English For Specific Purposes Context Research Articles

Investigating the Writing Skills Alternative Assessment Strategies used in Moroccan ESP Classrooms: Teachers’ Perceptions and Prevailing Practices

Assessment is the backbone of the learning-teaching process. Several studies have proven that assessment goes hand in hand with learning. Classroom assessment can be either traditionally of learning or formatively an ongoing process for learning. The current study explores the writing skills alternative assessment strategies used by Moroccan English for Specific Purposes (ESP) teachers in their classrooms. To reach this, the study seeks to explore Moroccan ESP practitioners’ perceptions and prevailing practices of writing skills alternative assessment strategies. Similarly, the study tries to identify possible challenges that impede the proper implementation of alternative assessment pedagogy in the Moroccan ESP context. Following a qualitative research design, the current paper deploys semi-structured interviews to collect data from 10 ESP instructors working in different higher institutes and universities in Morocco. The findings reveal that the participants possess favorable opinions regarding alternative assessment methods of writing skills. Nevertheless, these optimistic viewpoints are not clearly reflected in their assessment practices. The research paper can benefit both practitioners and policymakers in the field of education.

Using social media platform X to enhance student medical English learning: an attempt based on design-based research (DBR) in a medical English for specific purposes (ESP) course

This study aimed to (1) elaborate on microblogging-based instruction, which was built on social media platform X and designed based on the four phases of the design-based research (DBR) framework (Amiel and Reeves in J Educ Technol Soc 11(4):29–40, https://www.jstor.org/stable/jeductechsoci.11.4.29, 2008); (2) put microblogging-based instruction into practice in a medical English for Specific Purposes (ESP) course; (3) examine students’ perceptions of the pedagogical value of X platform usage on their learning experiences; and (4) investigate how well microblogging-based instruction enhances the students’ specialised-language performance. On the basis of the four phases of the DBR framework, a study was conducted with students studying a medical ESP course to identify the problems in the teaching practices used in ESP courses. To improve the identified problems, following the second phase, social media platform X was used to supplement ESP face-to-face instruction. Three tasks were designed for the students to do on X. These tasks were implemented and assessed on 19 EFL first-year premedical undergraduate students over 16 weeks at a university in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Data collected from the students included a copy version of the ESP final test, a questionnaire, and semi- structured interviews. The results revealed that X-based instruction improved students’ ability to use medicine-specialised language, offered opportunities for students to become more familiar with medicine-specific terms, perceived ability in using writing and reading skills, collaborative learning, and generated thoughtful discussions outside the confines of the classroom. However, the students’ inadequate knowledge of the specialised subject, the stress of making X mandatory, and log- in overload remain key challenges against the effective appropriation of X use in an ESP context.

Exploring the Interplay of Vocabulary Size, Depth, and Reading Performance among Engineering Students in an ESP Context

The primary objective of this research is to examine the impact of vocabulary size and vocabulary depth on reading performance in an English for Specific Purposes (ESP) context. To this end, we administered three tests to a group of 92 engineering students enrolled at the National Graduate School of Arts and Crafts (ENSAM) in Meknes, Morocco. The tests included the Vocabulary Size Test developed by Nation and Beglar (2007), the Words Associate Test designed by Read (1998), and a reading performance test with a high-reliability score of .87. The collected data was subjected to statistical analysis using linear regression and Pearson correlation. The findings revealed significant correlations between both vocabulary size and vocabulary depth with reading performance. Interestingly, the results indicated that vocabulary depth exhibited a stronger predictive association with reading performance compared to vocabulary size.

