TY - JOUR A1 - Koenig, Eric A1 - Guertler, Katherine T1 - One Size Does Not Fit All: Individuality and Perceptions of Improvement and Satisfaction Among TE Students JF - English Teaching & Learning N2 - Academic self-regulation is a key factor for motivation and learning achievement. Yet with the large range of individual factors, this is not a one-size-fits-all proposition. This study of L2 Technical English students at two German universities explored learners’ expectations and motivations, in particular regarding self-regulation and self-efficacy via the individual’s time investment in self-led study. In an initial survey, learners (N=1646) reported on their English skill levels and anticipated learning habits. Complementarily, the retrospective survey investigated learners’ (N=796) actual behavior during the course, their perceptions of language skill improvement, and their satisfaction. The initial survey indicates a clear understanding that time investment in self-regulated study will lead to greater improvement, an outcome confirmed in the retrospective survey. Additionally, students who invested more time in their coursework were more satisfied with their achievement, although most learners acknowledge they should have studied more. The results verify that learners recognize the nexus between self-regulation and language skill improvement, yet university students are not satisfied with their capacity to self-regulate their language learning strategies. While differences in students’ skill levels and academic self-efficacy result in divergent degrees of progress, students of all types report benefits to their language skills when motivated to self-regulated study. KW - English KW - Technical English KW - Self-efficacy KW - Self-regulation KW - Motivation Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s42321-021-00076-4 SN - 1023-7267 VL - 45 IS - 3 SP - 303 EP - 324 PB - Springer Science and Business Media ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Koenig, Eric A1 - Guertler, Katherine T1 - One Size Does Not Fit All: Individuality and Perceptions of Improvement and Satisfaction Among TE Students JF - English Teaching & Learning N2 - Academic self-regulation is a key factor for motivation and learning achievement. Yet with the large range of individual factors, this is not a one-size-fits-all proposition. This study of L2 Technical English students at two German universities explored learners’ expectations and motivations, in particular regarding self-regulation and self-efficacy via the individual’s time investment in self-led study. In an initial survey, learners (N=1646) reported on their English skill levels and anticipated learning habits. Complementarily, the retrospective survey investigated learners’ (N=796) actual behavior during the course, their perceptions of language skill improvement, and their satisfaction. The initial survey indicates a clear understanding that time investment in self-regulated study will lead to greater improvement, an outcome confirmed in the retrospective survey. Additionally, students who invested more time in their coursework were more satisfied with their achievement, although most learners acknowledge they should have studied more. The results verify that learners recognize the nexus between self-regulation and language skill improvement, yet university students are not satisfied with their capacity to self-regulate their language learning strategies. While differences in students’ skill levels and academic self-efficacy result in divergent degrees of progress, students of all types report benefits to their language skills when motivated to self-regulated study. Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s42321-021-00076-4 VL - 45 IS - 3 SP - 303 EP - 324 PB - Springer Nature ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Guertler, Katherine T1 - Mixed language learner levels in higher education as an adverse effect of post-secondary education de-tracking JF - Fremdsprachen und Hochschule : FuH N2 - Die unterschiedlichen Bildungswege in der deutschen Sekundarstufe führen abhängig von der Schulform zu abweichenden Lernergebnissen der Englischkompetenzen. Doch in der Tertiärstufe werden die Bildungswege wieder zusammengeführt und die Absolvent(inn)en aller Schulformen befinden sich in einer gemeinsamen Lernumgebung. Die vorgestellte empirische Untersuchung von über 450 Studierenden an zwei bayerischen Fachhochschulen hinsichtlich des Bildungshintergrunds und der Sprachkompetenzen belegt, dass die Lernenden in den nunmehr gemeinsamen Englischkursen im Tertiärbereich über stark unterschiedliche Kompetenzniveaus verfügen. Die Daten zeigen eine ausgeprägte Kaskade im Kompetenzniveau basierend auf der früheren Sekundarschulform, wobei Studierende der vertieften allgemeinbildenden Schule (Gymnasium) ihre Qualifikationen höher einschätzen als Studierende von berufsbildenden Sekundarschulen (FOS und BOS). Obwohl in allen bayerischen Sekundarschulformen mindestens das GER-Niveau B2 als Standard für Schulabgänger festgelegt ist, geben in der Stichprobe von Studierenden an Fachhochschulen mehr als die Hälfte der Lernenden das Niveau B1 in mindestens einer der Fertigkeiten für Englisch an; und etwas mehr als 8% der Studierenden berichten ihre Selbsteinschätzung in jeder Fertigkeit