ESP Course Research Articles

Technology in Support of Developing Speaking Skills in ESP Courses

Nowadays, when face-to-face human interactions are restricted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students have fewer opportunities to put their oral communicative abilities to the test. Under these circumstances, technology becomes an ally of both teachers and learners. While synchronous tools enable students to communicate with one another in real time, asynchronous tools allow them, among others, to record their utterances for review and self-evaluation. This paper aims to indicate which technological solutions could help teachers increase learners’ oral production in the ESP classroom (with particular emphasis on Medical and Business English) and which ones could help students improve their speaking skills independently.

THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION IS ETHICAL. SOME CONSIDERATIONS ON THE ROLE OF ESP COURSES IN TRANSMITTING VALUES AND VIRTUES IN HEIs

Teaching has always been an ethical profession (Fisher, 2013;Campbell, 2000), and given the globalised world we are living in and the highly globalised labour market, instructors ' mission is no longer to prepare students for local jobs only, but for international jobs as well. Therefore, the subjects taught in Higher Education Institutions (HEI) should not only prepare students for using specialised knowledge (hard skills) in specific professional contexts, but they should also instil values and virtues - those soft skills that are also essential on the (international) labour market. Consequently, ethical communication (which heavily relies on values and virtues) has become a pillar (Monteiro, et al., 2018) in higher education studies, as it plays an outstanding role in the teaching process and in making sure that students - as future young graduates - have a strong work ethic. As such, our article focuses on how ESP courses taught at the Faculty of European Studies within Babes-Bolyai University (Romania) can help students acquire not only the specialised vocabulary in English necessary for their field of study, but also the values and virtues required for an appropriate work ethic and the ability to put themselves in other people 's shoes when faced with an ethical dilemma to make sure that their solution maximizes the benefits of everyone involved.

Rhetorical structure of systematic reviews published in dental journals: implications for teaching reading and writing in ESP courses

Abstract Systematic reviews (SRs) are relevant for the dentistry community; however, a multidisciplinary literature review suggests that, to date, no linguistic study on the rhetorical structure of dental SRs in English has been carried out, a gap the present study hopes to partly fill. Integrating Swales’ and Bhatia’s models and the New Rhetoric approach to genre studies, we analyzed the rhetorical organization of 100 SRs in the field of dentistry. The results indicate that SRs follow a prototypical structure: Introduction-Method-Results-Discussion-Conclusion (IMRDC). It can be broken down into 18 moves, 14 of which could be considered obligatory. The template proposed could be a practical resource for oral health scholars, clinicians and students to not only raise genre-consciousness but also effectively write and publish SRs in international dentistry journals.

Comparing the Effect of Morphological Analysis and Incidental Learning on the Acquisition of TOEFL Vocabulary

Morphological analysis and incidental learning are two vocabulary learning strategies that language learners may use in order to acquire the meanings of new words. To date, however, few studies have compared the effectiveness of these two strategies. Hence, the current study was carried out to compare the effect of morphological analysis and incidental learning of words that appeared in ten actual TOEFL reading passages from 2010 to 2018 (henceforth, TOEFL vocabulary/words). Eighty upper-intermediate Iranian foreign language learners participated in the study. A pretest was administered to determine the TOEFL words the participants could not supply a synonym, a similar expression, or a translation for at the onset of the study. Next, the participants were randomly divided into two groups: the Morphological Analysis (MA) group, who learned the vocabulary through learning the meanings of Greco-Latin roots in the words, and the Incidental Learning (IL) group, who learned the TOEFL vocabulary through multiple exposures to the words in different contexts. Then, a posttest was administered to investigate the effect of each of these strategies on recognizing the meanings of the TOEFL words. Running a t-test, the groups' mean scores on the pretest and posttest were compared. The results of the study indicated that the MA had a more significant effect on vocabulary retention than the IL. Based on the findings of the study, it is recommended that MA be employed as a valuable source for TOEFL vocabulary learning and teaching by both teachers and learners, and as a strategy for vocabulary teaching in ESP or EAP courses as the vocabulary in such courses is heavily loaded with Greek and Latin roots.