Virtual Reality and Language Learning in Hospitality: An Investigation of Students' Perceptions

This research investigates the perceptions of students within the hospitality management program at Politeknik Negeri Lampung (Polinela) regarding the utilization of Virtual Reality (VR)-based learning in English for Hospitality, a specialized branch of English for Specific Purposes (ESP). With a qualitative approach, the study aims to uncover students’ perspectives on both the challenges encountered and the aspects appreciated in the context of VR-based language learning. The participants, comprising 23 individuals, responded to open-ended questions that aimed to delve into their experiences. The findings shed light on the feasibility and effectiveness of VR-based learning, with the majority of participants reporting minimal difficulties. Appreciation for the immersive learning experience, novelty, realism, and engagement factors were evident in their responses. This research contributes to the understanding of incorporating innovative technologies like VR in ESP contexts, highlighting the need to address technical challenges and optimize language support for a diverse learner population. The outcomes offer insights into the potential of VR-based learning to enhance language acquisition within specific vocational domains.

Integrating Digital Literacy in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) Instruction Via English for Law e-module

<p>Nowadays, integration of technology through digital literacy in English instruction is demanded highly, but in practice, digital material like electronic modules still lacks investigation, especially in the ESP context. Therefore, this qualitative study tries to describe the digital literacy demand related to the material in ESP teaching and the implementation of digitalized based ESP material to facilitate law students’ digital literacy. 25 law students were involved as participants, with the questionnaires and interviews as the primary data and class observation as the secondary data. The results reveal that ESP language-teaching process demands digitalized material which facilitates the students’ needs in enhancing their English skills by exploring authentic learning sources digitally. The implementation of the English for Law e-module facilitates students’ digital literacy, especially in accessing the digital material in the e-module by 70% of the whole participants, 57,7 % of students use their digital literacy for finishing the lectures assignment, and 74% of students able to overcome their digital obstacle independently. The finding recommends the utilization of digitalized material based on e-module to cultivate the students’ digital literacy in ESP instruction.</p>

Relationship Between Collocational Competence and Collocation Learning Strategies in an English for Specific Purposes Context

Relationship Between Collocational Competence and Collocation Learning Strategies in an English for Specific Purposes Context

Tıp Fakültesi Öğrencilerinin İngilizce Öğrenme Motivasyonları Ölçeğinin Geliştirilmesi

This study aims to develop a scale determining the extrinsic, integrative, and intrinsic factors that motivate medical students learning English as a foreign language in an ESP context. Derived from Gardner and Lambert’s socio-educational model (1972) and Deci and Ryan’s self-determination theory (1985), the study is based on the motivational framework of Noels et al. (2000) which categorizes the three main motives as intrinsic, instrumental and integrative. With the participation of 320 medical students, a 14-item scale was developed with satisfactory internal consistency. Four different methods were used to create the motivation scale. First, a focus group interview was conducted with the participation of randomly selected medical students, and 22 items were determined as a result of the content analysis and were sent to five medical doctors for their opinions, and 6 items were removed from the pool upon their feedback. Next, the literature was reviewed and comparisons were made between existing scales. Finally, based on the opinions of 3 English for Specific Purposes (ESP) experts from the field, the concept of extrinsic motivation was used instead of instrumental motivation, and a 16-item five-point Likert type scale was decided. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) statistical procedures were also utilized. Principal Components Factor Analysis (PCA) was applied to reveal the construct validity of the motivation scale, and Direct Oblimin with Kaiser Normalization method was applied as the rotation method. In order to calculate the adequacy of the sample, the Kaiser-Mayer-Olkin (KMO) coefficient was calculated. Finally, as a result of Bartlett sphericity tests to detect correlations between the items, it was determined that the norm values were provided for all statistical processes for the 3-factor structure explaining 64.62% of the total variance. Finally, this study presents a new data collection tool that is statistically valid and reliable to measure medical students’ motivational factors.

Identifying Basic Aircraft Structures Using Project-Based Learning in ESP Context: Is It Effective?