als Niveau B1 oder niedriger. Die Ergebnisse lassen erkennen, dass ein breites Spektrum an Kompetenzniveaus von B1 bis C1 an den Fachohochschulen häufig endemisch ist, und dass die derzeitige Praxis, Englischkurse im Tertiärbereich für die idealisierten B2-Lernenden zu gestalten, den Bedürfnissen vieler Studierenden nicht ausreichend entgegenkommt. KW - Bildungspolitik KW - Empirische Forschung KW - Englischunterricht KW - Fachhochschule KW - Fremdsprachenunterricht KW - Sekundarbereich KW - Tertiärbereich Y1 - 2018 SN - 0178-0336 VL - 92 SP - 19 EP - 36 PB - Clearingstelle d. AKS CY - Bochum ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Spiller, Ralf A1 - Degen, Matthias A1 - Kronewald, Elke A1 - Guertler, Katherine T1 - Media watchblogs as an instrument of media accountability: An international survey JF - Journal of Applied Journalism & Media Studies N2 - Media watchdog weblogs can play an important role in media accountability, provided that the bloggers are regularly active and have an appropriate awareness of their role in the media landscape. The following article examines the presence and influence of media watchblogs in selected nations, as well as the operators’ standards and perceptions of their roles. In semi-structured qualitative interviews, operators of watchblogs in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the United Kingdom discussed their perceptions of their role, their ethical guidelines, their financing and any conflicts of interest, and their projections for the future. The interviews reveal that most media watchbloggers do not interpret their role to be a Fifth Estate with a mandate to monitor the mass media. The watchbloggers are reluctant to accept and uphold formal ethical and quality criteria, and limitations on time and money make them unable to guarantee ongoing critical media analysis. For these reasons, media watchblogs are determined to be a weak instrument of media accountability. KW - ethics KW - expert interviews KW - international comparative study KW - media accountability KW - role identity KW - watchblogs Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1386/ajms.5.2.151_1 SN - 2049-9531 VL - 5 IS - 2 SP - 151 EP - 176 PB - intellect ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Leonhardt, Carina A1 - Guertler, Katherine T1 - Unearthing Corporate Greenwashing: A Content Analysis of Sustainability Reporting in the Mining Sector JF - Tripodos N2 - Greenwashing is a common form of corporate disinformation that is often challenging for the general public to detect. Companies engage in greenwashing in their reporting to mislead shareholders and stakeholders about their environmental efforts, seeking to enhance legitimacy and gain competitive advantages. While systems for identifying greenwashing exist, they typically focus on advertising, leaving greenwashing in corporate reports underexamined. This study aims to address this gap by conducting a qualitative content analysis of a climate report from a mining and commodity trading company, considering the company’s profile, the report’s target audience, and current research. The findings reveal that the company employs numerous subtle greenwashing strategies to project a more sustainable image through strategic omissions, hedging and vague long-term goals. Moreover, this research broadens the scope of greenwashing analysis to include corporate reporting, which targets a more informed audience, such as shareholders and experts, rather than the general public. The results underscore the need for stricter regulation of sustainability reports and highlight the importance of fostering greater scrutiny among shareholders. KW - climate communication KW - corporate communication KW - greenwashing KW - sustainability reporting Y1 - 2025 U6 - https://doi.org/10.51698/tripodos.2025.57.06 SN - 1138-3305 VL - 2025 IS - 57 SP - 78 EP - 97 PB - Blanquerna School of Communication and International Relations CY - Barcelona ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Koenig, Eric A1 - Guertler, Katherine T1 - Parlaying students´ work experience into practice-oriented esp JF - Journal of teaching english for specific and academic purposes N2 - Instructors of English for Special Purposes often describe the challenge of determining which specific content and competencies to address in their courses. After all, it is the focus on technical subject matter which students expect to differentiate engineering ESP from standard EFL. Yet ESP instructors, who frequently have a background in fields such as applied linguistics or education, often receive little input from technical specialists as to which specialist topics are most relevant to their target domain. Our research indicates that ESP instructors in higher education can leverage a valuable resource to enrich teaching effectiveness: students who have already gained professional experience. As part of a longitudinal study at two universities of applied sciences (UAS) in southern Germany, engineering students at the beginning of their first semester of compulsory technical English participate in an online survey. The course participants provide relevant biographical information such as work experience and evaluate the perceived importance of a selection of skills and applications for a Technical