Description
This brief data with regards to is entrepreneurship teachable ioan moise achim university of alba iulia, romania.
CLIE – 2008 Proceedings
IS ENTREPRENEURSHIP TEACHABLE?
Ioan Moise Achim
University of Alba Iulia, Romania
Teodora Popescu
University of Alba Iulia, Romania
Abstract
The aim of this article is to present, on the one hand, theoretical background to teaching
entrepreneurship to non-business students and on the other, the results of a longitudinal
experiment carried out among 25 MA students with a non-business background. The
experiment revealed the double focus and efficiency of a course in entrepreneurship – the
acquisition of business content (theoretical knowledge pertaining to setting up a business) and
the acquisition of specialist business vocabulary in English as well as of specific pragmatic
strategies (how to convince a bank manager of the relevance of your business idea and of the
necessity of lending you the loan you need, etc.). The research methods used were both
quantitative (tests) and qualitative (questionnaires, interviews, etc.). The teaching methods
were a combination of teacher mini-lectures, project work, pair-work, group work, simulations
and role-plays. The materials used were mainly electronic, and the students had access to
computers with Internet connection both at school and at home. Communication was also
carried out via email, in addition to face-to-face communication at university. Assessment was
both summative and formative, great emphasis being placed on the autonomous learning
dimension.
The results obtained were clearly indicative of the fact that Content and Language Integrated
Learning (CLIL) education is feasible and extremely necessary for the future graduates with a
non-business background.
Key words: entrepreneurship, content and language integrated learning, autonomous learning,
project work.
In our competitive society, an ability to manage change and to seize the best
opportunity at hand is probably the best survival tool that both business and non-
business students nowadays seek to acquire. Is this ability something that teachers and
academic subjects can develop in students? There has long been a conviction that
entrepreneurship and innovation are intangible concepts that cannot be taught.
Nevertheless, given the growing importance that society nowadays attaches to
innovation, initiative and risk-taking, more and more young people are considering
starting off on their own.
According to The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 1999 Executive Report,
which analysed the relationship between entrepreneurship and economic growth, by
comparing 10 countries (the G7 plus a further three countries - Denmark, Finland and
Israel), entrepreneurship represents “any attempt at new business or new venture
Table of Contents
Ioan Achim Moise and Teodora Popescu
26
creation, such as self-employment, a new business organization, or the expansion of
an existing business, by an individual, a team of individuals, or an established
business”. (Reynolds, Hay & Camp 1999) In terms of teaching entrepreneurship to
students, the most widely accepted approach is that of entrepreneurship seen as the
pursuit of opportunities. Shane and Venkataraman (2000) concentrated on the
importance of discovering, evaluating and exploiting opportunities in the
entrepreneurial process.
In the following we will concentrate on how entrepreneurship can be taught to
non-business students at the University of Alba Iulia, through the medium of the English
language. Therefore, the focus of our study will be two-fold: on the one hand, we will try
to analyse how students’ entrepreneurial competences and predicted entrepreneurial
behaviour may develop alongside increased communication skills in English. For the
purposes of this paper we will refer to teaching a non-language subject through the
medium of a foreign language as CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning), the
by-now commonly used term in the specialist literature.
According to Coyle (2002), four major components need to be emphasised by
all those who teach a specialist subject through the medium of a foreign language: the
subject matter (content); the language of and for learning (communication); the
thinking integral to high quality learning (cognition); and the global citizenship
agenda (culture). This framework points out that the effectiveness of CLIL depends
on successful combination of several factors: progression in knowledge, skills and
understanding of the content, engagement in associated cognitive processing,
interaction in the communicative context, developing appropriate language
knowledge and skills as well as acquiring a deepening intercultural awareness through
the positioning of self and ‘otherness’.
The course in entrepreneurship (taught in English) was given to a group of
MA students with non-business background, during a 14-week academic semester.