<p><strong>Abstract:</strong> English for specific purposes (ESP) is a branch of English instruction prepared to facilitate the students master English used in a particular field. In aerospace field, one of the objectives of ESP is mastering basic aircraft structures as the fundamental knowledge for further development such as aircraft maintenance and management. Mastering a number of technical terms in aerospace is challenging since they are not commonly used in daily life. Thus, a strategy is needed. Project-based learning (PBL) is proposed as an appropriate technique for engineering students due to its advantages; facilitating communication, creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking. Nevertheless, identifying whether it really gives any impact and how much it gives impact are important. Therefore, an experimental study was carried out with one experimental group in mechanical engineering class and one controlled group in industrial engineering class. To investigate the effects, the achievement from the pre-test and post-test of employing the PBL in the experimental group and employing the conventional technique in the controlled group were investigated using t-test of SPSS. Based on the data analysis, the score in each group depicted the achievement increases however in comparing both groups the significant value of the experimental group was higher than in the controlled group. In conclusion, PBL is more effective in increasing the students’ achievement in identifying basic aircraft structures.</p>

Impact of Using WhatsApp and Facebook on Learners' Performance in ESP Contexts at Private Yemeni Universities

The present study aimed at exploring the extent to which WhatsApp (WA) and Facebook (FB) are used in ESP (English for Specific Purposes) contexts and their impact on ESP students' learning performance. To achieve this objective, two questionnaires and a semi-structured interview were developed. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the questionnaires were administered online to a sample of 13 ESP male and female teachers and 406 ESP male and female students from eight Private Yemeni universities in Amanat Al Asimah and from four disciplines: engineering, computing and information technology, business, and medicine. The interviews with the teachers were also conducted via phone due to the restrictions imposed because of Covid-19.While SPSS was used to analyse the quantitative data, thematic analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data. The results of the study revealed that teachers' use and students' use of WA and FB in ESP contexts was moderate. The impact of WA and FB on students' learning performance was moderate from teachers' perspective while it was high from students' perspective. There was also a strong correlation between using WA and FB in ESP contexts and their impact on students' learning performance. The study recommended that universities train their teachers to use these applications and add a requirement course focusing on using technology tools for teaching and learning English language.

Vocabulary Learning Strategies in ESP Context: Knowledge and Implication

The present study aims to explore the knowledge level and preferences regarding vocabulary learning strategies (VLSs) among the EFL university students studying English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses. It also investigates the impact of vocabulary learning strategies on EFL learners’ performance. A sample of twenty students from an intact class participated in the study. For data collection, a triangulated approach has been employed through the usage of a questionnaire, semi-structured interviews, together with classroom observations. Moreover, the cumulative percentage of scores in the pre-tests and post-tests has been incorporated to investigate the impact of vocabulary learning strategies. SPSS software is used to calculate the T-test value. The findings demonstrate that the implementation of various vocabulary learning strategies has a substantial impact on the performance of the English language learners within the context of an English for Specific Purposes classroom. The findings have pedagogical implications in the teaching and learning of vocabulary within the ESP context.

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.

Active Subtitling as a Learning Tool for ESP Students

This article aims at approaching subtitling as a tool for English for Specific Purposes (ESP) students. It provides a description of the important role audiovisual translation (AVT) plays in language teaching/learning. It is based on scholars' work, including (Sokoli 2006; Diaz Cintas 2013; Talavan 2007). This paper tackles the pedagogical application of subtitling in an ESP context as it enhances individual and collaborative learning, exposure to and interaction with real and new complex situations, and developing different linguistic skills. The article presents a classification of the different types of subtitles that are used in language teaching/learning and considers the pros of using subtitled videos as a didactic tool to enhance vocabulary learning for ESP students. Accordingly, the paper emphasises active subtitling, a technique in which learners create their own subtitles, especially with the groundbreaking progress of IT technology (Diaz Cintas 2012; Talavan 2013). The article ends by presenting the findings of an experiment I have conducted in my engineering classes on the basis of active subtitles.

