English For Specific Purposes Teachers Research Articles

Enhancing Intermediate Learners’ Proficiency Through Authentic Materials

English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses aim to equip learners with language skills relevant to their specific field or discipline. One effective approach to teaching ESP is through the use of authentic materials, which are resources created for native speakers in real-life contexts. This article explores the benefits of incorporating authentic materials in teaching intermediate ESP learners. It examines how authentic materials can enhance language proficiency, promote learner engagement, and foster cultural understanding. Furthermore, it provides practical strategies for effectively integrating authentic materials into ESP instruction.

Analysis on Professional Development of English for Specific Purposes Teachers at a Medical University in China: Problems and Strategies

Analysis on Professional Development of English for Specific Purposes Teachers at a Medical University in China: Problems and Strategies

INTERCULTURAL AWARENESS, INCLUSION AND LEARNING EXPERIENCES IN ESP (ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES) COURSES - STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS AND VIEWS

INTERCULTURAL AWARENESS, INCLUSION AND LEARNING EXPERIENCES IN ESP (ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES) COURSES - STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS AND VIEWS

Factors and Challenges in Using Gamification In Teaching ESP

The purpose of this study is to detect the key issues and challenges faced by English lecturers in implementing gamification in teaching English for Specific Purposes (ESP). This study was a qualitative study with case study design. A number of 16 lecturers were participants of this study. The data was collected through structured interviews, and then analyzed the interview responses using content analysis. The result of the study shown that there were factors or issues such as the occurrence of problems like irregularities, objections, and challenges during the game, the creation of a negative competitive environment, the extension of the time allotted for the game, and the creation of a noisy environment were found to be challenges to the use of gamification in the classroom. In addition, technical difficulties and problems with digital games, lack of technology and internet, technology, screen, and game addiction, and health or psychological issues are some of the main reasons why lecturers do not use gamification in their ESP teaching.

Investigating Engineering Students’ Needs for ICT Integration in ESP Classes

The innovations in science and technology and the continuous development of educational theories and methods have urged the need for creative uses of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in English language teaching in Moroccan Higher Education and especially in the teaching and learning of English for Specific Purposes (ESP). For this reason and others, the present study aims to investigate the integration of ICT in ESP classes by identifying engineering students’ needs for ICT integration in ESP classes at the Engineering school (ENSAM), Meknes. To meet this aim, the study adopted a quantitative method approach, which utilized a close-ended questionnaire administered to 64 civil engineering students. The data gathered was analyzed through Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS). The results revealed the significance of ICT integration in ESP classes for Engineering students. Furthermore, the students expressed a number of lacks and necessities to improve their English proficiency level in general. The current research contributes to expanding literature on ESP in Morocco. Additionally, the implications and recommendations proposed will guide future practices and reforms in ESP teaching and learning.

Learning English for specific purposes (ESPs) through social media platforms (SMPs): a systematic review

PurposeThe search for new techniques to teach English nowadays has been more than ever. These techniques have to be interesting and enjoyable in order to lower the anxiety levels of students when learning English (Bakhsh, 2016). That is why many scholars and teachers look forward to integrating technology into language teaching. Social media platforms (SMPs) are among these techniques since millions of people around the world utilize them for daily interaction. Yet, teaching English for specific purposes (ESPs) relies on learners’ needs and employs an eclectic approach in delivering its course content. For this reason, the current study reviewed articles that tackled the topic of teaching or learning ESP from SMPs so as to uncover their effect and the attitude or motivation of learners.Design/methodology/approachThe researchers used the PRISMA flowchart model in order to identify, screen and include articles in the study.FindingsThe results revealed that SMPs are effective in teaching and learning ESP writing, speaking and vocabulary. Yet, the included studies showed that learners’ attitude toward SMPs is positive as they believe that they are motivating and interesting.Research limitations/implicationsSome aspects of social media have turned out to be beneficial in the learning process and they need further investigation from ESP practitioners and scholars.Originality/valueAccording to the study, it is crystal clear that the various social networks and platforms are beneficial and helpful for improving ESP productive skills.

An Analysis of ELF-informed Practices in ESP Coursebooks

The investigation of English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) contexts has produced significant results in the last few years. Moreover, these results have initiated a shift from achieving native speaker competency to more context-related and functional language use in the perspective of the overall approach to ESP. Yet, the literature needs more study to reveal how far this shift has embedded ESP coursebooks and audio materials. Therefore, this study aimed to explore to what extent the recent ESP coursebooks and audio materials matched the characteristics of ELF. In the study, four ESP coursebooks and their audio tracks were analyzed in terms of the presence or absence of references to ELF features, specifically; ELF-informed activities, the promotion of using English outside the inner circle countries, and the use of authentic expending circle English communication. The findings revealed the dominance of Standard English in language exposure, a dearth of ELF-informed activities, and a sparse representation of expending circle cultures in the four ESP coursebooks. Similarly, the listening tracks showed a strong preference for native English speakers as the introducers of English users in the tracks. The study presents a number of critical implications for ESP instructors and material designers.

