ESP Course Research Articles

SHAPING SKILLS OF REASONING IN ESP COURSE AT TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY

At present, the university graduates have to acquire not only profound knowledge but unique skills and competencies to be successful in the labour market. One of the main competencies of modern engineers is their proficiency to reason, to debate or to argue reasonably. The Russian tertiary education standards consider argumentation skills as a key competence for university graduates. These skills are critical for making decisions and students can develop their argumentation skills in their English classes at a technical university. The paper reviews and analyzes the issues of teaching reasoning in the ESP course. The authors share their ideas on the ESP design course applying IT tools and indicate the ways to pursue further research. To improve communicative competence in the specialist area, the authors suggest shaping the skills of argumentation through the ESP course acquisition. Teaching strategies, regarding stages of skills development, are identified. Theoretical background and literature review give grounds for designing effective assignments to promote fruitful communication and make our graduates more competitive in the workforce.

The Linguistic Features in Egyptian-Authored English Research Article Literature Reviews in Linguistics

The current study aims at investigating and comparing the linguistic features of lexical items, tense usage, and voice choice in a sample of ten Egyptian-authored linguistics research article (RA) literature reviews (LRs) in local and international English-medium journals between 2013 and 2019. The paper followed a combination of genre-based and corpus-driven approaches, analyzing the data qualitatively and quantitatively. It adopted the state-of-the-art #LancsBox. The analysis revealed interesting differences between both sub-corpora in the use of lexis, especially in Moves 2 and 3. It was found that lexis varied to reflect the different rhetorical functions of the LR. They also differed in the use of the past simple tense. However, both sub-corpora agreed on using the present simple tense and active voice the most. This paper contributes to the literature by providing a helpful guide for Egyptian and novice researchers to use the linguistic features more appropriately in their LRs. It has pedagogical implications for designing EAP and ESP courses. Further studies on larger corpora are needed to analyze the linguistic features and highlight variations across genres, disciplines, and languages.

The Role of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) in Teaching English for Tourism: Challenges and Implications for ESP Teachers

CLIL programs at the university level are usually associated with ESP courses, we analyze the case regards to the position of CLIL and ESP in Tourism study. As CLIL programs are promoted to improve students’ language proficiency in English, we explore the importance of language learning in these programs and the implications derived from ESP. Data were obtained from class observation and also lecturer and student views on CLIL expressed in focus groups and a questionnaire. Findings show imprecise guidelines for CLIL implementation. Although we can observe a well-organized shift from ESP to CLIL, lecturer and student perspectives provide useful insights for action that can be taken by ESP course designers to adapt courses to make them more relevant to students’ discipline-related needs. Deal with these findings, we propose engaging in collaboration with content lecturers to advance Tourism Department’s graduates’ proficiency in English.

English for Specific Purposes: mapping discourse genres in a technical school

The expansion of the Federal Network of Vocational, Scientific, and Technological Education, which comprises many federal institutions aimed at secondary and post-secondary professional education throughout the country, presents a challenge for English language teachers, as they will be required to teach to a wide range of audiences. The lack of familiarity with the different professional areas is often an obstacle, worsened by the lack of teaching materials directed towards the different professional areas. As such, teachers are often faced with the need to produce one's teaching material, and ESP can contribute by helping the language teacher investigate their students' literacy needs. As a result, this study presents the findings of a student needs analysis whose aim was to map discourse genres for academic and professional purposes, which could aid in developing both an ESP course design and pedagogical material for four post-secondary technical courses offered by a technical school in Rio Grande do Sul. Data collection drew on unstructured interviews with students and their domain specialists and two semi-structured questionnaires.

“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.

TEACHING ACADEMIC WRITING IN ENGLISH TO STUDENTS OF ECONOMICS THROUGH CONCEPTUAL METAPHORS

The article addresses EFL students’ academic writing competence by fostering and evaluating their writing practices through conceptual metaphors. The research dataset comprised 102 Russian students majoring in economics. The students received the instruction based on the framework of the Conceptual Metaphor Theory during their EAP, ESP and EMI courses in economics. Metaphor Identification Procedure VU University Amsterdam (MIPVU) and the method of metaphoric modeling were used to assess EFL writing competence in economic knowledge domains – knowledge of terms and specific concepts, represented as conceptual metaphors. The statistical analysis did not show significant changes in the writing competence level of students when their EAP and ESP writing was compared. However, statistical differences were revealed in the use of metaphors when the students progressed from their EAP to EMI course and from their ESP to EMI course. The qualitative analysis demonstrated main differences within the conceptual metaphor domains in ESP and EMI writing. On the whole, the results reported here suggest the dynamics of FL writing competence of the Russian students specializing in economics when attending an EAP course, an ESP course and an EMI course in economics at the university.

