ESP Teaching Research Articles

Virtual reality as a pedagogical tool to increase the effectiveness of ESP teaching

In modern education, the relevance of the search for new teaching methods is emphasized by the growing interest in effective approaches. Virtual reality (VR) is gaining attention as a potential tool for providing immersive learning environments. The purpose of the study is to explore the possibilities of using VR in teaching English for Specific Purposes. An analysis of existing ESP VR courses was carried out and new ones were developed, taking into account professional characteristics. The influence of VR on students' motivation and performance was studied. The results confirm the effectiveness of VR in teaching ESP, allowing students to immerse themselves in a professional environment, practice skills in a safe environment and increase motivation to learn the language. The study makes a valuable contribution to the exploration of VR capabilities in ESP and may be useful for the development of educational programs. Research methods include literature analysis, questionnaires and testing, and a pedagogical experiment comparing the effectiveness of teaching using VR and traditional methods. The practical significance of the work is expressed in the development of specific tools — VR courses and exercises that help increase the efficiency of ESP learning and a deep understanding of the material by students.

Exploring the Role of ESP Teachers in the Modern ELT Classroom

Exploring the Role of ESP Teachers in the Modern ELT Classroom

Ethnographic lens: Understanding managerial and operational level perspectives on ESP teachers roles

This study investigates the managerial level (the deans of the faculties and the director of ESP) perspectives and ESP teachers’ perspectives (operational level) on how they assume their roles in teaching ESP. This study used an ethnographic approach. The phenomena of an ethnography are commonly examined from a collective perspective. This suggests analyzing the culture under investigation from an insider's viewpoint by emphasizing the significance that the members of that society attribute to it. The findings show that sociocultural factors are assumed to influence the deans’ expectations of what teachers must do in comparison to what teachers themselves should be doing. ESP teachers at the operational level assume their roles in teaching and learning ESP as motivation builders, classroom controllers, teaching strategy innovators and lifelong learners. Meanwhile, the deans of the faculty’s (managerial level) expectations of ESP teacher roles entail a material developer, a curriculum contributor, a language trainer, a student mental safeguarding, a collaborator and a program evaluator. While deans and teachers share a common goal of educating students, their roles, responsibilities and perspectives differ significantly leading to different expectations. Both cohorts namely managerial level and ESP teachers should intensively discuss to obtain a satisfactory agreement in executing roles and responsibilities. Besides, when designing professional development, it is suggested to focus on two areas: enhancing and sustaining instructors' English proficiency and expanding language teaching knowledge and skills.

IS THE ACTION LEARNING APPROACH SUITABLE FOR TEACHING ESP? THE MAIN PREREQUISITES FOR ITS IMPLEMENTATION IN THE CASE OF AGRI-FOOD STUDENTS

In the last decade, there has been a tendency towards embracing the action learning approach in the case of the students attending study programs such as agriculture, forestry, and food engineering. The paper aims to establish if the methods and instruments specific to this approach can be transferred to the ESP lessons and check on the feasibility and limitations of this approach when teaching English for agriculture and food engineering. For this reason, a questionnaire was applied to check the student’s understanding of the action learning approach and their capacity to identify specific action-oriented methods and select a series of methods to be introduced when teaching English. According to the obtained results, the study shows that most students have satisfactory information as regards the action learning approach and can identify and show a certain preference for specific methods that could be used within the ESP course. More than this, an analysis of the different categories of learning methods reveals that the students display a preference for those that develop skills such as observation, visioning, problem-solving, and co-learning. Thus, future studies may explore topics related to the way ESP teaching can further enhance the acquisition and development of specific skills (observation, visioning, reflection, dialogue, participation, co-learning, problem-solving and critical thinking) in the case of future professionals in agriculture, forestry, and food engineering.