The course aims were to give students insight into and competences in
entrepreneurship in practice through collective projects and reflection upon own
activities. Great emphasis was laid on the self-learning and critical analysis
components, as students contributed to the design of own learning tasks, activities and
situations which may be conducive to the development of an ‘enterprising behaviour’.
The syllabus was so structured that we could focus on the following
important issues: raising students; awareness as to the importance of initiative,
decision-making, innovation, risk-taking, as well as planning, financing and
implementation of a business idea. Students were divided into team of four and had to
decide together the agenda for their project work. The final product of the project had
to be a business plan that they had to present in front of the other students, who would
then evaluate and critically assess it. Throughout the semester the students themselves
decided on the activities necessary to carry out their project. They also designed
learning tasks and suggested ways of evaluating them. Mention should be made that
the role of the teacher was that of a resource bank, a mediator and counsellor. The
main aim was to foster creativity and learning independence. There were numerous
real-life simulations, role plays and debates that mirrored actual situations that future
entrepreneurs may be presented with in running a business.
Is entrepreneurship teachable?
27
We will present in the following the outline of the syllabus and materials
used:
Syllabus/ Materials
Timing Control Group(CG) Experimental Group (EG)
Week 1
2 hrs.
Introduction Presentation of
topics. Presentation of
bibliography and distribution of
teaching materials.
Introduction. Brainstorming session.
Tips on making effective presentations
in English. Using computers. Useful
internet sites. Group administration.
Week 2
2 hrs.
Finance (New International
Business English)
Company profiles. Case studies –
famous small business and the great
men behind them.
Week 3
2 hrs.
Accounting and financial
reporting (English for Business
Studies)
Profile and an entrepreneur. Differences
between managers and entrepreneurs.
Questionnaire for managerial skills.
Week 4
2 hrs.
Banking. Means of payment
(Anglais économique et
commercial)
Business opportunities and ideas.
Mission statements.
Week 5
2 hrs.
Banking (New Insights into
Business)
The planning stage. Establishing a
target market
Week 6
2 hrs.
Banking (English for Business
Studies)
Marketing strategies. Products/services.
Pricing strategies
Week 7
2 hrs.
Stocks and shares (English for
Business Studies)
Ways of financing a business
Week 8
2 hrs.
The stock exchange (English
for Business)
Accounting Differences between the
Romanian and the British/American
accounting system.
Week 9
2 hrs.
Insurance (English for
Business)
Setting up a small business. Differences
between Romania and Great Britain/the
USA.
Week 10
2 hrs.
Insurance (Anglais économique
et commercial)
Taxation and insurance.
Week 11
2 hrs.
Setting up a business(New
Insights into Business)
Relationship with the bank. Financial
counsellors.
Week 12
2 hrs.
The entrepreneur (Business
Class)
SWOT Analysis
Week 13
2 hrs. Final test
(Writing the business plan – team work,
outside class). Plenary presentation of
the business plans, analysis of business
plans (own and colleagues’). Overall
assessment of project work..
Week 14
2 hrs. Analysis of test results
Teacher’s feedback. Negotiation of the
marking strategy.
Ioan Achim Moise and Teodora Popescu
28
Extensive recourse was made to electronic resources (various Internet materials:
company websites, financial and economic publications, banking information and
help). Here are some of the most widely used internet sites:http://www.theglassceiling.com,http://www.2h.com/Test/entrepreneur,http://www.businesstown.com/entrepreneur/article1.asp,http://www.businesstown.com/entrepreneur/article2.asp,http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/mssbdc/going_intobus.html,http://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/6174/professional-quiz-elephant-fridge.htm,http://www.allbusiness.com/articles/content/2537.asp,http://www.geocities.com/wwjoke/htm/bill_manager.htm.
Amongst the most seminal activities during the project work I would like to
mention the session devoted to exploring the qualities of entrepreneur, the analysis of
the specific drive and motivations behind the decision to start on one’s own. Students
designed their own questionnaires and interpreted them according to the peculiar
cultural determinism of the Romanian nation. The questions that seemed most
important when would-be entrepreneurs assess their capabilities for starting up a
business were “Are you prepared to work long hours, six to seven days a week,
including holidays?” Romanians in particular seem to be aware of the fact that if
important tasks have to be completed one needs the power to stay the course.