DEVELOPING A HYBRID DIDACTIC COURSE IN ESP

This paper proposes a hybrid didactic ESP course, which comprises Blended Learning, Flipped Classroom and Project Based Learning with adequate activities. The paper shows that most of the proposed activities stipulate a high fulfilment indicator, and a correlation between a proper selection of didactic materials and the degree of students´ achievement and satisfaction at the end of each course.

Integrated Multi-Dimensional ESP Course Design: One Case Study

In recent years, there has been a shift in course design to a more integrated multi-dimensional model in higher education. Such a shift is to argue that learning should be multi-dimensional and that course design should be relatively connected with multiple theories of learning. For a better understanding of such an integrated multi-dimensional course design, the present study employed a case study method to explore one ESP course design, which was underpinned by a multi-dimensional model. The results of the case study are illuminative, showing that the integrated multi-dimensional ESP course design is the potential to enhance students' motivation and self-regulated learning. Consequently, we conclude that the current case study has shed light on integrated multi-dimensional ESP course design for further development at tertiary education.

LABOUR MARKET TRENDS TEACHING IN TOURISM INDUSTRY IN THE CONTEXT OF EUROINTEGRATION PROCESSES

The paper covers the problems of teaching a course of English for Specific Purposes for students majoring in tourism in higher educational establishments (HEIs) in Ukraine. Communicative competence is a part of a professional competence of specialists in the field of tourism. In Ukraine successful tourism industry development and the increasing flow of international tourism substantiates the stakeholders’ demand for improving tourism industry employees’ knowledge and skills of English for Specific Purposes, namely their communicative competence in tourism English. Consequently, tourism ESP teaching methodologies and materials in HEIs in Ukraine need further improvement in order to correspond to the educational and qualification requirements and the stakeholders’ demand. The obtained results contribute to the improvement of needs analysis of learning tourism English and tourism ESP course development in HEIs. Needs analysis is covered in terms of its importance and content as the first step to successful ESP course development. Communicative competence in tourism English is considered according to its three components: the linguistic (the knowledge of and the ability to use lexical elements, grammatical resources, perceive and produce the language in particular contexts orally, in writing and reading), the discourse (actual usage of English in the specific conditions in which communication takes place) and the intercultural (deal with specific professional situations in a diverse social and cultural context). Integration of the development of “soft skills” into ESP lessons has been substantiated. Having analyzed the concept of communicative competence in tourism English, course development peculiarities have been considered.

Online Problem-Based Learning: Possibilities for Engineering Vocabulary Acquisition in ESP Course at Technical University

The article aims to examine the effect of the online problem-based learning (PBL) method on engineering-related vocabulary acquisition by ESP students and their satisfaction with the learning experience. The study involved 70 third-year undergraduate students at the National Technical University of Ukraine “Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute” (Kyiv, Ukraine). They were taught with the use of traditional methods (control groups) and PBL method employing different online platforms, such as, Quizlet, LearningApps, Wordwall, and Quizizz (experimental groups). The learning outcomes were assessed using a vocabulary test and compared by means of the Fisher Criterion using online statistical software. The data about the students’ attitudes towards online problem-based vocabulary learning was collected with the use of a questionnaire in Google forms application which was automatically processed and analyzed by the authors. The findings of our study showed that the students who were taught with the PBL method online had statistically higher results in vocabulary acquisition than those taught with traditional methods. Students’ attitude to problem-based vocabulary learning was positive. Based on our findings we can conclude that the factor of the authenticity of the problems plays a vital role in vocabulary learning, makes it more enjoyable and meaningful for students, promotes their motivation and self-direction. The use of online vocabulary learning tools and videoconferencing technologies provides the students with a considerable degree of flexibility and autonomy and creates an opportunity to study at various locations. The online mode of instruction is appropriate for the context of distance learning, which is especially valuable during the pandemic.

Exploring the Perceptions of Undergraduate Psychology students towards Online Engagement in English for Specific Purpose Classes

In today’s global world, online teaching and learning have become an important part of the education system. In Pakistan, Covid-19 has revolutionized the teaching methodology from traditional face-to-face classes to online classes due to the closure of educational institutes. Despite various efforts made by HEC, universities, and teachers, yet students face problems in online classes. Therefore, the present study aims to explore the perceptions of undergraduate psychology students towards online engagement in ESP classes using self-determination theory (SDT). For this purpose, a qualitative study has been utilized and data has been collected in two stages using sociolinguistic profiles and interviews. The data was collected using a purposive sampling size from 35 psychology students enrolled in ESP online course. The data from the sociolinguistic profile has been analyzed using frequency analysis and interview data has been codified for thematic analysis. The findings suggest that both extrinsic and intrinsic motivation play an equal part in online learning. Besides this, the learners reported that learning can happen within online classes, depending on the teacher’s methodology and strategies in online classes. The results are effective for higher education institutes in determining the level of motivation and perceptions respondents have while taking ESP courses online, which can be made interactive by developing outcome-based courses with the integration of technology to fit the needs of modern education in the post-Covid-19 world.