Learners’ Fondness in ESP Course for Accounting Major

Learners’ Fondness in ESP Course for Accounting Major

QRCV APPROACH TO ENHANCING CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS IN ESP LEARNING

The term ‘Critical Thinking’ increasingly appears in education and language teaching. It would be among key skills for any 21st century learner (Hughes, 2014). Recently, considerable attention has been paid to critical teaching approaches in studying foreign languages. It is usually difficult for students to acquire financial knowledge in English even though they have already passed a basic English course in non-English speaking countries. We introduce the QRCV approach for enhancing learners’ CT skills so that learners can overcome challenges in ESP learning. The main principle of the QRCV approach is heuristic Questioning, Reasoning, Considering the issues from different angles, and Visualizing in learning ESP. Our study aims at validating the QRCV approach in enhancing learners’ CT skills in ESP learning. Participants were 72 students learning finance in English. During a semester, the experimental group (n=36) took the financial English course through the QRCV approach while the control group took it in a conventional approach. The self-developed instrument, Critical Thinking Skills Test for Financial English (CTSTFE) was used as a pretest and posttest, and their results were scored by instructors in accordance with relevant criteria for CT skills. The findings indicate that the experimental group outperformed the control group in the course achievement, especially in the dimension of Considering from multiple-perspectives. Implications for applying QRCV to other ESP courses in general are suggested.

Affordances and Challenges of Mixed- Methods Needs Analysis for the Development of ESP Courses

This paper addresses the conceptions of needs analysis and mixed-methods research, and the affordances and challenges of mixed methods needs analysis in implementing ESP courses. Language researchers and educators maintain that a lack of identifying students’ needs hampers the development and improvement of English language education in ESP. ESP teachers and educators may not be cognizant of utilizing needs analysis effectively in their classrooms. Hence, the purpose of the paper is to characterize mixed-methods needs analysis and recognize affordances and challenges of using needs analysis with the considerations of mixed methods in research on foreign and second language education. A systematic mixed-methods learner needs analysis can increase the rigour of course design, materials development, and the enhancement of curriculum and instruction. This paper also informs ESP educators, teachers, professionals, and researchers of the usefulness and practicality of mixed methods approaches in conducting needs analysis for ESP learners in the educational context.

Formative Assessment and Motivation in ESP: A Case Study

The paper presents a case study of an ESP course illustrating the implementation of formative assessment to increase students’ participation and motivation. Formative assessment is an ongoing process teachers and students engage in while focusing on the learning goals and taking action to achieve them. It refers to monitoring students’ learning and the in-process evaluation of student performance by the teacher and by peers providing ongoing feedback to both the teacher and the students. The Business English for Engineers course, designed for graduate students of mechanical engineering, focuses on developing the presentation skills of future mechanical engineers. The students enrolled on the course prepare presentations on engineering topics planned by the syllabus, thus taking direct responsibility for learning. The presentations are followed by questions and group discussions on the presented topics and are subsequently assessed by the rest of the students, the presenters themselves and the teacher. Apart from presentations, students are also assigned smaller tasks to do in class in pairs or groups. A grade in the form of points is attached to the delivered presentations and completed tasks, contributing to the student’s final grade. The results of the questionnaire completed by the students at the end of the course show that such formative activities and assessment increased the students’ motivation and participation in class.

The effects of formative evaluation on students' achievement in English for specific purposes

The research attempts to trace the impact of formative evaluation on Saudi male learners’ achievement in medical English. The study also seeks to find out instructors’ and students' views and attitudes towards formative assessment. The sample of the study involves 98 subjects chosen purposively from among the Preparatory Year learners at a Saudi university. They were divided into two equal groups; one is intended to act as an experimental and the other is taken to represent the control group. The students of the experimental group were given their English for Specific Purposes course following the formative evaluation techniques whereas the second group was taught their ESP course in accordance with the traditional assessment principles. The experimental group instructors were given intensive training courses in Saudi Arabia and abroad on how to use formative evaluation principles in the classroom. At the end of the experimental period which continued for four months, the experimental and the control group sat for the end of term examination which was designed for all candidates in the Preparatory College. Grades of all subjects in the two groups in the final exam were compared. The experimental group student’s performance was found to be significantly higher than that of the control group. Students' and instructors’ attitudes towards formative evaluation were generated through a questionnaire and a series of interviews. Advanced statistical analysis of the responses of the instructors and students has shown their positive views about this form of evaluation. The research concludes with some suggestions to enhance this type of assessment and to conduct further studies on female students learning different language skills for different purposes. Suggestions to improve formative evaluation practice were also given to make this form of assessment more motivating and more enticing. Keywords: Formative evaluation, summative assessment, feedback, scaffolding, attitudes towards learning.