ESP AS A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO EDUCATION - CLASSROOM PRACTICE ILLUSTRATION

The authors advocate major change in the conceptualisation of English for Specific Purposes courses. While the foundational premise of any ESP instruction is highly focused on a particular professional/scientific field and thus narrow as opposed to the concept of language as an ontology, we hereby claim that an ESP course can be successful in its preset outcome and at the same time significantly upgraded towards the notion of language as a tool for not only expressing the fullness of being, but also as a language instruction methodology that significantly improves mental capabilities and social awareness in students. ESP understood and practiced as a narrow, focused approach to language teaching does not necessarily pay attention to the development of any other intellectual or psychological aspect of a student. Authors disagree with the educational policies that proclaim particularised knowledge output of language studying process. We show that with appropriate teaching methodology the teaching of ESP can be (re)turned to holistic education that is the innate nature of language.

CHATGPT IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING AND ASSESSMENT: EXPLORING EFL INSTRUCTORS’ EXPERIENCE

The paper presents the results of the first stage of the research into the specifics of ChatGPT application in assessment development for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) courses. The article aims to investigate the perceptions of English language teachers regarding the utilization of ChatGPT in their teaching and assessment practices obtained through a survey in order to establish the degree of their familiarity with the possibilities of ChatGPT for teaching a foreign language and the mechanics of AI-generated test tasks design. The participants are mostly experienced English language instructors, affiliated with higher education institutions in Ukraine, the EU and the USA. Findings reveal varying levels of respondents’ confidence in ChatGPT's functionalities. A considerable proportion of educators appeared to be either unfamiliar with ChatGPT or possess limited knowledge of its capabilities. Hesitancy in implementing ChatGPT in teaching practice primarily stems from a lack of guidance as to its effective utilization closely followed by academic integrity concerns. However, educators who have employed ChatGPT recognize its potential as an assistant in lesson planning, content creation, task design, and assessment, especially for vocabulary, grammar, and writing. Despite acknowledging the tool's benefits, respondents express reservations about ChatGPT-generated tasks’ accuracy for assessment purposes. Challenges include the need for meticulous proofreading, issues with biased information, and insufficient task complexity. Nonetheless, overall satisfaction levels among educators implementing ChatGPT range from moderate to high, substantiating its value in foreign language teaching. Thus the survey stage of the research revealed the growing interest in ChatGPT’s potential for foreign language teaching and assessment among Ukrainian and international EFL and ESP instructors and underscored the need for guidelines and recommendations to create effective ChatGPT-generated test tasks. Future research will develop criteria for evaluating ChatGPT-generated tasks, provide prompt design guidelines, and formulate ethical policies for AI in assessment, addressing educators' concerns and

Integrating the 6Cs in Moroccan Higher Education: A Framework for Inclusive AI Learning Design

Aligning market demands with the knowledge, competencies, and skills provided by higher education is a significant challenge and often falls primarily on the shoulders of educators. This study aims to explore the concept of inclusive AI learning design and its intersection with the integration of the 6Cs framework in higher education. In other words, it delves into the multifaceted role of Artificial Intelligence in the classroom, focusing primarily on the integration of the 6Cs (communication, collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, character education/ connectivity, and culture/ citizenship) in Moroccan higher education institutions, Artificial Intelligence literacy, and the cultivation of digital humanities techniques. The main research question guiding the study was “How to integrate the 6Cs at the tertiary level using inclusive Artificial Intelligence learning design? ». The study held significance in contributing to the existing literature by providing new insights and filling gaps in knowledge. To achieve the objectives of the study, the researcher relied on an exploratory descriptive approach through an interview and a self-developed questionnaire involving 15 ESP teachers. The results indicated that teachers face several challenges when integrating the 6C of 21st-century education into ESP classes, including engineering students’ low motivation, difficulties in combining multiple competencies, limitations in teaching materials, and time management issues. Hence, establishing a framework for inclusive Artificial Intelligence learning design that encompasses the 6 Cs is compulsory.