Top-down versus bottom-up pedagogy: Applications in the East Asian ESP classroom

This study explores the ways in which English for Specific Purposes (ESP) teachers in three East Asian countries, Vietnam, Japan, and Thailand, understand and utilize top-down and bottom-up (hereafter abbreviated to TD and BU respectively) teaching pedagogies in their classrooms. A judicious combination of either approach in both classroom pedagogy has long been advocated by both theorists and veteran practitioners. However, the authors, when working as teacher trainers, had observed that many ESP teachers reverted almost wholly to bottom-up approaches in their classroom practices. The present study seeks to understand whether or not this perception is accurate and what justifications and/or explanations might be put forward in favour of adopting either approach in ESP milieus. With the participation of 14 ESP teachers in Japan, Thailand, and Vietnam, the study was conducted using a semi-structured written questionnaire which was followed by an open-ended live interview. Emerging and significant themes were then identified and codified by the authors, utilizing a reflective ethnographic approach. Among the most significant findings were 1) that teachers often failed to apply aspects of their training as language teachers into their own classrooms and 2) that the judicious application of either approach was more often performed unconsciously than as a result of any conscious methodological application.

Teachers’ Strategies in ESP Learning Program in Indonesia: A Comparative Study

This research article examines various strategies utilized by English teachers in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) learning programs in Indonesia, focusing on the Social and Science study programs. The study used a qualitative research design to conduct in-depth interviews with 25 English teachers, which aim to investigate and compare the pedagogical approaches used to satisfy the unique linguistic and contextual requirements of these two academic disciplines. Through purposive sampling, English teachers from both Social and Science study programs participate in semi-structured interviews, providing rich insights into their instructional methods. The purpose of the qualitative analysis is to reveal trends, similarities, and differences in the strategies used, providing a detailed understanding of the complexities of ESP teaching methods. The findings reveal illumination on the specific strategies employed by English teachers in the Social and Science study programs, demonstrating how these strategies are shaped by curriculum complexity and the backgrounds of the learners. The comparative study highlights the significance of pedagogical techniques tailored to individual contexts and serves as a basis for making well-informed decisions in curriculum development and teacher training. This study has wider implications for improving English for Specific Purposes (ESP) learning programs in Indonesia and adds to the continuing discussion on effective language teaching. This study also provides helpful recommendations for educators, curriculum developers, and policymakers aiming to enhance language learning experiences in ESP environments.

Teaching English for Specific Purposes in Tertiary Contexts: Navigating Education and Assessment Challenges

ABSTRACT Since its inception in the early 1960s, English for specific purposes (ESP) has been characterised as a materials-driven and a teacher-led movement. Distinctively separated from general English teaching, ESP teachers often function as designers and implementers in curriculum development. Attaining a certain degree of disciplinary expertise is the greatest challenge that they encounter while transitioning from general to specific language teaching. Recognising a dearth of research on ESP teacher development, this study has emerged from in-depth, unstructured interviews conducted with both novice and expert educators. This qualitative inquiry examines the collaborative strategies employed and hurdles encountered by ESP educators within the tertiary education arena, with a specific emphasis on their vital contributions to the English language instruction of undergraduate students in India. The findings offer insights into the evolving specificity of English language education in India, particularly for educators and institutions committed to improving language teaching practices in higher education.

Bring the Dual Focus on both Language and Content into ESP Courses through Teacher Collaboration

In China, the evolution from traditional “College English” courses to English for Specific Purpose (ESP) reflects the changing demands for foreign language skills in specialized industries. This transition poses challenges for teachers due to limited specialized knowledge. This study explores the integration of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) into ESP courses through collaboration between language and content-area teachers. Drawing on a literature review and qualitative research at West Yunnan University of Applied Science, the study examines the challenges traditional English General Purpose (EGP) teachers face in ESP classrooms and their willingness to collaborate with content-area teachers. Results reveal teachers’ struggles with specialized knowledge and materials selection, alongside their openness to collaboration. The discussion emphasizes the importance of fostering cooperation, establishing teaching communities, and utilizing online platforms for enhanced student learning outcomes. This research contributes to the advancement of ESP teaching methodologies by advocating for collaborative approaches that integrate language and content effectively.