Designing ESP Online Course for Personnel of Law-Enforcement Agencies of Ukraine

The article reveals ESP distance learning course for foreign language training of the law-enforcement agencies personnel. Topics and stages of ESP online language learning course have been considered. The training of personnel of border security units is an integral part of the system of ensuring Integrated Border Management; it is necessary to provide coherence of units for the skillful organization of their operational and service activity. The authors focus particular attention on the structural and logical scheme of ESP distance learning course according to the separate modules. The purpose of the article is to reveal developed the ESP online course in the framework of border guards training in Ukraine. The purpose set required performing a thorough needs analysis of the target audience (border guard officers serving at the border). It has been determined that it is more efficient for border guards to study the English language without leaving their professional duties at the border. The results of the development and implementation of the English language distance learning course for foreign language training of the Border Guard Agency personnel allowed us to conclude that it is necessary and effective for border guards to obtain professional language skills for performing everyday tasks, organizing operational and service activity and during border control at checkpoints across the state border. The teacher during ESP online course acts as a catalyst for communication, provides feedback, takes into account a variety of learning styles, and pays considerable attention to the development of not only intellectual but also moral qualities of border guards. The developed online ESP course for Border Guard Agency personnel effectively functions in the system of professional training, providing an opportunity for border guards at the workplace without interrupting their main activity to improve their level of professional English proficiency. The course can be implemented in other law-enforcement educational institutions for independent learning of personnel in order to form foreign language competence, especially for officers who plan to participate in joint international programs and trainings.

Challenges of Teaching and Learning English Language for ESP Courses

ESP as a branch of Applied Linguistics is concerned with teaching, testing methods, analysis of students’ demands and inquiry into the linguistic and discourse structures of specific texts. ESP is a very important subject in Universities nowadays for many reasons. Technology is mostly developed in English speaking countries and specialized language is so widely used in all walks of life. ESP courses aim to prepare students with skills and vocabulary required in their studies and professions. They have to attend conferences, workshops and seminars worldwide and specific terminology is intertwined with their research area. In the case of teaching and learning English for IT, being familiar with the technical terms, translation of equivalent terms, using specific language in communication, are among the challenges. Grammar is an important skill for language mastery though not included in ESP course books and syllabi. Compiling adequate syllabuses based on the five skills including Grammaring is crucial. Through this paper it is aimed to present challenges of Teaching English for IT students, and suggest effective teaching techniques to overcome them. It is observed and hinted that ESP lecturers teach with more than one coursebook including materials drawn from real life, this way introducing a new and effective approach to teaching ESP. Professional knowledge is never enough in a certain study area. Communication and performance are the key for success or failure in the long run of ongoing education. Received: 29 March 2021 / Accepted: 23 June 2021 / Published: 8 July 2021

DESIGNING ESP COURSES WITH MEDIA LITERACY.

DESIGNING ESP COURSES WITH MEDIA LITERACY.

Needs analysis in ESP context: A case study of People’s Police University Students

This paper investigates the learning needs of students enrolled in an ESP course at the People’s Police University. A qualitative case study research design was employed through in-depth interviews with 20 undergraduate students. The findings show that the students perceived reading and writing as critical English skills needed for their future profession. The need to thoroughly understand the specialized subject matter in both English and Vietnamese was also reported. Also, the students wished to gain access to extra resources to assist their studying of ESP courses. The students experienced difficulties in mastering technical terms and specialization and comprehending online resources in English. Implications are made based on the findings. The study results would serve as a reference for language program managers, course designers, and English language instructors to enhance ESP courses’ quality in Vietnamese universities.

TEACHING SUSTAINABILITY ONLINE TO UNIVERSITY STUDENTS WITH THE USE OF INTERACTIVE PRESENTATION TOOLS: A CASE STUDY

The study was aimed to analyse the efficiency of teaching sustainability online at ESP classes. The participants of the study were 33 second-year technical university students who studied Sustainable Development issues with the use of interactive presentation platforms Thinglink and Padlet which employed different multimedia resources – text, pictures, sound, animation, video. The students’ attitudes toward sustainability issues before and after the experimental learning was measured with the use of the sustainability consciousness questionnaire developed by Gericke, Boeve‐de Pauw, Berglund and Olsson (2018). The analysis of changes in different parameters of engineering students’ sustainability consciousness showed the feasibility and appropriateness of teaching sustainability in an ESP course. The students’ answers showed an increase in their knowingness of issues of Sustainable Development and their more responsible environmental behaviour, which implies the importance of disseminating knowledge and educating people for building a sustainable future. Based on the results of our study, we can conclude that ESP is a course which can organically integrate sustainability topics into its curriculum and use a wide range of resources and materials about Sustainable Development, since the majority of them are in English and thus can contribute not only to Learning for Sustainability but also to language acquisition. The use of online presentation tools and a wide range of multimedia resources on their platforms makes the learning more interactive and motivating for students and stimulates them to active inquiry into sustainability issues.

