English For Specific Purposes Curriculum Research Articles

ESP in Vocational Institutes: A Mixed-Method Study of Students’ ESP Learning Style Preferences

In vocational institutes, English for Specific Purposes (ESP) education should incorporate basic linguistic skills with professional communication abilities. There is a problem with ESP teaching that uses the traditional teaching model of general English, which fails to consider the needs of students. To tackle this problem, the aim of this study is to identify the preferred perceptual ESP learning styles of 254 students in seven Chinese vocational institutes. Data collection and analysis were conducted using a mixed-methods approach that combined both quantitative and qualitative methods. An adapted version of the Perceptual Learning Style Preference Questionnaire (PLSPQ) developed by Joy Reid (1987) was used at the first stage. Subsequently, in response to the questionnaire results, 15 students participated in semi-structured interviews. The results showed that a significant number of students chose minor learning modes rather than major learning modes. According to the data analysis, kinesthetic learning was the most preferred learning style, whereas group learning was the least preferred. The second to fifth places belonged to individual, tactile, visual, and auditory learning styles. The findings of the study have implications for ESP teachers, curriculum designers, and researchers considering students’ preferred learning styles, changes in the learning environment, and materials adaptations.

Enhancing Academic Competence in Future Dentists: Leveraging English for Specific Purposes in Dental Education

The purpose of the article is to evaluate the impact of a specialized English for Specific Purposes (ESP) curriculum on the academic and linguistic development of second-year dental students. The article examines the effectiveness of an ESP curriculum tailored for second-year dental students at Donetsk National Medical University. Aimed at addressing the linguistic and professional needs unique to the dental field, the study juxtaposes the academic progression of students engaged in a specialized ESP curriculum against those following a standard English course. The research incorporates a controlled design with 26 participants, divided into an experimental group receiving the ESP curriculum and a control group continuing with conventional English education. The intervention spanned one academic semester, focusing on enhancing English language proficiency, dental vocabulary, and academic skills pertinent to dental studies. Pre- and post-assessment tools were employed to measure improvements in general English proficiency, dental-specific terminology knowledge, and core academic competencies such as reading and comprehending scientific literature, academic writing, and oral presentation skills. The results demonstrated significant advancements in the experimental group, notably in language proficiency and specialized vocabulary, compared to the control group. Qualitative feedback further highlighted increased confidence and engagement among ESP participants, underscoring the curriculum's relevance and applicability to their future professional endeavors.

Challenges and opportunities of English as the medium of instruction in diploma midwifery programs in Bangladesh: a mixed-methods study

BackgroundEnglish is generally recognized as the international language of science and most research on evidence-based medicine is produced in English. While Bangla is the dominant language in Bangladesh, public midwifery degree programs use English as the medium of instruction (EMI). This enables faculty and student access to the latest evidence-based midwifery content, which is essential for provision of quality care later. Yet, it also poses a barrier, as limited English mastery among students and faculty limits both teaching and learning.MethodsThis mixed-methods study investigates the challenges and opportunities associated with the implementation of EMI in the context of diploma midwifery education in Bangladesh. Surveys were sent to principals at 38 public midwifery education institutions, and 14 English instructors at those schools. Additionally, ten key informant interviews were held with select knowledgeable stakeholders with key themes identified.ResultsSurveys found that English instructors are primarily guest lecturers, trained in general or business English, without a standardized curriculum or functional English language laboratories. Three themes were identified in the key informant interviews. First, in addition to students’ challenges with English, faculty mastery of English presented challenges as well. Second, language labs were poorly maintained, often non-functional, and lacked faculty. Third, an alternative education model, such as the English for Specific Purposes (ESP) curriculum, has potential to strengthen English competencies within midwifery schools.ConclusionsESP, which teaches English for application in a specific discipline, is one option available in Bangladesh for midwifery education. Native language instruction and the middle ground of multilingualism are also useful options. Although a major undertaking, investing in an ESP model and translation of technical midwifery content into relevant mother tongues may provide faster and more complete learning. In addition, a tiered system of requirements for English competencies tied to higher levels of midwifery education could build bridges to students to help them access global evidence-based care resources. Higher levels might emphasize English more heavily, while the diploma level would follow a multilingualism approach, teach using an ESP curriculum, and have complementary emphasis on the mother tongue.

CROSS-CULTURAL AWARENESS IN DEVELOPING COMMUNICATIVE FOREIGN LANGUAGE COMPETENCE OF MAJORS IN AVIATION

Professionally oriented training implies involvement of professional knowledge and job-related skills. Therefore, the National English for Specific Purposes Curriculum focuses on integrated approach to the formation of linguistic and specialism-related competence. Communication factors (media, terminology and language) are of primary importance in Aviation English as communication failures pose serious threats to flight safety.

