English For Specific Purposes Course Research Articles

ESPcourse evaluation purposes and methodology: Tertiary teachers’ perspective and policy implications

Course evaluation has held a prominent position in higher education in the past few decades, yet there exist certain deficiencies pertaining to its design and implementation in some contexts, such as tertiary English for specific purposes (ESP) programs in Serbia and Slovenia. This study focused on ESP course evaluation at universities in these two countries. It examined teachers' evaluation practices, concerns, and suggestions so as to gain insight into their acquaintance with evaluation purposes and methodology, and identify challenges they encounter. The sample comprised 58 ESP teachers who completed a questionnaire, the results of which were analyzed by the authors for both quantitative and qualitative data. Findings reveal that respondents were aware of the importance of conducting course evaluation but also point to the need for promoting their acquaintance with its various methodological aspects (e.g., data collection, evaluation of participants) in order to be able to perform the procedure in a manner that suits their specific teaching context. The findings have important policy implications in terms of providing education and training so as to build teachers' evaluation capacity. Although the study included data from only two European countries, it sheds light on evaluation issues that are of general concern to all teachers of English.

English for a Successful Career: Studying the Needs of the Students Majoring in Economics and Socio-Political Studies

The academic courses in English for specific purposes (ESP) are aimed at honing student functional communicative competence. This will contribute to students’ full development as highly qualified experts in the particular professional area as well as to their successful career realisation. To achieve this goal it is necessary to ensure optimal effectiveness of the ESP courses which involves studying student needs, taking into account the specific features of the new generations of learners – ways of perception, communication and learning, and employing modern information and communication technologies and teaching methods. In addition, the results from surveys of student and employee needs carried out worldwide should also be borne in mind.

On ESP Course Design for International Relations and Regional Studies Majors

The article presents the author's experience in developing an ESP (English for Specific Purposes) course for International Relations and Regional Studies majors and looks at the theoretical background for LSP course design. Choosing between terminological and discursive approach to course design in the sphere of humanities, the authors of the course favour the latter. The article also provides a quick look at an integrative approach to mastering English for Special Purposes offered by Western linguistics (CLIL-approach, Content and Language Integrated Learning), which implies combining the study of language and specialty discipline within the framework of a single course. Although the idea raises obvious interest, the authors of the course opt for a more traditional approach. The selection of texts for the course was subordinate to its main objectives. Since the course is centered upon productive competences – mainly speaking – its authors opted for a factual rather than analytical type of texts as more motivational and easier to discuss. Another chosen way to raise motivation is through the use of illustrations, video and audio materials. A second problem to address was that of authenticity and scientific objectivity of the selected texts, since some of the well-established views on the subject matter in social sciences may differ across countries. The number and types of activities are determined by specific needs of the learners. Particular emphasis is put on identifying and interpreting metaphors in the scientific discourse of humanities.

The Gap between Perceived and Achieved English Communication Needs of Saudi Management and Business Administration Students: An ESP Paradigm

English has gained institutional as well as social acceptance in Saudi Arabia, especially as the language of higher education. Institutes of higher learning make sure that their students achieve an acceptable standard of communicative competence. But, despite many efforts, the discrepancy between the perceived and achieved needs of learners in English communication is observed. This is specifically true of specific course students, such as Management and Business Administration students, who are taught English to enhance their professional communicative competence in English. An empirical study based on survey was conducted at King Abdulaziz University—Rabigh Branch, Saudi Arabia, to investigate whether the English communication needs of Management and Administration students envisaged by the University matched the needs perceived by these students for themselves in the changing global scenario regarding the use of English, and if there is any discrepancy between the two, whether students wish for a change in the way English is taught to them currently. The results obtained from the survey show that students advocate for English for Specific Purposes (ESP) for themselves, with increased semesters of teaching and inclusion of more books in English catering to business English requirements. The implications of the study are far reaching as the students’ perception of their English communication needs indicates the need for stronger advocacy for the inclusion of ESP courses, especially in the vocational programs at the university, such as MBA.

Socrative as a Formative Assessment Tool in English for Specific Purposes Course

Many factors influence the development of the educational system, and today it is a global COVID-19 pandemic. Stakeholders in the educational process need to adjust to a new distant reality without compromising the quality. The formative assessment proved to be a suitable approach to overcome existing challenges, and one of the most popular tools to facilitate it is Socrative. The study aims to 1) investigate student attitudes and the correlation between academic achievements in ESP and majors and 2) present our experience in utilizing Socrative for formative assessment in a distant mode in the settings of the National Technical University of Ukraine “Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute.” To achieve the goals of our study, we have developed and validated a questionnaire, collected quantitative data, analyzed and interpreted the qualitative data; the study sample included 137 students. The obtained results have shown the general positive student attitude towards the usage of Socrative within the course of ESP due to its efficacy, personalization, and responsiveness. The results can be a perspective for further investigation despite some limitations