Moroccan ESP Instructors’ Perceptions of an Effective ESP Teacher

The changes in the linguistic and socio-economic spheres in Morocco have brought about new perspectives to teaching English for specific purposes (ESP). The challenge has long been to ascertain the implementation of well-informed teaching practices to meet the volatile needs of learners and those of the local and global job market. Within this context, guided by the aim to promote quality in ESP teaching in Morocco, this paper investigated Moroccan ESP teachers’ perceptions of effective ESP teaching and teachers’ roles, hoping to offer a hands-on profile of an effective ESP practitioner. This study sought to answer two main research questions: 1). What roles do Moroccan ESP teachers play in their ESP teaching settings? 2). What are Moroccan ESP teachers’ perceptions of an effective ESP instructor? To answer these questions, a mixed-method research design was adopted where 32 teachers from different ESP settings were surveyed. The study offered illuminating data about effective ESP roles and practices and suggested a modal for effective ESP teaching.

THE MULTIDIMENSIONAL ROLE OF THE ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES PRACTITIONER IN TODAY’S CHANGING SOCIETIES: VOICES FROM AROUND THE GLOBE

English is one of the most widely taught languages not only in Europe but across the globe, being the language of international communication, science and technology. It is nowadays an integral part of Higher Education curricula in many countries, as English for Specific Purposes (ESP) is considered essential for the acquisition and development of students’ employability skills. Simultaneously, the economic, political, social and technological developments occurring during the last decades have made the role of the ESP practitioner more complex and important at the same time. Nevertheless, issues related to the role, needs and duties of the ESP practitioners have not been adequately explored by researchers in the field. This paper focuses on the multifaceted role of the ESP practitioner stemming from the specialised needs of learners and the multiple duties they are expected to perform. More specifically, the paper reports on the results of a Technical Action Research study conducted with 24 English language educators across the globe, who wished to receive education on issues pertaining to ESP teaching methodology or update their knowledge on the latest development in ESP teaching practices. Data were collected through an online questionnaire, field notes, reflective journals, comments on an online platform and focus groups/interviews. The results shed light on the profiles of ESP practitioners, their duties and teaching contexts, the challenges they face, and their need to receive education on ESP issues.

Research tendency of China ESP teaching from 2007 to 2021 based on visualization analysis using CiteSpace

With the increasing demand for the enhancement of interdisciplinary competence in English teaching reform, English for specific purposes (ESP) teaching has become a hot topic in the field of English education. In order to better understand the phenomena and problems of ESP teaching in China, this study investigated the research tendency in China ESP teaching between 2007–2021 based on 206 articles from the Web of Science (WOS) by employing the CiteSpace Atlas. The study revealed that the literature in China ESP teaching formed an inverted “V” shape over the past 15 years. It can also be seen that most of the institutions with cooperative relations are in the same region, and cross-regional cooperation is less. In addition, the latest research focuses on cutting-edge topics as keywords such as “ESP teaching,” “ESP,” and “ESP theory” emerged. The findings suggest that it needs to develop effective methods for ESP teaching in China and expand research areas for the future.

Challenges and Predicaments in Teaching “English for Science” in an ESP Classroom: A Research Study to Pinpoint Problems and Solutions

The age-old methods of English Language Teaching (ELT) have been taken over by new approaches of language teaching which quest for relevance and reality in a language. This quest and the demand for novel trends give rise to the English for Specific Purpose (ESP). ESP is an approach to delivering content knowledge and equipping the learners to perform effectively in a target situation. This study aims to investigate the challenges and the obstacles in the English for Science classroom at King Khalid University (KKU), Abha, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). This paper explains the historical overview of ESP and suitable methods of teaching ESP courses. A quantitative research methodology has been applied to obtain data from 20 English language teachers who have been teaching English for Science for the past five years or more on different Science campuses at KKU. The detailed analysis of the data reveals that there are numerous crises and issues faced by the ESP teachers. The most common of them is motivation on the part of the students, constructive prerequisite courses, lack of learning skills, and an interactive classroom. The researchers have explored these challenges in detail and finally suggested some guidelines to overcome the crises.

Exploring Interdisciplinary Team Teaching as a Pedagogical Strategy for Developing ESP Teachers’ Subject Matter Knowledge

English for Specific Purposes (ESP) has rapidly gained considerable importance due to the position of English as a lingua franca in various scientific and economic domains. This paper aims to highlight ESP practitioners' attitudes towards implementing interdisciplinary team teaching and the potential barriers that hinder its implementation in the business school at Ibn Tofail University. To achieve these objectives, a qualitative research design was adopted, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with five ESP practitioners in the business school. The study reveals that the five interviewed teachers have positive attitudes towards interdisciplinary team teaching in the business school. However, the five interviewed ESP practitioners have been reluctant to implement co-teaching, which is the highest level of collaboration and interaction between ESP practitioners and content teachers, due to personal, pedagogical, and administrative constraints.