Especially for new start-ups, you must do whatever it takes to launch your business
on the market and to keep it there. Secondly, it also seemed essential to be able to
answer the following question affirmatively: “Are you prepared to lower your
standards of living for months, even years?” It could take months, even years to start
making a profit. All participants agreed that it is crucial to be able to adjust your life
so you can live without a steady income for as long as it takes to successfully launch
your business.
The end products of their project work activities were all very well-thought out
and viable business plans, on which they worked collaboratively mostly outside the
typical on-site classes. The progression along the course was evident, as the difficulties
they encountered at the beginning with reference to organising their learning activities,
were overcome towards mid-semester. Autonomy in learning and most importantly, in
using their knowledge in real-life situations reached increased levels towards the end
of the semester.
The evaluation questionnaires were self-designed and democratically
negotiated and they reflected maturity in understanding the underlying processes in
entrepreneurship. The assessment of the viability of the business idea, as well as of
the realistic planning of financial issues was carefully and scientifically designed,
proving that the students may be able to analyse and seize opportunities, ascertain and
put into practice business ideas. They could therefore develop analytical thinking
in conjunction with the business environment, understand financial data, read
and fill in income statements, cash flows, balance sheets, financial forecasts, capital
expenditures, etc. Moreover, students were able to understand the responsibilities of an
employer, by evaluating human resources appropriately, as well as understand the legal
structure of companies in Britain and make comparisons with the Romanian legal system.
As far as the language dimension of the course is concerned, the experiment
Is entrepreneurship teachable?
29
proved that the students significantly improved their communication skills, displaying
increased ability in presenting information in a clear and concise way, in writing email
messages, business letters and reports in English, reading contracts, evaluation sheets, and
questionnaires. The following functions and skills were developed: giving effective
presentations, negotiating successfully, finding and retrieving information, exchanging
information, reading and write business letters, filling in forms, dealing with contracts,
preparing for job interviews, assessing staff’s performance, establishing contact with
banks.
Conclusion
All in all, the experiment presented above was successful and proved the efficiency of
CLIL education at postgraduate level. The most important students’ motivation had
several components: course-specific motivational components (syllabus, teaching
materials, teaching method, and learning tasks), teacher-specific motivational components
(teacher personality and teaching style, teaching feedback, relationship with the students)
and group-specific motivational components (dynamics of the learning group, group
cohesion, etc.). Students were able to concentrate on the content and direction of learning
and developed their understanding and (self-)critical thinking skills. By exploiting
multimedia technologies and by elaborating their own learning materials, as well as
appropriate tasks, learners managed to carry out both individual and group/pair work
activities. They were able to cooperate and negotiate the immediate course objectives, as
well as, manage and evaluate learning activities. The decision-making process concerning
the meaning and direction of their own learning and that of their colleagues' was
extremely successful and calls for replication in other instances too. Students managed to
assume responsibility for their educational acts and turned into valuable collaborators for
the teacher, who consequently assumed the role of resource, facilitator and counsellor.
References
Cotton, D. & Robbins, S. (1993). Business Class. London: Nelson Language Teaching.
Coyle, D. (2002). Relevance of CLIL to the European Commission’s language learning
objectives. In Marsh, D. (ed) CLIL/EMILE- The European Dimension: Actions, Trends and
Foresight Potential Public Services Contract DG EAC: European Commission.
Philip, D. (1995). Getting Started: How to set up your own business. Robson Rhodes
Chartered Accountants, Kogan Page Limited.
Reynolds, P. D., Hay, M. & Camp, S. M. (1999). The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 1999
Executive Report. Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership.
Shane, S. & Venkataraman, S. (2000). The Promise of Entrepreneurship as a Field of
Research. Academy of Management Review. 25(1): 217-226.
doc_435858135.pdf
This brief data with regards to is entrepreneurship teachable ioan moise achim university of alba iulia, romania.