Methodology of Lexical Competence Formation of Power-Engineering Students based on CBA and its Experimental Research in Teaching ESP

This article considers about methodology of lexical competence formation of power - engineering students and its experimental research in ESP teaching. Here some theoretical approaches are discussed, and new methodology suggested by the author is tested in practice. Experimental work was carried out in 3 non-philological universities of the Republic of Uzbekistan as Tashkent State Technical University named after Islam Karimov (TSTU), Fergana Polytechnic Institute (FerPI) and Navoi State Mining Institute (NSMI). Anonymous questionnaires were obtained from students and teachers, written control works are received from students. Using the results obtained, the existing difficulties in teaching and mastering the terms of power engineering were identified. With the help of these difficulties there have been developed a typology of exercises aimed at overcoming the identified challenges. The exercises given here were prepared and published in the textbook "Foreign language for 3rd year power engineering students" for the development of lexical competence, used at English language course for students of the 3rd year of the Faculty of "Power engineering" of non-philological higher educational institutions of the republic. The texts in the manual is based on the content of teaching special subjects and textbooks in the field of power engineering of TSTU, 3rd year "Foreign language" educational and methodological complex, O.G.Smirnova, E.A. Protsukovich's e-book English for Power Engineering, David Bonamy's Technical English 1, and Internet sources. Besides this there are given some recommendations and suggestions on teaching technical terms to ESP students in higher educational establishments.

Correlation of ESP Learners’ Cognitive, Metacognitive Strategies and Academic Achievement

There have been many studies dealing with the interconnections between the utilization of language learning strategies and the overall academic achievement of EFL learners. Our research aims to investigate whether there is some correlation between the implementation of cognitive strategies, metacognitive strategies, and academic achievement in an ESP context. The study sample incorporated 170 undergraduates studying in business administration programs at the university where we are teaching. We used the Strategy Inventory of Language Learning Strategies (SILL) put together by R. Oxford to examine the implementation of CSs and MCSs by the learners. We generated the results with the help of descriptive and inferential statistics. We compared the data received with the students’ GPAs by using the Pearson correlation coefficient. The findings revealed that students make use of both CSs and MCSs fairly highly. MCSs are used more than CSs. There is a remarkably useful correlation between GPA and most of the CSs and MCSs examined. The findings and recommendations of this research will contribute to the ongoing literature and they will help in updating ESP syllabi and teaching techniques of vocational and practical programs that require ESP.

A Lonely Journey: An Autoethnography of the Fifteen-Year Identity Construction of a Female ESP Teacher in China

A Lonely Journey: An Autoethnography of the Fifteen-Year Identity Construction of a Female ESP Teacher in China

The perspective of ESP teaching: a study of english subject for undergraduate nursing students at Hafshawaty University

The perspective of ESP teaching: a study of english subject for undergraduate nursing students at Hafshawaty University

Understanding Effective Practices in Teaching ESP to Non- English Majors: A Qualitative Study of Vietnamese ESP Instructors

Understanding Effective Practices in Teaching ESP to Non- English Majors: A Qualitative Study of Vietnamese ESP Instructors

Metaphors we judge by

Metaphors are an all-pervasive feature of legal language that reflects and shapes the perception, interpretation and application of the law across jurisdictions. The aim of this study is to map and understand better the cognitive structure and general use of metaphors in legal discourse with special focus on the genre of judgments of the European Court of Justice. To this end, the Eur-Lex judgments corpus has been scrutinized by using the corpus-based methods and the Sketch Engine corpus query tool for determining the most frequently used conceptual metaphors for six target domains: LAW, COURT, RIGHTS, DISCRIMINATION, and COMPANY. Along with unearthing the most typically used metaphoric conceptualizations for the target domains, the data suggest that the analyzed metaphors are not incidental, isolated, mental conceptualizations, but rather part of a conceptual cluster forming a variety relations. Additionally, some implications have been drawn for teaching legal English by advocating the introduction of metaphors while illustrating the use of corpus-based methodology for the development of effective evidence-based authentic ESP teaching materials to foster metaphoric competence, an area surprisingly neglected in legal English textbooks.

Using Knowledge of Basic Mathematics to Increase Technical English Literacy

The following paper aims to demonstrate how ESP teachers can employ basic Mathematical concepts to maximize technical comprehension and concept development during engineering classes. Moreover, the paper proposes an integrated skills approach model of how Geometry lessons can expand abstract thinking and increase technical comprehension level by means of selected activities that develop gradually and recycle vocabulary, provide feedback and help students corroborate mathematical understanding with English comprehension. The paper seeks to provide a practical approach to the way in which English teachers can harness students’ knowledge of basic mathematics to increase their technical English literacy by transferring and expanding concepts to render technical English output.