“You feel a little bit embarrassed, but you get over it”: EFL students’ beliefs and emotions about speaking

Drawing on positive psychology, i.e. the study of how people flourish and thrive, (MacIntyre, Gregersen and Mercer, 2016), this paper aims to analyse the elements which learners regard as most important to have positive and enjoyable experiences in the English classroom. The participants are first-year university students enrolled in an English for Specific Purposes course that were inquired about their life-long trajectories studying English and their experiences in an ESP course which followed a communicative approach. The data were obtained through an open-ended question from a questionnaire (pre- and post-); eight semi-structured interviews; and four focus groups. The answers from the open-response items were analysed at a macro-level through Domain and Taxonomic Coding (Saldaña, 2016) and afterwards the interviews and focus groups were content-analysed to deepen the understanding of students’ responses at a micro-level. The analysis reveals that oral activities are the aspect which students value most positively; yet, some report negative emotions due to lack of practice and to negative beliefs about speaking tasks and about their own capabilities. Findings suggest that extensive speaking practice along the course, as well as a supportive teacher, a positive classroom atmosphere and an effective classroom management can increase students’ self-confidence and positivity.

APPRAISING THE CHALLENGES RELATED TO THE TEACHING OF ESP TO ADVANCED LEARNERS IN BENINESE HIGHER EDUCATION

This research work aims at examining the challenges related to English for specific purposes (ESP) teaching in the advanced learners’ classroom. It specially intends to find out the various methods used in ESP teaching classroom, the barriers affecting its success and the solutions to those barriers. Besides, it explores the teacher's roles in their learners’ ESP achievements and the importance of ESP in higher education. Grounded in a mixed research methodology, this research was conducted in six universities and vocational schools located in various Beninese region (Littoral, Atlantique, Mono, and Borgou). The research instruments used to obtain the data are questionnaires and interviews. Two hundred and sixty - three (263) final year or graduate students majoring in Accounting, Economics, Law, Technology, Political science, and Medicine; and twenty-eight (28) lecturers who teach ESP course participated in the study. Findings indicate that ESP is a very important course in higher education. Moreover, teachers and students have recognised the place of ESP in learners’ professional environment as English is becoming the most used medium of communication across the globe. However, many learners do not have the required basic English level to learn ESP. Also, many ESP teachers are not trained to teach the course as most of them are EFL teachers. In this light, this study has concluded that there is a need to train ESP teachers so as to improve the quality of ESP teaching and meet students’ specific needs. Additionally, immersion programmes in English-speaking countries for students been recommended in order to help them gain a better ESP teaching or learning experience in advanced learners.

DIGITAL DISTANCE LEARNING TOOLS IN ACADEMICS’ ESP TRAINING

To create comfortable conditions for international students at Russian universities academics should have high fluency in English for specific purposes (ESP) and be able to use English as instruction language in the educational process. Moreover, digitalization of all the spheres of human life forces educators to use distance learning technologies. However, the members of the academic staff are not always able to use suitable digital tools when teaching in a foreign language. The purpose of the research is to develop and implement a complex of digital distance learning tools for the faculty that study at ESP courses of the continuing professional development program “Lingva” realized at South Ural State University. The authors defined the concept of “digital distance learning tools”; evaluated the degree of awareness of the academics of the types and purposes of digital tools in distance foreign language learning. The effectiveness of the use of digital tools in distance foreign language learning was analyzed; the educators’ attitudes to the types of digital distance learning tools were identified. A complex of digital distance learning tools based on the analysis of educators’ needs was introduced into teaching English. Theoretical (analysis of modern scientific and methodological literature) and empirical (questionnaires, interviews, methods of mathematical processing of the data obtained) methods were applied. The findings revealed that the major part of the surveyed academics were not aware of some digital tools and the possibilities of their application. Educators implemented some typical digital distance learning tools at their lessons, and would like to learn more about language learning platforms, sites for the development of speech activity types, and other features of LMS Moodle. Educators, in general, do not apply digital tools to the full extent for two main reasons: they do not have enough time to master necessary skills and they often encounter technical challenges. The findings may assist lecturers, language training practitioners in ESP training for academics via digital distance learning tools.

The Relationship Between Foreign Language Anxiety in ESP Students and English Test results

Foreign Language Anxiety is often seen as a factor that prevents language learners from successfully learning a foreign language. Many researchers note that foreign language anxiety is one of the most outstanding individual differences to predict the learners’ success. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the foreign language anxiety in the students learning English for specific purposes (ESP) and the relationship between foreign language anxiety and English test results. 176 university students of English for specific purposes at various study programs at Aleksander Moisu University participated in the given study. The Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) was used to measure foreign language anxiety. The scores obtained in the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale correlated with the students’ mid-term exam results in the ESP course. Results of the study indicate that foreign language anxiety is a problem among ESL students, and it has a significantly negative correlation with the students’ results in ESP.

