Aspects Influencing ESP Syllabus Design in Lifelong Military Education

Abstract

This paper aims to identify and compare aspects affecting English language syllabus design at military language centres in six NATO countries. Close attention is devoted to course syllabi for Level 1 (Survival; approximately corresponding to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) Level A2) and Level 2 (Functional; approximately corresponding to CEFR Level B1). The descriptive quantitative research, conducted in 2019, concentrated on determining which stakeholders participated in creating the English language syllabi presently in use and which critical aspects of syllabus design the creators considered in the process of their compilation. The findings reveal that active teacher participation is one of the most prominent characteristics of the entire syllabus design process in all of the institutions examined, which results from the specific nature of the courses focused on preparing learners for final English examinations in a military context. Integrated syllabi, which are product-oriented and teacher-led, are another defining characteristic typical for both levels in all institutions. The syllabi in the countries studied are designed similarly, considering such crucial aspects as the learners’ entrance level, previous syllabus, exit requirements, and the type and length of courses. The study offers new insight into the organisational structure of courses at the elementary level, and an increase in the number of lessons in courses for Level 1 organised within the Czech army is strongly proposed.