Choosing specialized vocabulary to teach with data-driven learning: An example from civil engineering

This paper presents a three-part methodology for identifying special-purposes words to teach in data-driven learning (DDL) vocabulary activities. Previous methods have focused on either identifying important words for an English for Specific Purposes (ESP) context or identifying learner vocabulary gaps—and little or no research has addressed how to determine whether specific words are well suited to teaching through DDL rather than through a more traditional, deductive approach. The system in this study used a corpus-based approach to identify words that are (1) important to the ESP context, (2) difficult for students, and (3) well suited to teaching through DDL. This study applied the system to the context of civil engineering and found that it was overall effective in identifying 18 words that are prevalent in civil engineering writing, that were problematic for the students whose writing was examined, and that showed indications of being well suited to DDL. This paper discusses a drawback of the system—the time required to apply it—and discusses two valuable strengths: revealing how the words functioned in civil engineering discourse and identifying words not overtly connected to engineering (e.g., existing or using) that could be easily overlooked by an instructor.

Genre-Based Approach: Can It Improve the Informatics Engineering Students’ Writing Skill?

Because instructional process in English for Specific Purpose (ESP) context is oriented to students’ academic and professional settings within discourse community, challenges appear. Learning language and learning language are directed to improving students’ language skills to survive the 21st century. On the other hand, score-documentations proved that the students performed low skills; especially writing skill. This study aimed at improving the students’ skill in writing explanation text by using Genre-Based Approach (GBA) to Informatics Engineering students of a private university in South, Indonesia. Classroom Action Research (CAR) was conducted to the third semester students of the university within two cycles. To validate the findings, writing test, observation and questionnaire were employed. The test result proved implementing GBA improved the classroom’s average score from 54 to 59.95 in cycle 1. This improvement was supported by the students’ engagement and enthusiasm to the instructional process as suggested by questionnaire and observation respectively. Further, the implementation of cycle 2 revealed the average score improved from 59.5 to 70.5. This score improvement is followed by the students’ agility and cooperativeness during the instructional process. This concludes that implementing GBA can improve the students’ skill in writing explanation text. This finding is expected to give insight for teachers to undoubtedly using GBA in English for specific purposes context.
 HIGHLIGHTS:
 
 The instructional practice of teaching English for informatics engineering students in the private university still focuses on form-based mastery.
 The informatics engineering students are eager and high-determinate to learn language skills especially writing in collaborative framework.
 

Needs Analysis in ESP Context: Saudi Engineering Students as a Case Study

Needs analysis can be a vital asset for teachers of English for specific purposes (ESP) to identify their learners’ key requirements or needs and determine the areas in which they are lacking skills. Against this background, this study was undertaken during the academic year 2015-16 to define the English language needs of engineering students (N= 200) majoring in civil engineering and industrial engineering. The data of this study was collected from different sources, including a classroom observation protocol, a questionnaire, and a semi-structured interview with both ESP and subject-matter teachers (SM) at Umm Al-Qura University. Results of the data analysis offered significant insights as to the teaching of ESP course. The study revealed that receptive skills (i.e., reading and listening) were mostly focused on in ESP classes. It has been also reported that writing and reading along with speaking skills were needed more than others. The data analysis helped to determine the most important language tasks in the context of engineering studies. Finally, a call was being made by both ESP and SM teachers to enhance the quality of the ESP course taught to engineering students by offering relevant suggestions. Based on these findings, the present study concluded with implications for course designers and recommendations for future studies.

ESP in a Saudi Context: Where Does It Stand?

English for specific purposes (ESP) gains more status in Saudi Arabia due to the continuing and sustainable growth in the development of various fields for academic and professional purposes. Using English as a means of communication in teaching and learning is one of them. The aim of this study is to critically review the previous research carried out in a Saudi context in the area of teaching and practicing English at specific schools, universities, and colleges for specific or special purposes (ESP) in the last ten years, in order to identify the current developments and to suggest new research directions. The investigation of the research body is based on an examination of the researched topics, with reference to the three research components, i.e., research approaches, research designs, and research methods (Creswell 2014). The results revealed that many research topics were examined, such as students’ attitudes and motivation to learn, needs analysis, program or course development, and the evaluation and teaching of language skills. However, it was unclear how researchers, who were all ESP teachers, related their findings to the ESP context in terms of students’ specific needs. It also showed that the majority of studies carried out were quantitative in nature, and thus, led themselves to utilizing mainly a questionnaire as a research tool. The study concluded with some recommendations and pedagogical implications, which hopefully, will reverberate with other studies for further research.