Investigating Professional Teacher Identity through ESP Courses: Voices from Three EFL Instructors via Case Studies

The current zeitgeist in language teacher education dwells on teacher identity regarding it as one of the big buzzwords to explore and critically reflect teacher qualities from a socio-cognitive perspective. Drawing from this current trend, the research intended to disambiguate three English language instructors’ sense of self-efficacy, perceptions, professional identity and professional competence in one of the most established and prestigious state universities in the country through the qualitative case study method. After selecting ESP practitioners following convenience sampling, autobiographies, informal dialogues, classroom observations, opening interviews, post-observation interviews, and field notes were utilized to gather data. Having scrutinized the professional identities of instructors through the lens of self-efficacy beliefs, perceptions, and professional competence, the study exposed that professional competence came to the fore being the best mediator to gain awareness of professional teacher identity. However, self-efficacy did not subserve as a predictor in exploring the complexity of teacher identity due to discordance with perceptions and realities of identity issues. Finally, some suggestions for further considerations were stated to be operationalized within the EFL context of in-service language teacher education.

Teachers’ Reflections on Teaching Mathematics in English: A Consideration for Developing ESP Course

This study aims at investigating the difficulties faced by mathematics teachers in delivering learning materials in English, the strategies carried out by the teachers to overcome their problems, and its implication for ESP design. Conducted in a private school in Surakarta, which uses the Cambridge curriculum, this study involved five mathematics teachers. The data were collected by interview to elicit detailed information. Then, the data were analyzed using the interactive analysis method. Based on the study, the teachers faced several difficulties, namely vocabulary mastery, pronunciation, grammar mastery, and speaking fluency. The teachers’ strategies to cope with the difficulties were improving English skills by learning from reference books and other sources, printed or online, and collaborating with peer teachers. They also used an online platform to assist their learning as well as prepare the learning media. It implied that ESP design for mathematics teachers needed to cover four aspects: vocabulary mastery, pronunciation, grammar mastery, and speaking fluency. Several platforms could be utilized to design the ESP course, including the platforms that supported the linguistic aspects and mathematical knowledge.

The Comparison of Evaluative That Clauses in Turkish L2 Novice and Expert Writers' Abstracts

How authors adopt a stance and connect with their readers has gotten a lot of attention in the literature and is now a significant part of many ESP courses. What Hyland and Tse (2005b) call ‘evaluative that’ is a primarily underappreciated interpersonal trait. By placing a complement clause within a superordinate sentence, this form allows authors to build authorial stance and explicitly evaluate their own or others' work. It is an important way of giving authorial feedback and assessment when comparing the use of the structure in student and expert abstracts in applied linguistics. The current work explores two corpora comprising 40 abstracts from masters theses and dissertations by Turkish L2 graduate students in the U.S., and 70 abstracts by published research studies in two applied linguistics journals. It was discovered that evaluative that is less commonly used in these abstracts by the novice Turkish L2 graduate students than the published scholars. Although both groups used the structure similarly to a large extent, novice writers presented some peculiar traits concerning the specific uses of the structure. The results of the study give hints about the authorial voice of the expert and L2 novice writers by looking at what writers decided to assess, the viewpoints they adopted, the source they ascribed the stance to, and how they presented their judgments.

Undergraduates’ Perception on their English Learning Process: Preliminary Step toward “Foundations of Social Studies” CLIL-Based Material Development

Abstract: English has emerged as the language of scientific communication (Björkman, 2011; Jenkins, 2006). Given the significance of English, in addition to ESP courses that have been incorporated in university curriculum, the CLIL method can be one of the choices for improving students' English mastery. Before implementing CLIL and creating the necessary resources, a comprehensive investigation is required to determine the ‘what' and ‘how' the content, curriculum, assessment, and evaluation will be produced (Flowerdew, 2013). Prior to developing “Fundamental of Social Studies” CLIL-based content, this research intends to analyse several aspects. It investigates: (1) the significance students place on grammar, vocabulary, and language skills in the English learning process; (2) the students' preferences in English learning activities; and (3) the language components that students improved the most. Students in the Social Studies Program were given a survey. The implication based on the findings is that future material developments are recommended to include audio-materials, pay more attention to speaking activities, and incorporate more diverse grammar activities. Moreover, the type of activities involved are suggested to include group work as it is favoured by the students; especially for speaking performance. Group speaking performance is preferred then the individual one for it lessen the anxiety.
 
