INTRODUCTION

In the face of rapid economic development, social and demographic changes, it is indispensable to constantly develop professional as well as linguistic competences. A good command of a foreign language is a basic skill that enables people to take advantage of a global job market, and especially knowledge of the English language is quintessential since it constitutes a universal mode of communication – a modern lingua franca. Hence, learners of English at the tertiary level learn not only General English but also English for Specific Purposes (ESP), especially its variant connected with their field of studies. One of the very important aspects of teaching ESP is teaching specialized terminology, which is challenging not only for students but also for teachers as they have to present it in a digestible way. Moreover, the digitization of everyday life has had an enormous impact on the way foreign languages are taught. The accessibility of online and mobile applications, learning platforms and other online tools offers teachers new ways of teaching languages and adds a new dimension to language learning. One of the online tools facilitating the process of language learning and teaching is Memrise, which might be applied in teaching English for Specific Purposes with a focus on acquiring specialized terminology.

The aim of this paper is to discuss the possibilities of using the Memrise online learning platform to support in-class teaching of vocabulary: in this case teaching specialized terminology to two groups of university students from the Faculty of National Security and Administration at the Pedagogical University of Cracow. It delineates the three courses (“Uniformed Forces,” “Police and Crime Investigation,” “Elections”) that were especially designed for those two groups of students to help them acquire terminology connected with their studies. Moreover, the paper presents the detailed results of the questionnaire research conducted among the students learning with Memrise that aimed at evaluating different aspects of this application, its advantages, disadvantages as well as its effectiveness and usefulness.

TEACHING ESP VOCABULARY

The knowledge of specialized terminology constitutes a very important aspect of teaching ESP which requires special attention since it is indispensable for effective communication in professional settings and future workplaces.