INTERCULTURAL LEARNING AND BILINGUAL PROGRAMMES IN HIGHER EDUCATION: THE CASE OF BUSINESS STUDENTS

Objective: The present study is aimed at analysing one of the benefits the implementation of bilingual and plurilingual programmes can have on the students to whom they are offered, giving them opportunities to develop additional skills to the ones inherent to their studies. In particular, linguistic and intercultural skills are at present in high demand by the labour market. Theoretical Framework: In this topic, the main concepts and theories underpinning the research follow the key notions of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) in Higher Education. Thus, the students’ participation in itineraries which include linguistic immersion in foreign languages ​​will be identified as being highly beneficial, since it provides them with full guarantee of success in the business world. Method: Our study comprised three phases. The research sample was made of a total of 237 Business students interviewed during the academic years of 2018/2019 to 2022/2023. Results and Discussion: Results indicated that even though students involved in non-compulsory CLIL programmes showed their interest in developing intercultural skills, work needs to be done as to manage to overcome the obstacles that may hinder the interaction among international students. Research Implications: The practical implications of this research go beyond informing about curriculum design, teacher training and institutional strategies for multilingual education, in addition to promoting employability and global citizenship through CLIL-based learning. Moreover, the theoretical implications support and extend the CLIL theory, by connecting bilingual education to employability and reinforcing the academic value of intercultural competence. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the literature by extending the understanding of CLIL and plurilingualism in Higher Education. From a social perspective, our study promotes intercultural competence, global awareness, and workforce readiness.