Abstract
The twenty-first century is a time of unprecedented social and technological development. Defining the period is an internationally interconnected world pregnant with information, dynamic events, and individual choice. These attributes create a highly complex, unpredictable, ambiguous and volatile environment that places new demands on every adult individual to continue in their efforts to educate, requalify and upskill during the course of their whole life. Based on both national and international educational strategies, a willingness to pursue life-long learning and an ability for it represent the main objectives for the curricula and educational programs. The current study presents a language teaching model that aims at student autonomy in language learning. The model, specifically focused on business English, was based on student needs analysis studies conducted and replicated in 2006, 2013 and 2016 at ŠKODA AUTO University, and as part of an international HEI cooperation research between 2017 and 2020. The Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) approach is adopted to combine course topics and outlines. In-class and self-study activities aim at language competences proportionally distributed between reading, writing, listening, and speaking tasks. Teaching methods cover both individual work and peer cooperation. Course requirements provide students with a high degree of freedom when making decisions about the content of their projects. As such, this concept helps students find the area of their self-realization, which boosts their motivation, willingness and ability both to continue and self-direct their further learning.
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