The Nature of Speech Communication

BBI 3211: English for Specific Purposes

======Lecturer Details: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mohd Faiz bin Abdullah E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected] Tel: 089468721 (office) H/Phone: 012-9789764

UNIT 1: INTRODUCING ESP

Unit Objectives:

By the end of the module, you will be able to:

1. provide an extended definition of ESP as a distinct field of theory and practice within English language teaching;

2. identify the absolute and variable characteristics of ESP;

3. describe the nature of ESP practice in general; and

4. identify the main developments within ESP over the last four decades.

Sub-topics

1. English as an international language 2. What is ‘ESP’? 3. Why do we need ESP?  Learners and their needs

UPMET------1 BBI 3211: English for Specific Purposes

====== The role of the ESP teacher  The choice of text and the design of materials  Aspects of language  Appropriate Methodology 4. An Extended definition of ESP 6. Recent Developments in ESP 7. The ESP Family Tree

Remember: Whenever possible, study the ‘Big Picture’ first to get an overall understanding of a given topic before you look more closely at the specific problems, issues, etc. As Samuel Johnson has noted in his Preface to Shakespeare, “Particulars are not to be examined till the whole has been surveyed”.

UNIT 2:LEARNER NEEDS ANALYSIS

Unit Objectives

At the end of the unit, students are able to: 1. describe the concept of ‘need’ in ESP;

======2. identify the different types of need; 3. classify the various types of need with respect to ESP learners’ target, present and learning situations; 4. outline the various techniques of needs analysis; and 5. conduct small-scale needs analyses to meet the initial requirements of proposed ESP courses.

Sub-Topics

1. Introduction 2. Defining needs analysis 3. Approaches to needs analysis (a) Target Situation Analysis (TSA) (b) Present Situation Analysis (PSA) (c) Learning Situation Analysis (LSA) 4. Language audits 5. Methods of needs analysis 6. The timing of a needs analysis 7. Who carries out the needs analysis / Who decides what the language needs are? 8. Translating needs analysis outcomes

======A Target Situation Analysis framework (Hutchinson & Waters 1987)

Why is the language needed? - for study; - for work; - for training; - for a combination of these; - for some other purpose, e.g. status, examination, promotion.

How will the language be used? - medium: speaking, writing, reading, etc.; - channel: e.g. telephone, face to face; - types of text or discourse: e.g. academic texts, lectures, informal conversations, technical manuals, catalogues.

What will the content areas be? - subjects: e.g. medicine, biology, architecture, shipping, commerce, engineering; - level: e.g. technicians, craftsman, postgraduate, secondary school.

Who will the learners use the language with? - native speakers or non-native; - level of knowledge of receiver: e.g. expert, layman, student; - relationship: e.g. colleague, teacher, customer, superior, subordinate.

Where will the language be used? - physical setting: e.g. office, lecture theatre, hotel, workshop, library; - human context: e.g. alone, meetings, demonstrations, on the telephone; - linguistic context: e.g. in own country, abroad. UPMET------4 BBI 3211: English for Specific Purposes

======

When will the language be used? - concurrently with the ESP course or subsequently; - frequently, seldom, in small amounts, in large chunks.

Worked example of a genre and its moves:

Schematic Structure of the Research Article Abstract (adapted from Bhatia, 1993) 1. WRITER INTRODUCES PURPOSE OF STUDY: The purpose of the study was to examine … 2. WRITER DESCRIBES METHODOLOGY: 50 high school students in Kelantan participated in the study. They were selected from … 3. WRITER SUMMARISES RESULTS OF STUDY: It was discovered that … 4. WRITER PRESENTS CONCLUSIONS: High school students in Kelantan, and probably in other similar settings …

Name of genre: Research article abstract Rationale: To present an abstract or summary of a study in Kelantan Communicative Moves: Four moves (communicative purpose indicated above in bold)

Main linguistic signal of each move shown above in italics.

======A Framework for Analysing Learning Needs

Why are the learners taking this course? - compulsory or optional; - apparent need or not; - Are status, money, and promotion involved? - What do learners think they will achieve? - What is their attitude towards the ESP course? Do they want to improve their English or do they resent the time they have to spend on it?

How do the learners learn? - What is their learning background? - What is their concept of teaching and learning? - What methodology will appeal to them? - What sorts of techniques are likely to bore/alienate them?

What resources are available? - number and professional competence of teachers; - attitudes of teachers to ESP; - teachers’ knowledge of and attitude to the subject content; - materials; - aids; - opportunities for out-of-class activities.

