desire which lead to effective, embodied human action in the world, in a particular domain‘
(Crick, 2008, p. 312). However, in professional environment, students are challenged with a
gradual progression of professional competences, starting with the basic level, in which they
solve tasks and carry out activities in predictable and well-structured situations and problems,
by following the teacher‘s instructions, thus acquiring basic/fundamental knowledge and skills.
Within the routine level, students learn to plan, carry out skills and solve problems in well
known, structured, but already more complex situations. In terms of the advanced level,
students learn to plan and carry out whole activities and solve professional problems; with
emphasis on planning, decision-making, implementing, team working as well as creative
problem solvingthat also requires a whole and well-structured theoretical and general
knowledge (Pevec-Grm and Škapin, 2006, p. 18).
Operational goals within the professional terminology in a FL can be described
according to the type of the language skills. Chengyu (2018) claims that speaking, listening,
reading and writing are interrelated and interdependent in real communication. According to the
system theory and the transfer theory of learning, the improvement of whole depends on the
coordination of relationships and ratios between the elements of the system.
Four language skills constitute a system in which the four skills interweave and integrate.
Listening is the basis for speaking, reading is a source for listening, listening and speaking
facilitate reading and writing, and vice versa.
When defining operational goals in terms of language skills for the professional
terminology in a FL, then listening enables students to understand the basic message of short
and clear spoken texts, followgrammatically simple texts, understand the text essence, and react
accordingly. Upon testing their reading skills, students understand the basic message of simple
texts, identify and understand professional vocabulary in simple texts, extract certain data from
those texts as well as find useful data and information on the internet. Speaking skills are best
demonstrated in students‘ ability to react in a certain situation, enquire about data, summarise
basic information on a topic and participate in a conversation or discussion. Regarding writing
skills, students are able to write short answers to questions, form short compositions on a