Unlocking ESP Learners’ Leadership and Higher-Order Thinking Skills through Whatsapp Community of Practice

This study investigates the relationship between the WhatsApp group, an instant messenger application as a community of practice platform (knowledge management, regular interactions, ease of using technology, and sense of belonging) and English for Specific Purposes (ESP) learners’ leadership and higher-order thinking (HOT) skills. The current study also examines how participation in the community of practice through the WhatsApp group can enhance leadership and HOT skills for male and female learners. 197 ESP learners participated in the five-point Likert scale questionnaire. The SPSS-AMOS analysis showed that knowledge management, regular interaction, and a sense of belonging significantly enhance learners’ leadership and HOT skills. The results also showed that male learners increased their leadership skills while female learners excelled in the HOT skills by the WhatsApp community of practice. This study has significant educational implications, particularly in emphasizing essential measures when developing an ESP curriculum to prepare learners for their future careers

Paradigma Mendidik dan Mengajarkan English For Specific Purpose dalam Meningkatkan Kompetensi Mahasiswa Akuntansi Ditinjau dari Perspektif Psikologi Pendidikan

In the field of education, the teaching paradigm means providing lessons about various sciences to individuals, which then will benefit the individual's thinking abilities. Educational Psychology is a branch of psychology that specializes in the understanding of learning and teaching processes in educational environments. Through the perspective of Educational Psychology, education can be viewed as a practical science that seeks to explain learning in accordance with scientifically established principles and facts surrounding human behavior. The research method used was descriptive qualitative with triangulation techniques, data collection through observation, interviews and questionnaires, as well as documentation studies. The results of this research are first, the presence of psychology in the world of education provides practical benefits in the teaching and learning process, especially in learning English For Specific Purposes (ESP) in Accounting courses, which helps students know English terms in making financial reports and journals. Second, it was found that the paradigm skills of teaching and educating ESP when viewed from educational psychology had a positive impact on college graduates and teaching staff. One of them is helping graduates have ESP competence in their field. It is hoped that the results of this research can contribute to the development of the ESP curriculum in Indonesia.

PBL 기반 공학영어 ESP 교수·학습 모형 연구

This study presents the application of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) in an English for Specific Purposes (ESP) course designed for fourth-year electronics engineering students, aiming to equip them for the job market. The research addresses how to structure job-related engineering English instruction through a PBL-based ESP class, students’ perceptions of this course, and favorable directions for its future advancement. Data for the study were collected and analyzed through methods including initial surveys, pre- and post-course surveys conducted within the PBL class, in-depth individual interviews, final surveys, and reflective notes written by students. These approaches provided a comprehensive insight into learners’ perceptions and experiences within the implemented PBL-based engineering English ESP teachinglearning model. The results are expected to serve as a foundation for ESP curriculum design and development research, benefiting educators and researchers interested in this field, both in higher education and English language teaching. The significance of this study is especially important, considering the limited research in Korea on engineering English, particularly in PBL-based ESP classes, which have gained prominence recently. Additionally, this study underscores the importance of using PBL as a student-centered pedagogy in ESP education, fostering enhanced student engagement, problem-solving abilities, collaborative learning, and self-directed education.

ESP: THE DEVELOPMENT AND THE CHALLENGES

The term "English for Specific Purposes" (ESP) refers to a method of teaching English that is centered on the learner's objectives and needs. The ESP technique is a well-liked option in the context of learning English in Indonesia, both at higher schools or universities, especially for students outside of the English major. This method is also consistent with government policies in the area of education, which place an emphasis on the goals of learning English, namely to improve students' proficiency in using English, particularly for academic needs and professional careers with an emphasis on reading skills that enable students to understand authentic material topics relevant to their majors and effectively. This study uses library research, which compiles extensive documentation on a single or a number of topics. Both original sources and secondary sources are used in this investigation. This article presents theoretical research on the following development and challenges: The Fundamental Idea Regarding English for Specific Purposes (ESP); The Needs Analysis Function in ESP; ESP as a Method for Teaching Languages; Curriculum for ESP; ESP Curriculum Design and Goals for teaching ESP

Towards a communication-focused ESP course for nursing students in building partnership with patients: A needs analysis

With the growing popularity of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) nursing courses worldwide, considerable work has gone to identifying the English language learning needs of nurses and nursing students, with their perceptions well documented. However, needs analyses grounded in students' communicative behaviors in performing nursing tasks are still in their fledging stage. This study offers an ethnographic discourse analytical account of role-play conversations collected from 100 college nursing students in China. It explores nursing students' communicative practices by identifying the communication patterns that students adopt in a simulated scenario of giving a patient an injection. Findings show students' awareness of patients’ concern and preferences, and their informational skills such as giving instructions, negotiating treatment options, and explaining medical procedures. Yet students demonstrate a great reliance on prescribed phraseology, struggling to adjust their nursing plan based on differing patient needs. This study sheds light on the specificity of ESP nursing courses and the challenges complicated by the changing nature of the global healthcare landscape, where patient-centered care is prioritized. It also provides implications for ESP curriculum development and highlights the importance of learner-centered tailor-made language instruction.