Who are the learners? - age/sex/nationality; - What do they know already about English? - What subject knowledge do they have? - What are their interests? - What is their socio-cultural background? - What teaching styles are they used to? - What is their attitudes to English or to the cultures of the English-speaking world? UPMET------6 BBI 3211: English for Specific Purposes

======

Where will the ESP course take place? - Are the surroundings pleasant, dull, noisy, cold, etc?

When will the ESP course take place? - time of day; - every day/once a week; - full-time/part-time; - concurrent with need or pre-need.

METHODS OF ANALYSING NEEDS

Instrument Advantages Disadvantages 1. Tests reveal ‘gaps’ in Time-consuming to proficiency; give construct valid, diagnostic reliable tests information 2. Questionnaires Can be used with Time-consuming to large numbers of construct good people; easy to questionnaires; low administer; easy to rates of return; not analyse if possible very flexible, responses are especially if there are limited and/or large number of open- structured (e.g. ‘tick ended responses the box’ type responses 3. Interviews Flexible; more in- Interviewer skill and /structured depth responses rapport with interviews that help fill in gaps respondents are in other types of important; can be data e.g. from the time-consuming to

======survey analyse 4. Observation Provides more Time-consuming; authentic data needs good relations about TSA or LSA with those being needs observed 5. Case studies Provides in-depth More suitable for long authentic data of term study, hence various kinds time-consuming; results may not be generalisable to population 6. Learner diaries Can provide data May be difficult to on learning distinguish between strategies. learner the interesting and the styles and useful; too much data preferences, etc.; could be confusing can serve as basis for negotiation of syllabus 7. Previous May be time-saving ‘Lacks’ of two groups research as reports of needs may be similar but of similar groups ‘wants’ may differ may be transferred to target context 8. Participatory Useful to identify May be difficult to needs analysis TSA and LSA separate ‘wants’ that accurately; may do not fit help motivate learners

======

UNIT 3: COURSE DESIGN

Unit Objectives:

At the end of the unit, students are able to: 1. distinguish between popular terms used to describe ESP instruction; 2. describe a classical model of language course design; 3. compare two or more models to cite similarities and/or differences; 4. identify the three main approaches to course design; 5. use their knowledge of the various types of learner need to plan a short ESP course; and 6. identify the various constraints that impact ESP course design.

======

Sub-topics

1. Introduction 2. Issues in ESP Course Design a) Argument against a ‘narrow-angle’ approach b) Argument against a ‘wide-angle’ approach c) Argument against ‘mono-skill’ focused courses d) Special methodologies for ESP courses 3. Possible Components of a Syllabus 4. The Role of a Syllabus 5. Approaches to Course Design a) Language-centred Approach b) Skill-centred Approach c) Learning-centred Approach 6. Types of ESP Syllabus 7. Case studies

Possible syllabus components:

1. general aims 2. specific objectives

======3. a rationale (i.e. why the course is necessary) 4. an inventory of (language) items 5. an indication of entry level (essential previous learning) 6. an indication to mastery level 7. indications of teaching methodology 8. explanations for students and teachers 9. indications of time distribution 10. assessment procedures 11. indications of non-linguistic content (e.g. topics) 12. variation provisions (e.g. enrichment activities for more able learners and remedial activities for weaker learners)

UNIT 4: DESCRIPTION OF SPECIAL LANGUAGES Unit Objectives

At the end of this unit, you will be able to:

1. identify the various terms used to describe language in ESP, 2. trace the major stages in the analysis of language, 3. describe the special role of vocabulary learning in ESP, and

======4. explain how special language can be analysed and described, with particular reference to register and genre.

Sub-topics:

1. Introduction 2. Concepts of special language, register, and genre 3. Language content in syllabus specification 4. Vocabulary 5. Form and function 6. A Theory of Language in Context for ESP

ENGLISH

GE = ‘General’ English SE = Scientific English BE = Business English

======

REGISTER

LANGUAGE

Context of Situation

Context of Culture

The Contexts of Genre and Register (LERN 1990)

======

UNIT 5: ESP MATERIALS

Unit Objectives

At the end of this unit, you will be able to:

1. describe ways in which knowledge of special language can be used in the development of ESP materials, 2. identify authentic texts for use in ESP classes, 3. distinguish between language-focused and authentic activity-focused use of text, 4. assess the relative merits and demerits of using textbooks and in-house materials, respectively, and 5. select appropriate techniques of ESP materials design and apply these to their own practice.

Subtopics

1. Introduction 2. Using authentic texts 3. Language-focused and authentic activities

======4. Textbook and in-house materials 5. Using resource materials

UPMET------15