Olga Kissova

This comparative study examines the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) at universities in the Visegrad Group (V4) countries, which include Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia. These central European universities were selected for our research due to their shared potential in regional knowledge exchange and coordinated educational development. The focus is on ESP teachers’ attitudes, readiness, and frequency of using AI tools in teaching and assessment. A mixed-methods approach was employed during the 2024/2025 summer term, which combined quantitative data from 112 ESP teachers with qualitative insights from 37 semi-structured interviews. The Kruskal-Wallis test identified significant differences among countries in both perceived readiness and frequency of AI usage. Findings indicate that Polish and Hungarian teachers demonstrate more advanced AI integration, while Czech teachers show moderate levels of adoption, and Slovak teachers exhibit lower levels. Despite understanding the benefits of ESP, such as enhanced engagement, personalisation, and teaching efficiency, ESP teachers still face challenges, including a lack of training, limited infrastructure, and insufficient funding. By mapping current practices, the study provides a foundation for future development. It highlights the need for professional training, institutional support, and coordinated strategies to ensure the effective and equitable integration of AI in ESP across the V4 region, guided by the principles of ethics and security.

This study delves into the effectiveness of integrating the PERMA model, emphasising the synergy of positive emotional stimuli and education technologies satisfying digital natives daily within JobLab's framework for FLA (Foreign Language Acquisition) development among graduate students. The research methodology combined qualitative and quantitative data. With a focus on nurturing holistic well-being and language proficiency, this research involves forty-six students divided into an experimental group (N=23) with an innovative approach and a control group (N=23) following traditional teaching methods. Pre/post-observations and student self-assessment questionnaires FLCAS (Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale) were utilised to assess the impact of the intervention. Statistical analysis using established software revealed notable improvements in English-speaking proficiency among the experimental group, emphasising the significance of the PERMA model's integration in JobLab. Results indicated improved professional English language learning performance for the experimental group with the positive emotional stimuli and technology integration approach, highlighting the potential for cultivating proficient communicators among graduates.

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology has established itself as an effective tool for identifying various objects in all human and business areas. There are many studies describing the use of this technology. However, scientific articles only marginally address the issue of recycling or reusing radio frequency identifiers. Radio frequency identifiers are defined as electronic waste by European Union legislation. This article deals with the environmental burden resulting from the use of radio frequency identifiers in a selected logistics centre and courier company in the Slovak and Czech Republic territories. The research and its relevance have become topical in the context of pandemics and with the increasing demand for products and courier services. In order to access the level of the above-mentioned environmental burden in a relevant way, an analysis of the circulation of transport units (pallets) and radio frequency identifiers in the selected logistics centre was carried out. The research results showed that the selected logistics centre generated annually 5.7 t of the e-waste from radio frequency identifiers placed on received pallets. The amount of 139 kg of metal was present in the e-waste quantity. The partial results of the research were applied to the e-commerce area. This article’s conclusion is dedicated to the characterization of possibilities of reducing the environmental burden from the use of radio frequency identifiers in logistics.

Graduates of universities with a technical and economic focus need to master the transferable competences of the 21st century to increase their competitiveness. Our work presents professional language training within the JobLab (simulation of the working environment) at the University of Žilina in Žilina, comparatively compares the impact of educational technologies and activating work methods through student satisfaction questionnaires and the results of knowledge testing (input and exit test) before and after the introduction of the innovative JobLab approach. The methodology uses satisfaction questionnaires and the results of knowledge testing in the Socrative online platform. After the introduction of JobLab, there was a significant improvement in the acquisition of students' knowledge in testing, and satisfaction questionnaires showed increased student satisfaction with the methods and forms of the JobLab concept, increased interest and internal motivation to study a foreign language. The results confirm that JobLab is an effective link between educational technologies and the human side within the framework of activating methods in the academic and work environment.

The work aims to apply a divergent and convergent approach in teaching professional English focused on developing verbal creativity within the training of communication skills for university students. The research involved 50 students of economics in an experimental group with a divergent approach (N = 25) and a control group with a traditional convergent approach (N = 25) at the University of Zilina in an engineering study within an 8-week experiment. Before/after the experiment, verbal creativity in topic-based production was tested based on verbal, associative and expressional fluency, spontaneous flexibility, and originality in business English. Comparing the test results of both groups and student self-assessment questionnaires (5-Linkert scale, open-ended questions) were used to measure the differences in connection with the experiment. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods were implemented (mean, median, standard deviation) using SPSS software and open-ended questions were coded and analysed through Google Analytics. The research findings confirmed expectations about the positive impact of the divergent approach that applied pro-creative methods and forms in a student-centred interactive environment that proved increasing motivation, language awareness, and practical knowledge of the target language compared to the control group.