Мэргэжлийн англи хэлний хэрэгцээ шаардлагыг судалсан нь

The present research study provided a detailed description of needs analysis (NA) of Law and Social Science institute, UIA students in relation to the English education requirement. English taught for law purposes is known as English for specific purposes (ESP). The main objective of the study was the development of an ESP curriculum for Law and Social Science Institute students at the University of Internal Affairs (UIA), Mongolia. The researcher of the study utilized a Google form platform which contained a collection of both qualitative and quantitative research data. The study was conducted in the Law and Social Science Institute, UIA based in Ulaanbaatar in the academic year of 2021-2022. Participants of the study included 128 current 1-4th course students. The data were gathered utilizing semi-structured interviews and a researcher-made questionnaire. Through NA, the researchers analyzed the learners’ factors, present situation, target situation, and specialist discourse of the population. The results of the study were used to design and develop an ESP course curriculum for students studying in the Law and Social Science School of UIA.

Developing a Corpus of Entrepreneurship Emails (COREnE) for Business Courses in Malaysian University Using Integrated Moves Approach

This paper describes the processes that went into the design and development of the Learner Entrepreneurship Corpus (LEC), a specialised corpus that contains pedagogical sales e-mails written by undergraduates at a Malaysian public university. It describes in detail the processes involved in data collection and selection, as well as raw data processing, which includes data coding and tagging. The tagging and coding utilised online softwares; CLAWS Tagger and AntConc. The study adopted Integrated Moves Approach (IMA) which combines both structural and syntactical analysis. This paper also discusses the evolution of corpora in Malaysia and their relevance to the field of English for Specific Purposes (ESP). LEC was created with the goal of providing corpus linguistic researchers with a place to explore the field, as well as ESP practitioners in Malaysia with resources for developing local-based ESP curriculum and teaching and learning materials. LEC has approximately 18 thousand words from 89 electronic documents retrieved from eCampus website. At present, users can make queries to access LEC from the researcher for free.

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.

Embedding Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) into English for specific purposes curriculum for vocational high school

English is agreed upon as the standard language of communication throughout the world, including Indonesia. With this, teaching and learning English should be an integral part of the national education system in Indonesia because of the importance of English globally. One of the curricula in Indonesia that focuses on teaching English for Vocational High Schools (VHS) is English for Specific Purposes (ESP), where students learn English according to their needs and fields of interest. With the existence of this ESP as well as a variety of teaching methods and approaches, there is one approach that is considered truly effective in teaching this ESP program, namely the Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) approach. This study aims to explore a set of literature to clarify the CLIL approach and determine if the evidence shows benefits in implementing the approach into the English for Specific Purposes (ESP) curriculum. The paper took a literature review approach and explored ten articles selected with specific criteria of being published within 2014-2020. The literature shows that the implementation of CLIL does have a positive output toward the teaching and learning process, especially for those who take English for specific purposes, such as in vocational high schools. The approach improves the linguistics aspects and the non-linguistic aspect or the students' soft skills, such as high order thinking skills, problem-solving, enhanced communication, intercultural awareness, and motivation in learning. However, to meet the success of the implementation of CLIL in the ESP curriculum, some considerations and special requirements are needed. The two distinctive preparation are the syllabus for the curriculum and the readiness of human resources; the teachers. Before applying the CLIL, the two factors mentioned need mechanisms that will support the success of CLIL for the ESP curriculum in vocational high schools. The writer proposes a model to be implemented if the curriculum for vocational high schools is going to apply CLIL. Yet, it needs more researches in the future to make sure whether the model works well or needs more improvements.

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.

A Stuady on the Application of Flipped Classroom in ESP Teaching: Taking English for Science and Technology as an Example

English for Specific Purposes (ESP) aims to cultivate students’ ability to use language in a professional field, thus, it has a strong application value. However, due to the abstractness of its vocabulary, complexity and diversity of its sentence structure and the obscurity of its contents, students are intimidated and unable to achieve the intended teaching goals. Based on modern information technology, flipped classroom teaching models provide direction for ESP curriculum reforms such as English for science and technology. ESP courses, based on flipped classrooms, integrate the time inside and outside the classroom through rich teaching design before, during, and after class, thus achieving the goal of improving teaching effects of ESP courses.