CLIE – 2008 Proceedings
IS ENTREPRENEURSHIP TEACHABLE?
Ioan Moise Achim
University of Alba Iulia, Romania
Teodora Popescu
University of Alba Iulia, Romania
Abstract
The aim of this article is to present, on the one hand, theoretical background to teaching
entrepreneurship to non-business students and on the other, the results of a longitudinal
experiment carried out among 25 MA students with a non-business background. The
experiment revealed the double focus and efficiency of a course in entrepreneurship – the
acquisition of business content (theoretical knowledge pertaining to setting up a business) and
the acquisition of specialist business vocabulary in English as well as of specific pragmatic
strategies (how to convince a bank manager of the relevance of your business idea and of the
necessity of lending you the loan you need, etc.). The research methods used were both
quantitative (tests) and qualitative (questionnaires, interviews, etc.). The teaching methods
were a combination of teacher mini-lectures, project work, pair-work, group work, simulations
and role-plays. The materials used were mainly electronic, and the students had access to
computers with Internet connection both at school and at home. Communication was also
carried out via email, in addition to face-to-face communication at university. Assessment was
both summative and formative, great emphasis being placed on the autonomous learning
dimension.
The results obtained were clearly indicative of the fact that Content and Language Integrated
Learning (CLIL) education is feasible and extremely necessary for the future graduates with a
non-business background.
Key words: entrepreneurship, content and language integrated learning, autonomous learning,
project work.
In our competitive society, an ability to manage change and to seize the best
opportunity at hand is probably the best survival tool that both business and non-
business students nowadays seek to acquire. Is this ability something that teachers and
academic subjects can develop in students? There has long been a conviction that
entrepreneurship and innovation are intangible concepts that cannot be taught.
Nevertheless, given the growing importance that society nowadays attaches to
innovation, initiative and risk-taking, more and more young people are considering
starting off on their own.
According to The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 1999 Executive Report,
which analysed the relationship between entrepreneurship and economic growth, by
comparing 10 countries (the G7 plus a further three countries - Denmark, Finland and
Israel), entrepreneurship represents “any attempt at new business or new venture
Table of Contents
Ioan Achim Moise and Teodora Popescu
26
creation, such as self-employment, a new business organization, or the expansion of
an existing business, by an individual, a team of individuals, or an established
business”. (Reynolds, Hay & Camp 1999) In terms of teaching entrepreneurship to
students, the most widely accepted approach is that of entrepreneurship seen as the
pursuit of opportunities. Shane and Venkataraman (2000) concentrated on the
importance of discovering, evaluating and exploiting opportunities in the
entrepreneurial process.
In the following we will concentrate on how entrepreneurship can be taught to
non-business students at the University of Alba Iulia, through the medium of the English
language. Therefore, the focus of our study will be two-fold: on the one hand, we will try
to analyse how students’ entrepreneurial competences and predicted entrepreneurial
behaviour may develop alongside increased communication skills in English. For the
purposes of this paper we will refer to teaching a non-language subject through the
medium of a foreign language as CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning), the
by-now commonly used term in the specialist literature.
According to Coyle (2002), four major components need to be emphasised by
all those who teach a specialist subject through the medium of a foreign language: the
subject matter (content); the language of and for learning (communication); the
thinking integral to high quality learning (cognition); and the global citizenship
agenda (culture). This framework points out that the effectiveness of CLIL depends
on successful combination of several factors: progression in knowledge, skills and
understanding of the content, engagement in associated cognitive processing,
interaction in the communicative context, developing appropriate language
knowledge and skills as well as acquiring a deepening intercultural awareness through
the positioning of self and ‘otherness’.
The course in entrepreneurship (taught in English) was given to a group of
MA students with non-business background, during a 14-week academic semester.
