Development of the Engineering Technology Word List for Vocational Schools in Malaysia

Abstract

The increasing demand for specialised instruction or lexis for Non-Native English Speakers (NNES) in various disciplines has brought about extensive research of specialized vocabulary in academic texts which help learners to make acquainted with their discourse communities. The word list which consists of the most essential words or known as “building blocks” in the specialized field is regarded as one of the most significant prerequisites in terms of curriculum development. This research emphasizes on the most frequently used engineering academic vocabulary in the form of an engineering technology word list developed using locally written Malaysian engineering technology textbooks for vocational programmes in upper secondary education. The frequently used engineering technology words are selected from the vocational-programme engineering corpus (VPEC) to enhance English for Engineering Purposes (EEP) learning. A word list named Engineering Technology Word List (ETWL) is developed and it is a valuable resource to English for Engineering Purposes (EEP) in Malaysia. The introduction of this word list can be a source of reference where key vocabulary can be accessed for curriculum development in vocational programmes. Besides that, in order for the publishers and EEP textbook writers to further advance the arrangement of vocabulary in developing EEP material, the ETWL should be the key reference.