Application of the Principles of Andragogy in Developing English for Specific Purposes Curriculum

Application of the Principles of Andragogy in Developing English for Specific Purposes Curriculum

Investigating the Impact of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) Curriculum on Moroccan Graduates’ Career

Knowledge of a foreign language opens new possibilities of mobility and cooperation for professionals in the contemporary world. Policy makers acknowledge the important role that foreign languages, especially English, play in the professional development of experts and try to present this language at tertiary level. Generally, an ESP course is designed to improve students’ communication skills not merely for the exam, but also for situations in a specific workplace. This paper investigates the impact that English for Specific Purposes (ESP) curriculum has on Moroccan graduates in the career experience. It also explores whether the ESP courses are more expedient in the workplace than traditional English courses, and how ESP curriculum should be reshaped to adapt the needs of the job market. The data are collected through online interviews from 6 participants whose majors were English and who graduated from Moroccan universities and all the participants have at least one year of work experience in English-speaking countries. The results of this research indicate that universities ESP curriculum design, work place, and teachers’ specific field knowledge do have notable influence on participants in the work environment. They show that the current ESP in use fails to capture the learners’ needs and skills in the workplace communication. The study divulges that there is a huge discrepancy of the perceptions of the students’ needs between the ESP teachers and employers in both academic and occupational situations. Furthermore, the study’s findings recommended that Moroccan universities should re-design or develop their ESP curriculum to allow their students meet the future job requirements as well as supplementing extra materials through teachers’ continual needs analysis.

Multimodality – The Driving Force for Engineering Undergraduates in a Course of Technical English

Multimodality, as an inter-disciplinary approach that understands communication and representation to be about more than language, and where the coexistence of traditional and new modes and media acquires great relevance, is likely to be one of the focuses of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) research. Regarding one central component of ESP, namely learner's needs, a multimodal approach appears optimal, as it prioritises the technological preferences of learners who might be intrinsically motivated to learn English. Teachers, therefore, need to be attentive to this fact and incorporate technology and the affordances of the Internet as important component in any L2 classroom. The ESP curriculum could benefit from a learning environment with a diverse deployment of teaching and learning modes which lead the English lecturer to constantly reappraise the suitability of one mode over another and carry out some type of 'gain and loss' analysis. There is now an increasing number of studies that focus on this analysis to explore what might be gained and what might be lost if the design of an ESP curriculum moves from representation through writing to representation mainly through image. Incorporating digital technologies within the ESP classroom without ignoring the importance of more traditional pedagogies that place the book at the core of the language learning process might turn to be the most suitable ESP approach in a course of English for undergraduates of Engineering.

Investigating the Impact of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) Curriculum on Moroccan Graduates’ Career

Knowledge of a foreign language opens new possibilities of mobility and cooperation for professionals in the contemporary world. Policy makers acknowledge the important role that foreign languages, especially English, play in the professional development of experts and try to present this language at tertiary level. Generally, an ESP course is designed to improve students’ communication skills not merely for the exam, but also for situations in a specific workplace. This paper investigates the impact that English for Specific Purposes (ESP) curriculum has on Moroccan graduates in the career experience. It also explores whether the ESP courses are more expedient in the workplace than traditional English courses, and how ESP curriculum should be reshaped to adapt the needs of the job market. The data are collected through online interviews from 6 participants whose majors were English and who graduated from Moroccan universities and all the participants have at least one year of work experience in English-speaking countries. The results of this research indicate that universities ESP curriculum design, work place, and teachers’ specific field knowledge do have notable influence on participants in the work environment. They show that the current ESP in use fails to capture the learners’ needs and skills in the workplace communication. The study divulges that there is a huge discrepancy of the perceptions of the students’ needs between the ESP teachers and employers in both academic and occupational situations. Furthermore, the study’s findings recommended that Moroccan universities should re-design or develop their ESP curriculum to allow their students meet the future job requirements as well as supplementing extra materials through teachers’ continual needs analysis.

INDUSTRY-ACADEMIA COLLABORATION: MEETING UNDERGRADUATE ENGINEERS’ EMPLOYMENT NEEDS

Purpose of the study: The aim of this study is to investigate undergraduate engineers’ perceptions on the industrial collaboration program. Methodology: This study used both quantitative and qualitative methods of analysis. Based on purposive sampling, 150 undergraduate engineers were selected and were required to complete a questionnaire and participate in focus group interviews. Numerical data obtained using the questionnaire were tabulated based on frequencies and percentages. Thematic analysis was performed to identify patterns that emerged from the focus group interview transcripts. Main findings: Study findings indicate a positive trend in students’ perceptions on the benefits of the program besides indicating a gap in their ability and competency. Thematic analysis based on the focus group interviews reveal three emerging themes which indicate that the respondents found the program to have boosted their confidence, besides being useful and meaningful. Applications of this study: This study contributes to the design of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) curriculum, specifically for engineers. ESP curriculum design as well as teaching and learning should include industry leaders’ intervention. Novelty/Originality of this study: This study will be the entry point for employer engagement in teaching and learning as well as in ESP curriculum development for engineers in the context of a technical university.