The course aims were to give students insight into and competences in
entrepreneurship in practice through collective projects and reflection upon own
activities. Great emphasis was laid on the self-learning and critical analysis
components, as students contributed to the design of own learning tasks, activities and
situations which may be conducive to the development of an ‘enterprising behaviour’.
The syllabus was so structured that we could focus on the following
important issues: raising students; awareness as to the importance of initiative,
decision-making, innovation, risk-taking, as well as planning, financing and
implementation of a business idea. Students were divided into team of four and had to
decide together the agenda for their project work. The final product of the project had
to be a business plan that they had to present in front of the other students, who would
then evaluate and critically assess it. Throughout the semester the students themselves
decided on the activities necessary to carry out their project. They also designed
learning tasks and suggested ways of evaluating them. Mention should be made that
the role of the teacher was that of a resource bank, a mediator and counsellor. The
main aim was to foster creativity and learning independence. There were numerous
real-life simulations, role plays and debates that mirrored actual situations that future
entrepreneurs may be presented with in running a business.
Is entrepreneurship teachable?
27
We will present in the following the outline of the syllabus and materials
used:
Syllabus/ Materials
Timing Control Group(CG) Experimental Group (EG)
Week 1
2 hrs.
Introduction Presentation of
topics. Presentation of
bibliography and distribution of
teaching materials.
Introduction. Brainstorming session.
Tips on making effective presentations
in English. Using computers. Useful
internet sites. Group administration.
Week 2
2 hrs.
Finance (New International
Business English)
Company profiles. Case studies –
famous small business and the great
men behind them.
Week 3
2 hrs.
Accounting and financial
reporting (English for Business
Studies)
Profile and an entrepreneur. Differences
between managers and entrepreneurs.
Questionnaire for managerial skills.
Week 4
2 hrs.
Banking. Means of payment
(Anglais économique et
commercial)
Business opportunities and ideas.
Mission statements.
Week 5
2 hrs.
Banking (New Insights into
Business)
The planning stage. Establishing a
target market
Week 6
2 hrs.
Banking (English for Business
Studies)
Marketing strategies. Products/services.
Pricing strategies
Week 7
2 hrs.
Stocks and shares (English for
Business Studies)
Ways of financing a business
Week 8
2 hrs.
The stock exchange (English
for Business)
Accounting Differences between the
Romanian and the British/American
accounting system.
Week 9
2 hrs.
Insurance (English for
Business)
Setting up a small business. Differences
between Romania and Great Britain/the
USA.
Week 10
2 hrs.
Insurance (Anglais économique
et commercial)
Taxation and insurance.
Week 11
2 hrs.
Setting up a business(New
Insights into Business)
Relationship with the bank. Financial
counsellors.
Week 12
2 hrs.
The entrepreneur (Business
Class)
SWOT Analysis
Week 13
2 hrs. Final test
(Writing the business plan – team work,
outside class). Plenary presentation of
the business plans, analysis of business
plans (own and colleagues’). Overall
assessment of project work..
Week 14
2 hrs. Analysis of test results
Teacher’s feedback. Negotiation of the
marking strategy.
Ioan Achim Moise and Teodora Popescu
28
Extensive recourse was made to electronic resources (various Internet materials:
company websites, financial and economic publications, banking information and
help). Here are some of the most widely used internet sites:http://www.theglassceiling.com,http://www.2h.com/Test/entrepreneur,http://www.businesstown.com/entrepreneur/article1.asp,http://www.businesstown.com/entrepreneur/article2.asp,http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/mssbdc/going_intobus.html,http://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/6174/professional-quiz-elephant-fridge.htm,http://www.allbusiness.com/articles/content/2537.asp,http://www.geocities.com/wwjoke/htm/bill_manager.htm.
Amongst the most seminal activities during the project work I would like to
mention the session devoted to exploring the qualities of entrepreneur, the analysis of
the specific drive and motivations behind the decision to start on one’s own. Students
designed their own questionnaires and interpreted them according to the peculiar
cultural determinism of the Romanian nation. The questions that seemed most
important when would-be entrepreneurs assess their capabilities for starting up a
business were “Are you prepared to work long hours, six to seven days a week,
including holidays?” Romanians in particular seem to be aware of the fact that if
important tasks have to be completed one needs the power to stay the course.
