Orbis: A Competency-Based Framework for English Studies at Universidad Central "Marta Abreu" de Las Villas

Abstract

Orbis, which means "world" in Latin, is the name of the United Nations Model of Universidad Central "Marta Abreu" de Las Villas that seeks to engage university students in discussions about major issues on the international agenda. Every year, this university along with the Cuban Association of the United Nations, the Faculty of Social Sciences, and the University Student Federation convene a new edition of Orbis with the purpose of raising a topic of high international complexity. Orbis in itself is a potential competency-based approach, which qualifies students to develop fluency, accuracy, specific vocabulary and confidence to express themselves within a professional context. Likewise, this event challenges students to make decisions, resolve conflicts and find creative solutions in simulated situations. This proposal seeks to empower Orbis so that it accounts as a professional education laboratory where English language students develop professional skills, like public address and management, and the lab where curricular courses come alive and help to sort out professional issues. Through a mixed-methods approach involving document analysis, faculty interviews, and student surveys, the study designs and validates a pedagogical model that systematically incorporates Orbis simulations into the academic program. The findings demonstrate that this integration not only enhances linguistic proficiency but also equips students with the professional readiness required for global careers in diplomacy, tourism, and international relations, thereby setting a benchmark for competency-based language education in Cuba.