Building Professional Communication Skills Inside and Outside Formal Educational Contexts: The Challenges and Opportunities of Engineering Co-Op Placements

Abstract

The addition of a co-op component to a traditional academic curriculum creates a unique challenge for those international students who enter the program without a strong command of the English language and with insufficient familiarity with the professional context. This paper investigates that challenge as it relates to the international students enrolled at a Canadian Bachelor of Engineering co-op program. Currently adopted pedagogical practices are reviewed and an argument is introduced for alternative strategies and solutions to be devised so that academic and professional success is attainable for all students.