Customised vocabulary list – HAN

Pilot: Customised Vocabulary List
Teaching team: Ilse de Wit, Ilonka Tiemens, Steffie Pragt, Judith Brans
University and degree programme: HAN University of Applied Sciences, Business Administration
Course: International Business Project (Year 3)
Timing: Ongoing throughout the semester
CLIL pilot type: Light
CLIL assignments: Vocabulary development, integration in progress meetings, advisory reports, and final presentations
Language: English

 

CLIL 10 Parameters Implementation:

Sequence

The vocabulary list is introduced at the beginning of the semester. Students receive a curated base list containing general business and internationalisation-related terms, provided by both language and content teachers. Each student or group is instructed to expand this list throughout the course. They must submit updated versions on Brightspace before each progress meeting and a finalized list (including at least 15 additional self-selected terms) prior to their practice presentation in period 2. The requirement is not just to know these words, but to actively use them in meetings, reports, and presentations.

Concept and Task > Language

The vocabulary list serves a dual purpose: it strengthens students’ academic and professional language and helps them communicate their ideas clearly in a business context. Students are expected to add words that are directly relevant to their specific internationalisation project. They must explain the context in which they plan to use each word and are encouraged to integrate these words into their advisory reports and oral presentations. By doing so, language learning becomes embedded in content-related tasks.

Guided Multimedia Input

To support vocabulary development, students have access to digital tools and platforms (e.g., online dictionaries, pronunciation guides like YouGlish, and business vocabulary glossaries). Lecturers also provide annotated examples of vocabulary in use—drawn from previous student presentations, advisory reports, and professional business cases.

Key Language

English is the language of instruction and communication throughout the project. The curated list includes business vocabulary that is frequently used in professional and international contexts, as well as terms that are often mispronounced or misunderstood.  The list then evolves collaboratively—language teachers focus on pronunciation and general academic language, while content teachers contribute domain-specific terminology. Students then personalise this foundation by adding project-specific terms.

Instructions

Clear guidelines are provided on how to use and personalise the vocabulary list:

• Students are required to add at least 10 context-specific words relevant to their project.
• These terms must be clearly defined and contextualised.
• Students must explain each word’s relevance in the context of their internationalisation project.
• They must submit updates before each progress meeting and a complete version before their practice presentation.
• During formative and summative speaking assessments, students are expected to actively integrate these terms into their output.

Interactions

Students collaborate in their teams to select and discuss relevant vocabulary. They also observe vocabulary use during peers’ progress meetings and presentations, providing an additional input-output loop. Cross-team interaction further reinforces exposure to business terms used in diverse contexts.

Thinking

The vocabulary pilot encourages students to engage in metacognitive thinking as they progress through their international business project. Rather than passively accepting a pre-made list, students must actively identify and evaluate which terms are most relevant to their specific project context. This means reflecting on which vocabulary items they need to clearly communicate their ideas in presentations and reports, and deciding why those terms are significant. The task asks students to not only define and pronounce the selected words but also explain their relevance within the context of their own advisory work. This reflection process leads to a deeper understanding of both language and business concepts, as students are constantly challenged to make meaningful connections between vocabulary and content.

Supported Output

The output expected from students in this pilot is both written and spoken, and they are supported in developing both modes. The base vocabulary list is co-developed by language and content teachers, combining terms that are commonly used in business with words that students tend to mispronounce or misunderstand. Students then personalise this list by adding a minimum of ten context-specific words that appear in their own projects. This evolving list is submitted multiple times—before each progress meeting and ahead of the practice presentation in Period 2—allowing for continuous feedback and refinement. Teachers provide formative feedback on usage, pronunciation, and contextual accuracy, and students are explicitly encouraged to integrate their personalised vocabulary into their spoken and written outputs. This scaffolding ensures that vocabulary learning is not a standalone exercise but embedded in meaningful communication throughout the course.

Feedback

Lecturers have observed that this initiative helps students focus more consciously on professional language use. Some informal feedback has already been gathered:

• Students are more aware of their pronunciation challenges.
• They report more confidence in using business terms during presentations.
• Teachers note improved clarity and structure in students’ oral communication.

Survey results of this pilot are included in the survey on the pilot.

Team Teaching

The success of this CLIL initiative hinges on collaboration between content and language teachers. Business English lecturers guide vocabulary acquisition and usage, while content lecturers help students select terms that are relevant and practical within their specific project context. Team-teaching is most visible during the progress meetings, where both types of feedback are given in real time. Coordination in instruction and assessment is crucial to ensure consistency and clarity for students.

Further development ideas:

• Create a shared vocabulary bank in Brightspace where frequently added words can be browsed by all students.
• Allow students to record themselves pronouncing new terms and receive automated or teacher feedback.
• Gamify vocabulary learning by creating quizzes or flashcard challenges based on their own lists.
• Introduce peer feedback rounds on vocabulary use in written reports.

Download the file here: Instructions and Template for Creating Vocabulary List