Abstract
In the Polish educational system it is mainly institutions of higher education that conduct English for Specific Purpose (ESP) courses, partly because of the regulations of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, which stipulate that a B.A. graduate should know a foreign language at least at the B2 level of CEFR and its specialized variety1. This article presents an analysis of Polish ministerial and faculty documents such as ministerial teaching standards and faculty learning outcomes that influence the teaching of ESP at tertiary level in Poland. It also presents an analysis of ESP syllabi from eight higher education institutions published at Internet websites of faculties of economics and management. The aim of the analysis was to see how ministerial and faculty documents define ESP and what type of ESP students of economics and management learn and what are the main course materials for syllabus design for students of economics, management and their various specializations. All the documents and syllabi were subject to qualitative analysis which showed that neither teaching standards nor faculty learning outcomes provide a clear indication of what language for professional or specific purposes is supposed to be. Furthermore, it showed that while teaching students of economics and management, language teachers reach for business English course books which offer a general set of topics and skills, and use one and the same course books with students of different specialties. This shows that the lack of clear guidelines from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education makes it difficult for teachers to provide ESP courses beyond a certain level of generality.
Highlights
In1 the 1980s and 1990s the knowledge of foreign languages in Poland was relatively low, so language courses, both in public and private institutions, were aimed mainly at beginner or intermediate students
Institutions of higher education are obliged to follow the regulations of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, which stipulate that a B.A. graduate is required to know a foreign language at least at the B2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR)
English for Specific Purpose (ESP) teachers are obliged by various ministerial and faculty requirements to teach students a language for professional or specific purposes
Summary
In1 the 1980s and 1990s the knowledge of foreign languages in Poland was relatively low, so language courses, both in public and private institutions, were aimed mainly at beginner or intermediate students. Institutions of higher education are obliged to follow the regulations of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, which stipulate that a B.A. graduate is required to know a foreign language at least at the B2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) He or she has to know a specialized variety of the language he or she has been learning. The second reason why institutions of higher education offer language courses for professional or specific purposes is the fact that an increasing level of knowledge of foreign languages among Polish learners creates solid linguistic foundations on which. B.A. graduates find it hard to get a job, which is why they might prefer to pursue studies in a field that is likely to be attractive for future employers Those institutions of higher education which better prepare their students for a successful career are more valued by secondary school graduates. The process of teaching languages for professional or specific purposes at tertiary level in Poland is not easy, since Polish language teachers struggle to choose skills and competences while teaching ESP courses
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
