Biography

Associate Teacher in Spanish at the University of Limerick, coordinating Spanish for Business (Advanced) modules in the first, second, third, and fourth years. Ph.D. research on teaching Spanish for specific purposes through technology, organising projects, and virtual language exchanges with international universities in virtual reality environments. Degree in teaching and MA in Applied Linguistics in the University of Limerick. Main areas of research: Curriculum development in Business language courses (BLS), development of 21st-century skills such as leadership and responsibility, communication, social entrepreneurship, intercultural skills, and environmental awareness. Creating projects involving the use of technology to develop 21st-century skills amongst university students; virtual exchanges, use of virtual reality and augmented reality in the classroom, use of immersive VLEs, etc.

Research Interests

Work related to my area of research: Project Sustainable Tourism: Conference: 'A virtual exchange between university students of Tourism and Business: connecting languages and cultures through a sustainable tourism project [TAPP-Virtual exchange]'Conference paper: https://upcommons.upc.edu/handle/2117/348624The aim of this project was to foster awareness about sustainable practices in the area of tourism between business students in the University of Limerick, Ireland, and students of tourism in the university of León, Spain.

Project Yes Lab (Youth Entrepreneurship for Society):
This project received AHSS research funding and was published in the AHSS newsletter. It was also presented in the '4th International Virtual Exchange Conference (IVEC). Fortes, M. (2022). Language Connectives through immersive virtual exchanges in the Spanish for Business Language Classroom. Valencia 26-28 October. IVEC2022'The aim of the project was to foster 21st century competencies (linguistic, intercultural, digital and teamwork) while developing social entrepreneurship. This project took place between business students learning Spanish in the University of Limerick and business students learning English in the University of Valencia, Spain. Students contacted real entrepreneurs from local companies based in Ireland and in Spain, asking questions related to the process of becoming an entrepreneur and the steps for identifying a need in the market to start a new business. The information collected was used to create a joint product or social initiative that they presented in the language classroom through Digital Storytelling.

'The Entrepreneurship classroom' This project has received AHSS Teaching Board Funding and funding from MLAL. This project seeks to promote the development of key social entrepreneurship competences in Business Language contexts via 3D Virtual Reality and intercultural environments (Spatial). The Entrepreneurship classroom aims to simulate real professional situations in the 3D multi-user world Spatial with groups of students from UL and partner universities. Activities, workshops, and collaborative projects will be organised in the immersive space with the aim to foster language and professional skills for job and business insertion.

BRAIRSWIT Project: The BRAIRSWIT Virtual Exchange (VE) Project aims to connect students from UFES in Brazil, Limerick University in Ireland, and the Bern University of Applied Sciences in Switzerland in a first-hand experience of using online technologies to engage in a virtual exchange with possibilities to use multiple languages to develop professional and intercultural competence through the opportunity to learn and compare different contexts.

'Sustainable Universities, creating a Green Campus':In this Virtual Exchange in collaboration with the University of Castilla La Mancha (Spain) , participants are working together to find solutions to environmental issues within their universities and to address these issues with the aim to create an eco-campus; students from Ireland and Spain will create informative posters to foster environmental awareness amongst their classmates.

Professional Activities

Award

  • 2021 - Teaching Hero Award (National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (T&L) / The Union of Students in Ireland.)

Peer Reviewed Journals

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Conference Publications

2021

AELFE TAPP

Begoña F Gutiérrez Marta Giralt Marta Fortes Saez (2021) AELFE TAPP.

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2021

AELFE-TAPP 2021 Villanova, Spain

Marta Fortes Saez; (2021) AELFE-TAPP 2021 Villanova, Spain. AELFE-TAPP 2021 Villanova, Spain

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