Especially for new start-ups, you must do whatever it takes to launch your business
on the market and to keep it there. Secondly, it also seemed essential to be able to
answer the following question affirmatively: “Are you prepared to lower your
standards of living for months, even years?” It could take months, even years to start
making a profit. All participants agreed that it is crucial to be able to adjust your life
so you can live without a steady income for as long as it takes to successfully launch
your business.
The end products of their project work activities were all very well-thought out
and viable business plans, on which they worked collaboratively mostly outside the
typical on-site classes. The progression along the course was evident, as the difficulties
they encountered at the beginning with reference to organising their learning activities,
were overcome towards mid-semester. Autonomy in learning and most importantly, in
using their knowledge in real-life situations reached increased levels towards the end
of the semester.
The evaluation questionnaires were self-designed and democratically
negotiated and they reflected maturity in understanding the underlying processes in
entrepreneurship. The assessment of the viability of the business idea, as well as of
the realistic planning of financial issues was carefully and scientifically designed,
proving that the students may be able to analyse and seize opportunities, ascertain and
put into practice business ideas. They could therefore develop analytical thinking
in conjunction with the business environment, understand financial data, read
and fill in income statements, cash flows, balance sheets, financial forecasts, capital
expenditures, etc. Moreover, students were able to understand the responsibilities of an
employer, by evaluating human resources appropriately, as well as understand the legal
structure of companies in Britain and make comparisons with the Romanian legal system.
As far as the language dimension of the course is concerned, the experiment
Is entrepreneurship teachable?
29
proved that the students significantly improved their communication skills, displaying
increased ability in presenting information in a clear and concise way, in writing email
messages, business letters and reports in English, reading contracts, evaluation sheets, and
questionnaires. The following functions and skills were developed: giving effective
presentations, negotiating successfully, finding and retrieving information, exchanging
information, reading and write business letters, filling in forms, dealing with contracts,
preparing for job interviews, assessing staff’s performance, establishing contact with
banks.
Conclusion
All in all, the experiment presented above was successful and proved the efficiency of
CLIL education at postgraduate level. The most important students’ motivation had
several components: course-specific motivational components (syllabus, teaching
materials, teaching method, and learning tasks), teacher-specific motivational components
(teacher personality and teaching style, teaching feedback, relationship with the students)
and group-specific motivational components (dynamics of the learning group, group
cohesion, etc.). Students were able to concentrate on the content and direction of learning
and developed their understanding and (self-)critical thinking skills. By exploiting
multimedia technologies and by elaborating their own learning materials, as well as
appropriate tasks, learners managed to carry out both individual and group/pair work
activities. They were able to cooperate and negotiate the immediate course objectives, as
well as, manage and evaluate learning activities. The decision-making process concerning
the meaning and direction of their own learning and that of their colleagues' was
extremely successful and calls for replication in other instances too. Students managed to
assume responsibility for their educational acts and turned into valuable collaborators for
the teacher, who consequently assumed the role of resource, facilitator and counsellor.
References
Cotton, D. & Robbins, S. (1993). Business Class. London: Nelson Language Teaching.
Coyle, D. (2002). Relevance of CLIL to the European Commission’s language learning
objectives. In Marsh, D. (ed) CLIL/EMILE- The European Dimension: Actions, Trends and
Foresight Potential Public Services Contract DG EAC: European Commission.
Philip, D. (1995). Getting Started: How to set up your own business. Robson Rhodes
Chartered Accountants, Kogan Page Limited.
Reynolds, P. D., Hay, M. & Camp, S. M. (1999). The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 1999
Executive Report. Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership.
Shane, S. & Venkataraman, S. (2000). The Promise of Entrepreneurship as a Field of
Research. Academy of Management Review. 25(1): 217-226.
doc_435858135.pdf