The Role of Debriefing in Enhancing ESP Classroom Scenario-based Activities
Roč.15,č.2(2025)
This paper explores the role of debriefing in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) instruction, highlighting the pedagogical value of this post-activity reflection to enhance language development, soft skills, and professional competencies. As ESP teaching increasingly emphasises task-based and scenario-based activities, such as role plays and simulations, it is essential to ensure that the learning process extends beyond the linguistic and communicative aspect. Despite the proven effectiveness of these interactive methods in fields such as medicine, in ESP in remains undervalued. By addressing this gap, the paper draws on the limited existing research and describes the process of integrating debriefing into ESP classes, offering some recommendations on making a meaningful connection between language, the needs and interests of learners while preparing them for real-life professional contexts.
communicative competence; debriefing; ESP; professional skills; scenario-based activities; soft skills
Denisa Šulovská
a:1:{s:5:"cs_CZ";s:81:"Katedra anglistiky a amerikanistiky, Filozofická fakulta, Univerzita Komenského";}
Assistant Professor in the Section of English for Specific Purposes at the Department of British and American Studies, Faculty of Arts, Comenius University in Bratislava. She has successfully led the KEGA 023UK-4/2014 project funded by the Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic. Her research focuses primarily on the effectiveness of teaching English for Specific Purposes and on the development of specialised foreign language courses in the tertiary sector. She is the author of two university textbooks (English for Students of Political Science 1 and English for Students of Political Science 2) and the author or co-author of several course materials.
Department of British and American Studies, Faculty of Arts, Comenius University, Gondova 2, 814 99 Bratislava, Slovakia
Department of British and American Studies, Faculty of Arts, Comenius University, Gondova 2, 814 99 Bratislava, Slovakia
Abdul Rahman, N. A. B., & Maarof, N. (2018). The effect of role-play and simulation approach on enhancing ESL oral communication skills. International Journal of Research in English Education, 3(3), 63–71. https://doi.org/10.29252/ijree.3.3.63
Baybakova, I. M., & Hasko, O. L. (2020). Imitational and role-play strategies in the ESP discourse training. Humanitarnyi Vymir, 1–2, Article 03. https://doi.org/10.32838/2663-6069/2020.1-2/03
ChatGPT. (2025, January 20). Prepare a check list for ESP teacher to manage and guide debriefing after a scenario-based activity, such as a simulated negotiation or simulated meeting. Cover these areas: Linguistic competence, Communicative competence, Affective dimension, Professional skills development, Soft skills development [Large language model]. OpenAI. https://chat.openai.com/
Council of Europe. (2020). Common European framework of reference for languages: Learning, teaching, assessment. Companion volume. Council of Europe.
Crookall, D. (2023). Debriefing: A practical guide. In L. M. Angelini & R. Rut Muñiz (Eds.), Simulation for participatory education: Virtual exchange and collaboration worldwide.
Droste, N., Lassen, F., Möller, I., Raffn, J., & Zelli, F. (2023). Bridging differences through classroom simulations: Teaching global environmental governance to international and interdisciplinary PhD students. In G. Pleschová & A. Simon (Eds.), Internationalising teaching in higher education: Supporting peer learning. European University Association. https://doi.org/10.2861/14540
Fanning, R. M., & Gaba, D. M. (2007). The role of debriefing in simulation-based learning. Simulation in Healthcare, 2(2), 115–125. https://doi.org/10.1097/SIH.0b013e3180315539
Juríková, I. (2024). Predchádzanie jazykovej úzkosti u adolescentov učiacich sa angličtinu prostredníctvom koncepcie pozitívnej psychológie. 3, 49–64.
Kováč, S. (2024). Gamifikácia, kolaboratívne učenie a rozvoj mäkkých zručností vo vyučovaní jazyka pre špecifické účely [Gamification, collaborative learning, and soft skills development in LSP]. In Aplikované jazyky v univerzitnom kontexte XI (Recenzovaný zborník vedeckých prác). Ústav cudzích jazykov, Technická univerzita vo Zvolene.
Kšiňanová, M., Kostrub, D., & Hamar, T. (2024). Koncepcia konštrukcionistickej výučby na hodinách anglického jazyka v univerzitnom vzdelávaní. In Kvalita jazykového vzdelávania na vysokých školách v Európe VIII. Zborník príspevkov z konferencie 5.–6. 10. 2023 (pp. 129–144). Gaudeamus. ISBN 978-80-7435-934-7
Majid, S., Liming, Z., Tong, S., & Raihana, S. (2012). Importance of soft skills for education and career success. International Journal for Cross-Disciplinary Subjects in Education. Special Issue, 2.
Schürmann, V., Bodemer, D., & Marquardt, N. (2025). Applying debriefings in the context of higher education: How joint reflection fosters students’ collaborative problem solving. Social Psychology of Education, 28(62). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-024-09991-3
Slováková, T., & Kováč, S. (2025). Utilizing collaborative learning to enhance motivation, foster inclusivity and support well-being in LSP. APPS, Academic Journal of Applied Linguistics and Languages, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.17423/apps.2025.03.1.02
Šulovská, D. (2024). Simulated negotiations as a teaching tool in the ESP classroom. Journal of Language and Cultural Education, 11(3), 25–32. https://doi.org/10.2478/jolace-2023-0023
Tan, K. H., Rif, S. C., Sultan, F. M. M., & Muslim, N. (2024). Eliciting debriefing experiences: A scoping review. Heliyon, 10(6), e33592. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e33592
Wahyuni, S. (2015). Simulation and role play techniques to increase ESP students’ English speaking skill. Lingua Litera: Journal of English Linguistics and Literature, 1(1), 18–29. https://doi.org/10.55345/stba1.v1i1.37
Copyright © 2026 Denisa Šulovská