Student Conference of Professional Presentations in Foreign Languages: high participation and outstanding quality

Under the motto “Proficiency in foreign languages at university level requires a focus on real-world professional needs,” the Student Conference of Professional Presentations in Foreign Languages took place on Wednesday, 18 March, at the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, USB. The event provided students with an opportunity to present their professional knowledge in a foreign language – an essential skill for today’s university-educated professionals. Participants could choose between two language sections: English and German. In total, 45 presentations, each lasting 10 minutes, were delivered and evaluated by expert panels. The conference filled four lecture halls: three dedicated to English presentations and one to German.

The aim was to enable students to test their language competencies in a broader forum than their regular study groups. As a result, they gained confidence in a skill they can subsequently include in their academic or professional portfolios. They also received a certificate of participation.

The event was opened by the Dean of the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Mgr. Ivana Chloubová, Ph.D., the Director of the organising Institute of Humanities in Helping Professions, Ing. Radka Prokešová, Ph.D., and the organiser Mgr. Vlastimila Ptáčníková, Ph.D. Each lecture hall was overseen by a different expert panel whose members evaluated the presentations. It was noted at the conclusion that the submitted contributions were of a very high standard, making it difficult to select the best. “Our colleagues praised your level, which is very valuable feedback for us. You delivered excellent performances that were inspiring both for you and for us,” summarised Dr Prokešová. According to the main organiser, Dr Ptáčníková, the strong student interest in the event, together with the high quality of the presentations, demonstrated that such a conference can be successfully organised at our faculty – providing a compelling reason to repeat it next year.

Students who placed in the top three positions received financial awards in both the English and German sections: CZK 9,000 for first place, CZK 6,000 for second place, and CZK 3,000 for third place.

RESULTS

German Section
Michael Schlehofer (1^st place)
Aneta Skořepová (2^nd place)
Ondřej Povejšil (3^rd place)

English Section
Tereza Šmejkalová (1^st place)
Lukáš Michna (2^nd place)
Viktorie Jochová (3^rd place)