English course. The surveys, administered in October 2016 and October 2017 and encompassing nearly 1000 respondents, provide compelling insights. Analysis reveals conclusive correlations between the perceived importance of course components and students' declared level of previous work experience. Listening comprehension, reading comprehension, process description, and test and measurement are topics whose importance correlates positively with work experience level. In addition, there are clear trends relating work experience level with the importance of the reading and writing of technical documents as well as communication and interaction. This data provides empirically-founded criteria for selecting the topics to include in the scope of a Technical English course for engineers, informed by the judgment of students with occupational experience. Additionally, recognizing that students with work experience have legitimate practitioner credibility allows instructors to identify and select relevant subject matter in concordance with experienced students' learning objectives. ESP learners will profit greatly from cultivating skills with proven practical applicability. KW - ESP curricula KW - ESP practitioners KW - Technical English KW - work experience Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.22190/JTESAP1802277K VL - 6 IS - 2, Special issue SP - 277 EP - 284 PB - Universität Nis ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Koenig, Eric A1 - Guertler, Katherine A1 - Żarnowska, Dorota A1 - Horbačauskienė, Jolita T1 - Developing English language competence for global engineers T2 - 2020 IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON): 27-30 April 2020, Porto, Portugal N2 - English language skills are essential to professional communication in international engineering environments. Given the concomitant degree of specialization, university-level coursework in English for Specific Purposes is an essential component of engineering student preparation. This large-scale survey of university students of engineering in three European countries provides important insight into the most relevant language skills, with the goal of informing communicative, task-based curricula for Technical English courses. KW - English as a foreign language KW - English for engineers KW - English for specific purposes KW - professional communication KW - technical English Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1109/EDUCON45650.2020.9125208 SP - 242 EP - 249 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Koenig, Eric A1 - Guertler, Katherine T1 - Are you experienced? Technical and interpersonal communication prioritization in engineering ESP T2 - Proceedings of Languages for Specific Purposes in Higher Education - Current Trends, Approaches and Issues, Brno University of Technology/Tschechien Y1 - 2017 UR - https://www.oth-regensburg.de/en/professoren-profilseiten/professoren-am/guertler-katherine/research.html ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Koenig, Eric A1 - Guertler, Katherine A1 - Tluková, Jolana ED - Vranova, Martina T1 - Harnessing learners’ domain expertise for LSP curriculum development: Experience-based best practices and strategies T2 - New to the LSP Classroom? A Selection of Monographs on Successful Practices N2 - In Chapter 7, a team of authors from European technical universities addresses the most common challenge novice LSP practitioners usually have—inadequate knowledge of the target domain. They propose strategies to develop the language instructor’s technical terminology and concepts. Struggling with feelings of intimidation in an alienating environment of the technical English classroom led the authors to a realization that the best source of target-domain knowledge is their own students. Interacting with students and receiving and appreciating subject-matter input from them bridges the gap between LSP practitioners with humanistic training and their technology-oriented students. By creating the classroom culture of two sets of experts in cooperation to solve a problem, both the teachers and the students can symbiotically learn from each other. Such teacher-student cooperation will give novice LSP practitioners a considerable head start. Moreover, it ensures that course design and curriculum can be tailored to the students’ needs. Such student-guided input will also make up for the intensely felt lack of contact between LSP instructors and experts teaching subject-matter courses. The reflections on the unenviable situation of LSP instructors in an environment where everybody else but them has the target-domain knowledge is then followed by a list of specific in-class and take-home activities that incorporate the student-domain expertise in the ESP classroom. All these activities can be adapted to any language, level of proficiency, or target domain. Y1 - 2023 SN - 978-1-64889-150-2 SP - 131 EP - 146 PB - Vernon Press CY - Wilmington, DE ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Koenig, Eric A1 - Guertler, Katherine ED - Haase, Christoph T1 - Supporting weaker students in the mixed-level ESL classroom T2 - English Language Teaching Through the Lens of Experience Y1 - 2019 SN - 978-1-5275-3718-7 SP - 181 EP - 194 PB - Cambridge Scholars Publisher CY - Newcastle-upon-Tyne ER -