Identifying the English language learning needs of prospective mathematics teachers in elementary education

The use of English as the international language across disciplines is increasingly becoming widespread and more and more tertiary level degree programmes are offering English courses that are specific to students’ academic and job related needs. This study aims to develop a content-rich syllabus in English for Specific Purposes context for the prospective mathematics teachers in Elementary Education in Turkish Universities. To this end, two needs analysis questionnaires (for prospective Mathematics teachers and for their faculty members) were developed and administered in three different state universities in Turkey, and 469 students and 19 faculty members participated in the study. The results indicated that both subject faculties and prospective teachers thought that an ESP course should be in the programmes, either as a selective or obligatory module. The questionnaires also uncovered information about why and in which circumstances the prospective Mathematics teachers needed to learn English, which language skills to develop, which language activities, and which topics to study. It is believed that the findings of the study will serve as a base for the development of a content-rich English language syllabus for prospective mathematics teachers in elementary education. Keywords: Needs analyses, prospective mathematics teachers, english language teaching.

What intercultural rhetoric can bring to EAP/ESP writing studies in an English as a lingua franca world

Over the last several decades, the perceived norms of writing in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) and English for Specific Purposes (ESP) have been affected by the dominance of that language across an array of fields and settings. As writers and audiences become more linguistically and culturally diverse, the ways that English is composed at the linguistic, rhetorical, and discursive levels are changing, resulting in an ongoing search for adequate theoretical frameworks to describe the reality of academic and professional writing practices. Two related frameworks, English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) and translingualism, propose more flexible patterns of communication between users of different varieties of English, with negotiation and accommodation being keys to success. In this paper, we argue that the efforts to introduce ELF and translingualism into EAP and ESP contexts can benefit from Intercultural Rhetoric (IR), or “the study of written discourse between and among individuals with different cultural backgrounds” (Connor, 2011, p.2), which has adopted a dynamic view of culture, while continuing to stress the importance of genre comparability. Finally, we make recommendations for research and pedagogical applications that draw from IR, ELF, and translingualism to promote the growth of EAP/ESP in an ever-changing, globalized world.

From needs analysis to task design: Insights from an English for specific purposes context

Needs analysis (NA) has long been argued to be the prerequisite for the design of language curricula or syllabi and the selection of tasks. According to Long (2005), a one-size-fits-all approach should be substituted by a careful examination of learners’ needs in a particular domain or learner community. Despite the increasing practice of carrying out a NA as a first step in curriculum design, it is still unclear how exactly the insights obtained from NA can be used in meaningful ways to take informed decisions about task and syllabus design. This study attempts to fill this gap by applying the findings obtained in a NA in the domain of a hotel receptionist’s job to the design of pedagogic tasks. The goals of this study were to obtain insights into what tasks are done in this domain (task selection), what kind of language use is associated with these tasks (task discourse analysis), how the information about perceived difficulty of tasks can be translated into instructionally manipulable variables (task d...

Teaching the Passive Through Semantically Enhanced Input

This article reports on a small, classroom‐based study exploring the use of a task to teach the passive in an English for specific purposes context. The participants were 34 adult Japanese male learners, all security professionals, ranging in proficiency level from elementary to advanced. The task was designed to highlight the form–meaning connection by creating a need for learners to use the passive, and then introducing a focus on form as the students became aware of the gap in their current interlanguage resources. The task input consisted of a miniature apartment and a set of photos that had been semantically enhanced to elicit passives. Piloting the task with three native speakers (NS) confirmed the input was sufficient to induce a naturalistic use of passives. The data indicate the task was effective for increasing the use of the passive across a range of proficiencies both after the focus‐on‐form phase and in the posttask phase.