Specialized Training Workshops for Algerian EFL Teachers: A Transformative Pathway for ESP Instruction

The purpose of this study is to investigate the transformative impact of online workshops on Algerian EFL teachers’ proficiency in teaching English for Specific Purposes (ESP) instruction. These workshops were organized in response to Algeria’s pressing need for specialized training. Therefore, the core objective of the workshops is to improve teachers’ abilities and skills in needs analysis conduct and ESP course design. Within this context, this investigation employed a quasi-experimental method, combining both quantitative and qualitative data, to evaluate the workshops influence on participants’ attitudes, confidence, and instructional strategies. Notwithstanding certain limitations, the results emphasize the revolutionary potential of specialized teacher training in ESP education. The research concludes with suggestions and recommendations for upcoming workshops highlighting the significance of striking a balance between theory and practice.

Evaluating the blackboard technology's influence on English for specific purpose education: Using technology to teach English

This study examines the impact of Blackboard technology on the learning of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) among students and teachers in public universities in Saudi Arabia. Blackboard is a popular online platform for teaching ESP because it is easy to use and accessible and provides affordable e-learning with interactive activities and a variety of educational materials. The research uses both qualitative and quantitative methods to examine how students and teachers view Blackboard. A 5-point scale survey was administered to 114 students (60 males and 54 females) to determine how often they use Blackboard for ESP instruction. In addition, interviews were conducted with six male and five female teachers to evaluate Blackboard's effectiveness in academics and its influence on students' learning and memory. The study focused on four main areas: how often Blackboard is used by different age groups and genders, students' opinions about Blackboard, and teachers' opinions about using Blackboard for discussion. The results show that ESP students enjoy using Blackboard discussions and find them somewhat engaging and motivating. Blackboard helps with learning and communication both in and out of the classroom. The study also found that students prefer to learn in both English and their native language, while teachers believe that using the native language could slow down English learning. This research highlights the positive effects of Blackboard on ESP learning, overcoming age differences, and shows its value in education, suggesting it as a useful tool for educational institutions and policymakers to improve education and student-teacher interactions. It also points to the need for the right technological tools to meet students' needs.

Blended learning in English for specific purposes instruction: A systematic review

Due to Covid-19 pandemic, using ICT for teaching purposes has been the subject of a growing field of study in educational research. Thus, this systematic review aims to provide ESP practitioners with a current synthesis of the impact of blended learning on English for specific purposes (ESP) instruction. The current study systematically reviews and synthesizes studies related to blended learning and ESP with the aim of providing a comprehensive analysis of 28 research articles published across 2012-2022 and meeting selection criteria. Findings show that blended learning can foster university ESP students’ language skills. The majority of studies stress that blended learning brings considerable benefits to their ESP learning, namely flexibility, autonomy, and collaboration. The findings also revealed that few students faced some challenges such as demotivation, procrastination, and technical issues. In light of these results, the review ends up with implications for ESP teachers and researchers.

Translanguaging Pedagogies in an ESP Course: A Case in Indonesia

This study investigates into the implementation of translanguaging pedagogy within Indonesian English for Specific Purposes (ESP) classrooms. In Indonesia, where multilingualism is prevalent, there is a growing trend to integrate local languages, such as Indonesian and Javanese, into educational contexts. This approach, which values and purposefully employs students' first languages (L1s), has been increasingly adopted by teachers. The research aims to explore Indonesian ESP teachers' perspectives on translanguaging and its application in their teaching practices. Through a qualitative case study, this paper examines how translanguaging facilitates communication, enhances teacher-student relationships, and aids in the processing of educational material. It also investigates potential resistance to monolingual pedagogies and the constructive use of translanguaging to further educational objectives. Data were gathered via semi-structured interviews with five ESP teachers and through classroom observations. The findings highlight the positive role of translanguaging in education. Teachers reported that translanguaging aids in knowledge construction, boosts vocabulary comprehension, strengthens interactions between teachers and students, and fosters a comfortable and engaging learning environment. These insights underline the importance of developing translingual strategies, encouraging teachers to incorporate students’ complete linguistic repertoire in their teaching. This approach not only facilitates English language learning but also acknowledges and leverages the linguistic diversity in Indonesian classrooms.