USE OF APPS AS TOOLS FOR ACQUIRING LANGUAGE SKILLS

Content and Foreign Language Integrated Learning is an effective methodology for teaching foreign languages through integrated curricula in non-linguistic areas. Based on this idea, and considering the importance of learning English in today's globalised labour market, the use of simple tools was proposed which also fulfilled an important premise: to be updated and close to the engineering students; for what is important to strengthen the communicative capacity of the students in the English language. In addition, nowadays, students must accredit, before finishing their studies, a level of linguistic competences in a foreign language equivalent at least to level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages or higher, encouraging throughout the curricula the practice of fluent English, at least, in reading and writing comprehension, as well as to establish a simple conversation.The aims of this work are: To use new technologies as tools to help learning; To propose a practical, simple and attractive methodology for students; To promote the use of a second language in the classroom and To Use self-assessment methods. As a general objective, it is intended to improve the linguistic abilities of students, promoting the use of a English language by teachers and studentsAs a methodology, The Higher Technical School of Engineering proposed as an alternative to encourage the learning of English the carrying out of activities that can be evaluated in English in some of the subjects that constitute the curricula of its Bachelor's degrees. A methodology in which we had already had previous experiences, consisting in the use of simple applications for Android mobiles (Apps) as practical verification tools related to the subjects from the Area of Mechanics of Continuous Media and Theory of Structures. This activity began to be implemented in the academic year 2016-17, with several Apps developed for Android with free access developed mainly in Spanish language. The aim was to use similar applications developed in English language, so as to encourage the use of the second language, as well as the incorporation of a technical vocabulary in English related to the subjects taught. These applications would consist of: dimensioning/checking of insulated footings, dimensioning and checking of retaining walls, calculation of stresses and deformations, checking of sections subjected to normal stresses, Mohr Circle, etc. All applications are developed in English and the procedure is the same: starting hypothesis; data input, structural calculation, output of results (this can be as a list or graphically, depending on the case).This paper explains the process of implementation of this teaching technique, with some of the examples used by the teaching team, which aims to open an alternative that promotes the use of a second language among students, while allowing teachers to participate actively in the acquisition of language skills.The result of this experience has been very promising, since it was found that students actively involved and learned several technical terms in Spanish and English languages. This was confirmed with some surveys that were made by both, students and teachers, at the end of the experience, in which the language level reached by each student was assessed, and the adequacy and interest of the work developed to promote the use of the second language was valued very positively by the students