FACTORS SUPPORTING TEACHING AND LEARNING ENGLISH IN NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING COUNTRIES

This paragraph of the graduation paper is devoted to the issues of the factors supporting teaching in non-English speaking countries. The participation of learners in the design of an ESP course is essential in order for the course to be effective. Teachers may rely more often on intuition when making course planning than on informed assessment of learners needs.

Collaborative Discussion Using Padlet-based Materials in Writing for ESP Course

Collaborative discussion is a purposeful means for lecturers to assist students’ ideas in writing. This research, therefore, aims to determine the effect of collaborative discussion using Padlet-based materials that have been previously developed by researchers for Mechanical Engineering students to enhance learning outcomes. This research was conducted at second-year undergraduate in a class of 40 students. This research was classified as a pre-experimental design. Moreover, the quantitative data were collected by using pre-test and post-test to the sample class. The finding revealed descriptive statistics of the sample studied, pre-test and post-test. For the pre-test value, an average learning outcome or mean of 60.13 is obtained. While for the post-test score, it was obtained the average value of learning outcomes of 77.25. Furthermore, the correlation coefficient or correlation is equal to 0.867 with a significance value (Sig.) of 0.000. The finding indicates that Collaborative learning using Padlet-based teaching materials in Mechanical Engineering class could influence students’ writing outcomes.

The Use of a Learner-Friendly Concordancer in Data-Driven Learning in an ESP Course

The Use of a Learner-Friendly Concordancer in Data-Driven Learning in an ESP Course

The use of learning management systems in ESP to explore postgraduate students’ content knowledge about epidemiology and COVID-19: a mixed-methods study

Background/purpose-This sequential explanatory mixed-methods study inspected the impact of an online ESP course on postgraduate students content knowledge development about epidemiology in general and COVID-19 in particular. The course was titled English for Pandemics and was administered via a Learning Management System (Edmodo). Materials/methods-Needs Analysis was (informally) deployed to trace participants needs, preferences, and wants in order to shape the landscape of the treatment. The researcher employed a quasi-experimental design (a one-group, pretest-posttest design). Participants were pretested prior to the treatment. The treatment consisted of online exposure to eight units (English for Pandemics), capitalizing on Edmodo in content delivery, receipt, mastery, and assessment. Following the treatment, after 8 weeks, the participants were post-Tested. Results-Quantitative results revealed a statistically significant difference in the participants content knowledge regarding epidemiology and COVID-19. Qualitative findings divulged that participants highly appreciated Edmodo interactive features (simplicity, functionality, control, communal learning, and real-Time feedback), and voiced their readiness to opt for Edmodo in future learning experiences. Conclusion-Based on empirical evidence, the current study argues that the Edmodo learning management system has the potential to push content delivery, receipt, mastery, and assessment in ESP courses to the next level. © 2021 Universitepark. All rights reserved.

NEEDS ANALYSIS OF ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES AT POLITEKNIK GIHON

The needs analysis cannot be separated from the development of materials and curriculum design for language learning, especially ESP. The research about ESP, especially the topic of need analysis still needs to be explored. Thus, this research aims to identify language skills needed and develop English teaching materials at Politeknik Gihon. The subjects of this study were 45 ongoing students and six former students. The result of the study revealed the perceptions of the students’ needs for their current studies and future career and how the English material should be designed in this institution. This study contributes in developing the teaching material and proposed a redesigned of ESP course.

ENGLISH FOR STUDENTS OF PSYCHOLOGY AND EDUCATION: DESIGNING A TEXTBOOK

This paper considers some issues in designing a textbook for students of psychology and students of education enrolled in the same ESP course. These issues include balancing students’ objective and subjective learning needs in the selection of real content aimed at developing necessary competences in accordance with the course objectives, as well as selecting carrier content to satisfy the needs and interests of students of both disciplines. An additional challenge involves accommodating learning needs of students with different levels of language proficiency, while also taking into account their evolving specialist knowledge. The paper then looks at the structure and content of the textbook English for Students of Psychology and Education, published by the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade.