English language course for an Internationalization at Home 

Due to a rising numbers of Incoming students, a vast offer of courses taught in English, and a high number of mobile teaching and administrative staff, UAS Technikum Wien aims at encouraging further language training for all staff.

With this development in mind, the International Office organised a 30-hour English course for administrative staff at the Centre of English Studies. In early July, our colleagues embarked on a journey to Dublin, Ireland, where they, among other things, spent a week working on their English grammar, pronunciation and presentational skills.

In strong collaboration with the Centre of English Studies, the International Office of UAS Technikum Wien designed the contents of the course specifically to accommodate situations the colleagues encounter in their everyday working life at UAS Technikum Wien.

Co-funded by the Erasmus+ Program as Staff Mobilities for Training, the English course became a truly European experience, further positioning the UAS Technikum Wien as a central hub of internationalisation.

One of our colleagues who joined the language week summarizes her experience:

On Monday at 9:00am we were welcomed at the Centre of English Studies in Dublin by our language teacher Chris Farrell. Chris quickly accepted the challenge of further refining our already high level of English during this week, to expand our vocabulary and to improve possibilities of expression. In doing so, he adapted the topics to our needs.

With a lot of enthusiasm, we staged challenging everyday office situations in e-mail communication and on the phone, learned how to cope during times of stress and discussed responsibilities and ethical issues. In small groups, we examined many of the challenges based on cultural backgrounds from different angles and discussed those in plenary sessions. Strategies for professional contact with colleagues and students in English were trained.

The interest in the history of Dublin and Ireland in general, as well as social and economic contexts in the course of time, was satisfied during the lessons but also after the intensive learning units – on the street, in the park, in the bus, in the museum and, of course, also in the pub.