EXPLORATION OF ONLINE DISCUSSION FORUM ON READING EST TEXTS FOR ESL LEARNERS

Purpose: This study explored ESL learners’ utilization of Online Discussion Forums (ODFs) in Interactive Reading for Academic Disciplines (iREAD) to assist reading of online scientific texts within an English for Specific Purposes course at a public university. Method: This qualitative research employed two data collection methods during lessons of a 14-week semester. The first was analysis of ODF threads in iREAD from 30 ESL learners of various engineering programs at a public university in the East coast of Malaysia. Twelve from 30 ESL students were purposively selected to participate in focus group interviews. Interactive Analysis Model was used to analyse the threads, whilst the interviews transcripts were analysed thematically. NVivo Pro 12 software was used to manage the data and the generated themes were later analysed using inter-rater reliability analysis. The Kappa values of the themes indicated near perfect scores, to verify the reliability of the identified themes. Findings: The findings revealed the positive capability of ODF as a tool in facilitating learners’ reading comprehension of English for Science and Technical (EST) online materials. Analysis of the data on ODF threads confirm that students have the capabilities to engage in higher level of discussions and debate to aid their understanding. The themes that emerged from the interviews reflect positive impacts to facilitate reading of EST online materials, where learners were able to work collaboratively and increase knowledge and understand better. In addition, significance of EST materials was important in providing exposure to students’ background knowledge of their content courses. The notion of social constructivism and connectivism were reflected as learners constructed knowledge, negotiated, and synthesized ideas using the language across networked learning communities. Significance: An implication from this study suggests that exposure to EST online materials through communication and collaboration via ODF has strengthened students’ knowledge of the subject content. Additionally, learners’ comprehension of reading online EST materials has been enhanced through ODF because of the tool’s interactive heuristic approach to learning. This becomes significant for program developers and lecturers to combine both elements of ODF and material selection in lessons considering its positive impacts toward learning.

Socrative as a Formative Assessment Tool in English for Specific Purposes Course

Socrative as a Formative Assessment Tool in English for Specific Purposes Course

Nation-building and identity development through ethnocultural content in university English for Specific Purposes courses in Kazakhstan

It seems obvious that that educational activity establishes conditions for the development of a person capable of combining ancestral traditions and values while maintaining their distinctive ethnoculture. This paper investigates how integrating ethnocultural material into English for Specific Purposes (ESP) university courses contributes to nation-building and students’ identity development while at the same time exerting impact on ESP curriculum advancement. The empirical part of the research involved 104 first-year engineering students learning English as a foreign language for specific purposes. The experiment demonstrated that exposing students to regional material and enabling them to communicate in English about their region empowers them in their national and regional identity, while contributing to nation-building goals of university education. The findings of the study reveal that integrating ethnocultural material into ESP university courses positively impacts both students’ motivation and their national identity development.
 
 Keywords: Ethnocultural material, ESP, national identity, nation-building, students, criteria, reflection.

MEDICAL STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS AND TARGET NEEDS IN ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES COURSES

This study aims to identify the target needs of students in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses at a private university in North Sumatra, Indonesia. The participants in this study were 10 students majoring in medicine. This study employed a qualitative descriptive method to explain students' perspectives of the ESP courses. The research data were obtained through surveys and interviews. The findings reveal that the participants expect the ESP courses focus on the target needs of their academic and professional lives with an emphasis on drilling their skills in the four aspects of language. In addition, it also shows that students have a positive perception of the ESP courses at the university. The findings of the study also declared that the ESP program should focus on the effective use of language and improve their language skills in reading, writing, listening, and speaking.

THE USE OF TRAVEL BLOG WRITING IN A TERTIARY LEVEL ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES COURSE

Blogs can be used as constructive means in EFL teaching allowing learners to exert control over their own writing and enabling them to communicate with the global community of internet users. Among different types of blogs, travel blogs can be employed as pedagogical means for real life based learning and L2 writing improvement. Through travel blogs, learners can both explore different places and write about their travel experience in L2. However, the use of travel blog writing in teaching English for Specific Purposes (ESP) has not yet been investigated. In this study, travel blog writing was integrated into a tertiary level ESP course aiming to improve learners’ linguistic skills in the fields of tourism and travel. The research investigates the learners’ views about blog writing as a part of their ESP course through a questionnaire and interviews. According to the findings, travelling and writing about the tourist attractions of one’s city via a personalized blog was found to increase writing motivation but the experience was also defined to be demanding as it requires heavy workload. Overall, this experience was reported to enhance autonomous, reflective and collaborative learning, increase cultural awareness and contribute to learners’ self-expression and L2 writing improvement.