In the digital society variety of technological tools became available that bring the new tutoring student-centred ecosystem enhancing professional English L2 teaching/learning skills and abilities. The work aims at adopting technology in education (EdTech) by comparing the advantages and limitations and addressing experimental evidence on the effectiveness of technology-based approaches by developing English communication skills for graduates. The pre-experimental phase recognised and mapped the most effective and supportive approaches in topic-based presentation skills development. In an experimental 8-week lasting professional English language course, 50 students of economics from University Zilina formed an experimental group (N=25) with EdTech (educational technology) approach and a control group (N=25) with traditional teaching approach. The primary research method, the pedagogical experiment, is set to determine the correlation between students' attitudes to EdTech tools. The study is designed to explore the impact of EdTech on students' motivation, engagement, and development of speaking skills. In the post-experimental phase, pre/post-test results were compared based on the student's self-assessment questionnaire (5-Linkert scale, open-ended questions). Data was used to measure the differences in connection with the experiment. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods were implemented (mean, median, standard deviation) via SPSS software, and open-ended questions were coded and thematically analysed. The experimental group showed increased verbal and non-verbal skills and more strong retention, motivation, and engagement. Discussion leads expectation that with safe EdTech adoption, the future of education will look smart in terms of virtual reality, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence support enhancing real-world needs and core professional English skills development.

SWS Conference on Social Sciences and SWS Conference on Arts and Humanities

The objective of the work is the application of contrastive approach in teaching English to analyse the pros and cons of the contrastive method in teaching foreign language pronunciation to young learners compared to non-contrastive (monolingual) method used at our Slovak primary schools. This article determines the dominant influence of the learner’s mother tongue/native language (L1) in the process of learning/teaching pronunciation foreign/second language (L2) and by using contrastive approach tries to enhance positive transfer from the L1 and the reduction of possible negative transfer from L1 to L2 using appropriate teaching techniques and effective tools. The study will be carried out on English language non-native teachers working at a public and private Slovak primary school to find out their needs in the field of teaching pronunciation (questionnaires) and will be focused on quasi-experimental pupils’ group trained separately with and without contrastive approach before recording them and analysing the results. The experimental group will be trained in cognitive contrastive approach concerning segmental, suprasegmental and prosodic phonetics systems comparing Slovak and English languages sound systems. The control group will be trained by using imitative-intuitive ways with the same texts in reading and free speaking topics as the first group. Both qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques will be used in the study and the triangulation of research methods will be finished by contend analyses of mainly used English textbooks which are mail regular sources for learning/teaching pronunciation. The most important will be the practical output for teachers and pupils in creating specially designed pronunciation concerned materials for meeting specific needs of our Slovak primary school level determining the influence and interference of Slovak mother tongue in learning/teaching pronunciation.

The aim of the work is an appreciation of the role of English language, the importance of proper pronunciation in English language acquisition, finding out up & running effective approaches, implement the ways how to avoid, predict and maintain misunderstanding by communicating effectively in English in order to adopt international educational trends and knowledge sharing to achieve self-realization, modernization and development in developing learning word. Pronunciation is of the most difficult aspects of English to acquire and the target of comfortable intelligibility. It is the most important and significant problem that non-native English speakers must face when studying English that can lead to positive or negative impression, misunderstanding and any kind of ineffective communication. Pronunciation refers to the production of sounds that we use to make meaning. It includes attention to the particular sounds of a language (segments), aspects of speech beyond the level of the individual sound, such as intonation, phrasing, stress, timing, rhythm (suprasegmental aspects), how the voice is projected (voice quality) and, in its broadest definition, attention to gestures and expressions closely related to the way we speak a language. Modern pronunciation teaching approaches determine the dominant influence of the learner’s mother tongue/native language (L1) in the process of learning/teaching pronunciation foreign/second language (L2) and by using contrastive approach tries to enhance positive transfer from the L1 and the reduction of possible negative transfer from L1 to L2 using appropriate teaching techniques and effective tools. The influence of mother tongue suggests that in the foreign language communication, native speakers as pronunciation errors are the most frequently detected phenomena of undifferentiating of phonemes, thus incorrect implementation of L2 sounds not found in the L1 system. Foreign language pronunciation is a specific phenomenon as a manifestation of non-native phonic system and learner?s ability and potential to for foreign language acquisition. An individual aspect plays much more important role here than the language levels. Each learner has some potential for foreign language acquisition that is determined not only by physiological and mental functions but also by the influence of lingual and extra lingual environment. However, the acquisition of reasonable pronunciation by some learners without any effort from the side of the teacher depends on several factors. To sum up the role of pronunciation in teaching English it is not just only a cognitive 'knowing-that' but it is also a physical 'knowing-how' confirming the success of practical phonetic training combined with adequate theoretical information.