LESSON 2. TASK 1: STUDENTS' NEEDS

        I will discuss the task of students' linguistic needs in the context of the subject of Economics. This subject is included in the modality of Humanities and Social Sciences as established in the Decree 102/2008 of 11th July by the Consell, which decides the curriculum of Bachillerato and the minimum contents at the Valencian Community. The contents of Economics (i.e. those theoretical and conceptual aspects of the subject that answer the question: What should we teach? or What does the student need to know about this subject?) can also be found at the Royal Decree 1467/2007 of 2nd November. In both laws, one can find the following 8 blocks of contents:
 
  ∙  BLOCK 1: Economic activity and economic systems
  ∙  BLOCK 2: Production, Economic Interdependence and Population
  ∙  BLOCK 3: Trade and markets
  ∙  BLOCK 4: Economic National Indicators
  ∙  BLOCK 5: Decision making and Public Intervention in the Economy
  ∙  BLOCK 6: Finance
  ∙  BLOCK 7: International Economic Context
  ∙  BLOCK 8: Actual Economic Unbalances

    Regarding the type of linguistic exchanges needed in a typical class of Economics in the first year of Bachillerato, one should expect students making questions about those aspects of the subject that are not clear to them. They should also be able to participate in debates on some economic aspects in a natural way, improvising their answers and comments. Sometimes they are also asked to solve the exercises in the blackboard so that they should explain to the rest of their classmates their process in order to get the correct solution. During the explanations given by the teacher, they should be able to understand them, internalise the definitions of new concepts, incorporate the new specific vocabulary and follow the procedures in order to solve quantitative problems. It should be taken into account that my explanations are both oral but with the support of slides and notes on the blackboard. I like asking questions to random (and not so random sometimes!) students in order to check whether they are following the explanations or whether I should decrease my own speed.
    Regarding the writing and reading skills they must use, students are also expected to read the news, solve some theoretical exercises, read documents and the textbook, analyse and comment on some economic papers.