The EU4Dual alliance and its partners’ co-operation has been a success in many ways. One aspect of it, maybe small but still quite meaningful, has been the steps taken in the co-operation related to language learning opportunities and co-operation between the language teachers in the alliance. Over the past two years, there has been created co-teaching and learning pilots to support diverse language‑study options for the alliance’s target groups. The pilots aim always to strengthen the participants skills in the world of work, and not just linguistic skills. Furthermore, the language teaching and learning co-operation has an important role to support student and staff mobility.

An online co‑teaching experiment in an English course for engineering students

The co‑teaching experiment was carried out in spring 2025 between students from Koszalin University of Technology in Poland and Savonia UAS students for the first time. In total, 28 students took part. The aim was to give students a real experience of international virtual teamwork.

The course included three online meetings. In these meetings, each team worked to solve a case task they had chosen themselves. An important part of the teamwork was organising the team’s activities independently, including arranging the online meetings. The team meeting had to be recorded to show that communication also happened face‑to‑face online, not only in writing. In the final webinar, each team presented its case solution to the whole group. (Stankiewicz-Majkowska & Hyrkstedt 2025, 40-42.)

Student feedback was very positive. Many students felt that the experience prepared them well for working life. Several said they realised they could manage better than they had expected. However, they were surprised by typical work‑life challenges, such as technical problems (e.g. poor internet connections) and difficulties in scheduling. The teachers found the experiment professionally very valuable. (Stankiewicz-Majkowska & Hyrkstedt 2025, 44-50.)

As the experience was such a good one, the co-teaching implementation plan was revised only with some little details, and carried out again, with new students, in March-April 2026. Again, the student feedback was very positive, and the plan is to continue the co-teaching in Spring 2027. So, an experiment has developed to be a well-established practice.

HR Benchmarking Bootcamp: intensive spoken English practice for HR experts

The HR Benchmarking Bootcamp took place in Autumn 2024. It brought together three HR professionals from non‑competing organisations who did not know each other beforehand. They came from Finland, Germany and Poland.

The bootcamp offered an intensive learning experience with three guided online meetings. A language teacher from Savonia and an HR specialist acted as facilitators. During the meetings, participants shared their best HR practices in English and were encouraged to discuss actively in different ways.

After each meeting, participants received personal feedback on their English communication. They could also receive advance feedback by sending a recorded speaking sample before the meeting. English communication was supported through preparatory tasks, personal coaching and “coaching cards.” The main goal was to create a positive experience of successful interaction in English, regardless of the participant’s starting level. (Hyrkstedt, I. & Viklund, P. 2025; Hyrkstedt 2025, 22-23.)

According to feedback, peer learning and increased confidence in English skills were seen as clear benefits, although the short duration of the bootcamp was considered a challenge. For future bootcamps, defining participants’ English skill levels more clearly and forming groups based on the levels were identified as useful improvements. The pilot was considered successful in offering a new way to develop both professional and communication skills in English while networking within the EU4DUAL alliance. (Hyrkstedt, I. & Viklund, P. 2025; Hyrkstedt 2025, 22-23.)

Next goal: Language Learning Portal

A Language Learning Portal is currently being developed for EU4DUAL’s needs. Its purpose is to provide information, guidance and opportunities related to language learning and language‑teaching cooperation. The portal aims to support the mobility of both students and staff in the alliance, and when needed, also training needs coming from working life.

The portal will include information about the alliance’s online language courses, face‑to‑face language courses for exchange students, and language‑learning materials for both general and field‑specific purposes. It will also connect users to the alliance’s own Languages and Cultures in Tandem programme and hopefully help teachers find partners for virtual cooperation. The portal is planned to be launched in Summer 2026.

Coming soon – Languages and Cultures in Tandem Programme

A fully virtual Tandem programme for EU4Dual alliance is also being developed currently. Because the alliance covers many European language and cultural areas, it offers excellent possibilities for peer learning and intercultural communication.

The idea of tandem learning, where two students learn each other’s languages and cultures using the “Each one teach one” method, was already familiar in Savonia UAS. The aim has been to bring exchange students and Finnish students together through face‑to‑face meetings and shared activities such as cooking or hiking. (Suhonen I.-M. & Mylläri A. 2026.)