Lexicogrammatical aspects in English for dentistry acquisition materials

In the 21st century, globalization and massive migration have increased the global demand for effective transnational communication skills in English in the health care workplace and academic contexts, including dentistry. English for Dentistry falls under the umbrella of English for Specific Purposes (ESP): this refers to teaching and learning English as a foreign language in a particular domain. While the role of grammar acquisition in ESP courses is often understated in the key theoretical literature on ESP, this article highlights the importance of lexicogrammatical knowledge. Dentistry students and practitioners in Latvia highly value the accuracy in communication since the knowledge of various syntactic and morphological rules of grammar and their use in the dentistry-related context contribute to the accuracy required in the performance of different communicative tasks, for instance, asking for, explaining, and providing information, giving instructions. Besides, if dentists are unable, for example, to explain a diagnosis, agree on treatment options with the patient in a meaningfully accurate way, the dentist’s authority may be undermined, resulting in unsuccessful communication. The case study reports on the tasks employing lexicogrammatical strategies in the material “Dentistry and Language Integrated Learning”, which has been developed by the authors of this article working in close collaboration with individual academic staff at the the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Latvia. The material piloted amongst both dentistry practitioners and students suggests that the applied strategies of morphological derivation, for instance, recognizing and building new words by gaining control of affixation devices, can be considered as useful tools in the new lexeme meaning-making process in dentistry. As a result, this study has attempted to support the assumption that ESP and content and language integrated learning (or CLIL) are compatible and can be efficiently mastered in the professional discourse development process.

ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES IN TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY: COURSE DESIGNING

Some peculiarities of the English for specific purposes course designing with the account of the social needs in highly qualified professionals of the appropriate specialty

Exploring engineering students’ needs in the design of an English for Specific Purposes reading course

In particular, English has become a universal language all over the world and has had a huge impact on several academic and professional fields. Therefore, not only has the teaching and learning of English as a foreign language (EFL), gained importance, but in particular, English for specific purposes (ESP). This article presents a case study that explores and identify engineering students’ needs and demands by means of a Needs Analysis that involves interviews and surveys in order to design an ESP Reading Course. This inquiry included identifying needs to design an ESP course which may provide students with the essential tools in order to understand, and manage accurately, specialized information, which is relevant for their professional development.

ICT Comes to ESP Course: Iranian Students and Teachers’ Perceptions of ICT Integration into ESP Instruction

The present study aimed to examine ESP teachers and students’ perceptions of using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) to identify advantages and potential challenges in using ICT in the Iranian ESP context. The sample under study was 100 undergraduate students and three TEFL teachers. An adapted questionnaire and a semi-structured interview were employed for data collection. The results showed that although most of the participants had positive perceptions of benefits of ICT integration in ESP instruction, lack of infra-structures, insufficient time, lack of syllabus consist of ICT-based materials, lack of teachers’ competence, lack of positive attitudes, and social and cultural barriers prevented them from using ICT. The results of this study have practical implications for changing from the status quo ESP teaching in Iran to ICT-based ESP teaching and for enriching ESP courses through incorporating ICT-based materials in the ESP curriculum.

Identifying ESP Course Materials for Students of Magister Management: A Needs Analysis

English for Specific Purposes (ESP) is an approach in teaching English that is relevant with the students’ field of study, it is made specifically for students’ learning and language use including its objective and content This study aims to explore the target and learning needs of students in Magister Program of Management (MM) by employing need analysis method. A descriptive analysis using a quantitative approach with forty-eight students of the Magister Program of Management (MM), which consist of 37 males and 10 females. The study results illustrated that the awareness of the need of target and learning needs will determine what is considered as acceptable and reasonable contents in the language courses. These acceptable and reasonable contents have to be the basis in designing ESP., material course, since students’ needs will determine the learning outcomes, and will be useful for their future jobs.

The Inappropriateness of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) with Learner’s Goals: A Need Analysis on Communication and Islamic Broadcasting Program

The course of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) is supposed to prepare students for the professional sector, yet the course at IAIN Palopo in Indonesi is designed in general English without any professional input or assessment of the learner's needs. This research is motivated by the Communication and Islamic Broadcasting program students’ complaints of unsatisfaction with the course since it does not meet their needs. This research aims to examine the English needs of students studying in the communication and Islamic broadcasting program. The researchers used a mixed-methods strategy that incorporates both quantitative and qualitative research. The participants in this study were 60 undergraduates and 30 graduate students. Data was gathered through questionnaires and interviews. The data was then analyzed using the comprehensive concept of need analysis proposed by Dudley-Evans & St. John (1998). The results revealed that the majority of students learn English to help them advance in their careers. Their top priority in ESP is to improve their speaking skills, followed by listening, reading, and writing. Due to the repetitive learning method, inappropriate textbook, and short duration, according to the interview results, the students were also unsatisfied with the present ESP course.