STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES IN FOREIGN LANGUAGES AS VALUE FOR THEIR PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES DEVELOPMENT AND FUTURE EMPLOYABILITY

Elena Gavrilova; Kira Trostina

doi:10.12955/cbup.v5.993

Elena Gavrilova Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, Russia
Kira Trostina Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, Russia

DOI: https://doi.org/10.12955/cbup.v5.993

Keywords: extra-curricular activities, foreign languages, non-degree education, economic education, employability

Abstract

The rationale behind this research is based on the claim that the students actively involved in university-geared extra-curricular activities (ECAs) in foreign languages gain higher employability than their uninvolved peers. With the recruitment market toughening and the universities’ budgets tightening, the role of ECAs in increasing a student’s profile needs revisiting. This paper examines the correlation between participation in free-of-charge and fee-paying ECAs in foreign languages and greater opportunities for better employment. In recognizing the value of extra-curricular input in their future, student’s views of themselves are reshaped. This outcome results in an increase in the number of student-led versus teacher-initiated activities, thus developing students’ autonomy, critical thinking, and cognitive skills. This article reports on the review and findings of the benefits of ECAs in a Russian economic university. The survey shows that employer-focused ECAs in foreign languages unfailingly provide university graduates with an added edge. The paper concludes with a proposal that inexperienced job-hunters have more confidence to seek better employment when armed with a portfolio of achievements in ECAs and non-degree courses.

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