The new alliance‑wide tandem programme will be virtual and based on online discussions as well as sharing materials, tips and experiences on Moodle learning platform. Each pair can decide whether they want to focus more on language or culture, and starting levels can vary from beginner to advanced. The first implementation is planned for Academic Year 2026-2027, and it will be offered to both students and staff.

A blended intensive program in 2026 attracted to co-operate

Savonia UAS and our German partner university RheinMain UAS have been developing and piloting a BIP (Blended Intensive Program) for two years already. The intensive course is focusing on intercultural communication, competence and theory. (Pietilä, A.-M., Savela, S. & Suhonen I.-M.2024.) So far, the intensive study week has taken place both in Finland and in Germany.

Now this co-operation has been extended to include also more EU4Dual partners. In Spring 2026 Koszalin University of Technology from Poland and Mondragon University from Spain joined the co-operation and participated the BIP, hosted by RheinMain UAS, for the first time.

The student feedback has been positive every time (see e.g. Räisänen, I. & Leskinen J. 2024). It has encouraged the teachers involved to continue the development work, and now, also widen the co-operation between several new partners. The next BIP will take place in 2027 in Koszalin, Poland. In 2028 it is again Savonia UAS’s turn to host the intensive study week.

This BIP co-operation is another well-established practice between the partners already. We hope that, in the coming years, it opens more new opportunities to co-operate in the field of language learning and teaching and expands the network of co-operation to include even more EU4Dual partners.

Conclusion

Language learning is essential when students and professionals prepare for working in global context. Good language skills enable participation in international projects, working in multicultural teams and building networks across borders. They also help people to meet and understand diversity.

Being involved with authentic, interactive learning events increase confidence and courage to use a foreign language. Language skills support sharing information, spreading best practices and achieving common goals. They can also create enjoyable and empowering encounters on both a personal and professional level.

Based on our experience, the cooperation enabled by EU4Dual, as well as the new educational innovations and products created within the alliance, bring added value to students, education professionals and the world of work.

---

Author

Irene Hyrkstedt, Senior Lecturer, Savonia UAS

---

References

Hyrkstedt, I. & Viklund, P. 4.2.2025. 2-in-1 – HR Benchmarking Bootcamp: HR-käytänteiden ja -osaamisen jakamista englannin suullista kielitaitoa vahvistaen. Savonia-amk. Luettavissa: https://www.savonia.fi/kansainvalisyys/2-in-1-hr-benchmarking-bootcamp-hr-kaytanteiden-ja-osaamisen-jakamista-englannin-suullista-kielitaitoa-vahvistaen/.

Hyrkstedt, I. 2025. EU4DUAL-koulutuspilotilla potkua yritysten henkilöstön osaamisen ja verkostoitumisen edistämiseen. Toolilainen -Tekniikan ammattikorkeakouluopettajien järjestölehti 2, s. 22-23.

Pietilä, A.-M., Savela, S. & Suhonen I.-M.2024. Monikulttuurisuustaitojen harjoittelu osana kielten opintoja. Savonia-amk. Luettavissa: https://www.savonia.fi/en/articles/successful-cross-cultural-communication-at-savonia/.

Räisänen, I. & Leskinen J.2024. Successful cross-cultural communication at Savonia. Savonia-amk. Luettavissa: https://www.savonia.fi/en/articles/successful-cross-cultural-communication-at-savonia/.

Stankiewicz-Majkowska, J. & Hyrkstedt, I. 2025. Internationalisation and work life skills across the Baltic Sea: Kut – Savonia COIL project in language learning. European Scientific Journal of Dual Higher Education,1,1, s. 35-55. Luettavissa: https://ojs.eu4dualdevelopment.com/index.php/esjdhe/article/view/201.

Suhonen, I.-M. & Mylläri, A. 2026. Learn Language and Culture in Tandem – ystävyyttä, kielitaitoa ja kulttuurienvälistä ymmärrystä. Savonia-amk. Luettavissa: https://www.savonia.fi/artikkelit/learn-language-and-culture-in-tandem-ystavyytta-kielitaitoa-ja-kulttuurienvalista-ymmarrysta/.

The European Dual Studies University 2025. Luettavissa: https://eu4dual.education.