 
 Keywords: CLIL, Need Analysis, Material Development, ESP, Social Studies

How to Write (Science) Better. Simplified English Principles in a Skill-Oriented ESP Course

Abstract Teaching writing to doctoral students or academics at a technical university is a challenging task. Because they need to publish their research findings in English to pursue academic careers, they are usually highly motivated and expect a lot of the class. Their language competences, however, very often lack enough proficiency and may contribute to manuscript rejection. The paper focuses on language issues based on the rules of controlled natural languages (CNLs) and guidelines of Plain English. It shows how employing these issues improves grammatical quality and readability of science-oriented written texts. The paper describes four principles: removing nominalisation and using the so-called strong verbs to make the message simpler and more direct; combining nouns in strings to express complex ideas economically; applying grammatical consistency for coordinate elements in sentences to make them less chaotic; and reducing wordiness to obtain a more precise and comprehensible piece of writing. Sample phrases and sentences from authentic student writing as well as their improved versions are provided to each of the guidelines so that a reader has a deeper insight into how the principles work in a specialist context. Because problems with, for example, research papers, grant proposals or reports are common to various disciplines and at various levels, the Author of the paper draws conclusions that these principles should be implemented not only in a technical but also legal, medical and business writing course offered by English teachers to both young researchers and experienced scientists.

Teaching and learning ESP courses: The perceptions of teachers and students

Teaching and learning ESP courses: The perceptions of teachers and students

Needs Analysis in English Language Teaching of Medical Students in Kazakhstan

Teaching English at higher education institutions regardless of students’ area of specialization ignores their individual differences, needs, wishes, interests and goals. The most important and problematic question in teaching and learning is whether the course is effective or not. The effectiveness of the course is strongly related to learners’ attitudes, needs, expectations, satisfaction, and achievement. English for Specific Purposes is student-task oriented, and the basic insight into this trend is to offer course design, content and materials by being responsive to target language learners' own agenda. In this respect, the English language needs of undergraduate medical students in Kazakhstan were investigated by means of a case study conducted with the students of the Faculty of General Medicine at the West Kazakhstan Marat Ospanov Medical University. 52 students (14 males and 38 females) in their first and second year of studies participated in a quantitative survey during the spring semester of the academic year 2020-2021. A questionnaire was adapted from the previous studies in this field (Ait Hattani, 2019; Kayaoglu, Dag Akbas, 2015; Tang, Zeng, 2020), and included items on students’ attitudes towards the English course, identify their language strengths and weaknesses, and shed light on their language needs. The findings of the study will suggest practical implications for ESP course design for medical students.

Plesionyms as a Vocabulary Teaching Tool: The Case of Estonian EFL Learners

Summary The present study investigated the effectiveness of using plesionyms, or near-synonyms, as a vocabulary teaching tool in the English as a foreign language classroom and attempted to determine at what level of proficiency this technique could be incorporated. 40 Estonian university students who were enrolled in three different ESP courses participated in the study. The students were divided into 4 groups according to their level of proficiency: one experimental and one control group consisted of B1 level students; and one experimental and one control group consisted of B2 level students. The experimental groups learned the vocabulary in plesionymic pairs by discussing the differences as well as the similarities between near-synonyms. Meanwhile, the control groups learned the same words non-adjacently, meaning that the words were taught independently and neither differences nor similarities between words were discussed. Based on the findings, it was concluded that teaching vocabulary through plesionymic pairs facilitates immediate recall and long term memory retention among B2 level students. This vocabulary teaching method could be considered more effective at more advanced levels of proficiency.

Needs analysis-based ESP course design for vocational high school students

The objectives of this research were to find out: (1) the needs of accounting students in learning English at one of the vocational high schools in Donggala; and (2) the suitable English course design for vocational high school students. This research used a descriptive qualitative research method by involving twenty-two students majoring in accounting. The research instruments were google form questionnaires and phone interview that each instrument contained open-ended and close-ended questions. The data of this research were analyzed in four stages; namely coding, data reduction, data display, and drawing conclusions or interpretations. The researchers found that the needs of accounting students who participated in the research in learning English were in accordance with the teaching concepts of English for Specific Purposes. The language skill they needed the most was speaking. The students lacked vocabulary, pronunciation, and self-confidence to speak in English. In line with the students’ lack, the students would like their speaking skill to be developed. Based on the result of the students’ needs analysis, the researchers suggested a set of English course guidelines which consisted of four components. The first was the course rationale that covered target learners, course content, and course objectives. The second component was course materials related to accounting and about daily life. The third was teaching method and learning activities that most of the students preferred discussions and practices. The last component was assessment which consisted of a portfolio, journal, interview, observation, and self/peer assessment. The teacher could use one assessment only or more in one time for assessment based on the learning situation and the students’ needs.