Exploring the Effectiveness of Web-Based Concept and Mind Mapping Tools for Enhancing Teaching and Learning ESP

Exploring the Effectiveness of Web-Based Concept and Mind Mapping Tools for Enhancing Teaching and Learning ESP

CLIL-подход в обучении ESP практикующих юристов в рамках реализации курса повышения квалификации (опыт Финуниверситета)

Introduction. Today, universities face the task of establishing cooperation with business, including in the field of creating language courses for advanced training within the framework of the transfer of educational technologies. The author presents a unique experience in the development of language training courses “English for lawyers” (Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, 2023). Theoretical analysis. Conducting the comparative analysis of the problem allowed the author to conclude that the appeal to the CLIL-approach in ESP teaching through the tools of online pedagogy is justified. The client-oriented educational track constituted the uniqueness of this course. Empirical analysis. Consideration of the problem of using the CLIL-approach allowed us to identify the effectiveness of the selected methods: communicative, case study, inverted classroom, development of critical thinking, etc. in the field of ESP teaching. Conclusion. The use of the CLILapproach in the ESP training of practicing lawyers is effective and justified in terms of language proficiency development. Such courses allow one to see trends in the labor market and make appropriate adjustments to the educational tracks of universities.

ENHANCING ESP TEACHING FOR COMPUTER AND NETWORK ENGINEERING STUDENTS THROUGH MULTIMEDIA

This article discusses the application of short videos and pictures in teaching ESP procedure texts in computer and network engineering majors. This research uses a qualitative method with a case study design to explore the integration of video and pictures in ESP teaching, the challenges teachers face in integrating videos and pictures in ESP teaching, and how teachers overcome these challenges. The participants of this study consisted of one English teacher in computer and network engineering class who was selected by purposive sampling. The research was conducted at SMK Mahardika Malang and involved English teachers from the computer and network engineering department. Data collection methods included observation and interviews with teachers, focusing on the procedures for integrating short videos and pictures, the challenges faced, and solutions to overcome these challenges. The findings reveal that there are several activities in the classroom, namely teacher activities, student activities, and the learning and teaching process. Teachers face three challenges. The first is time constraints. To overcome this challenge, teachers must use pictures and short videos wisely and adjust them to the time available in the lesson plan. The second is the mismatch of learning material sources. The solution to this challenge is to use effective multimedia such as the Internet and YouTube. The third is students' low motivation to learn English and write procedural texts. The solution to this challenge is for teachers to approach students emotionally, consult with their parents, and provide project-based learning strategies using English. This research provides valuable insights for ESP education, emphasizing the importance of adapting content to industry needs, addressing motivation issues, and effectively using multimedia elements.

The genre of PechaKucha presentations: Analysis and implications for enhancing multimodal literacy at university

ESP students need to develop their multimodal literacy to become literate in today's professional spaces. For this purpose, ESP teachers should revisit pedagogy practices to best engage students in the navigation and construction of multimodal genres. As a case in point, we explore PechaKucha (PK) presentations. This multimodal genre consists of 20 slides, which are automatically advanced every 20 s. PK presentations entail a complex format that requires speakers to choose how to convey content, design suitable visuals, and engage audiences. The dataset for the study consists of 7 PK presentations delivered during a social event at an architecture conference. Adopting a multimodal discourse analysis lens, we analyse this set of PK presentations in terms of rhetorical structure and the way in which intersemiotic relations unfolded (synchronisation between speech and visuals and the modal density of slides). The analysis demonstrates that PK presentations entail an intricate multimodal composition consisting of three moves in which professional and personal narratives intertwine. The examination of intersemiotic relations reveals how speech and visuals interplay effectively to transmit meaning and engage the audience. The results of this study provide critical information to design a research-informed pedagogy to enhance ESP students' multimodal literacy.

Studying EFL Teachers' Philosophy of ESP Teaching: Zooming on the Tunisian Higher Education Context

Despite the expanding data streamon the importance of ESP teaching in EFL education worldwide, relatively little attention has been paid to the EFL teachers’ beliefs and understanding about the pedagogy related to ESP. In the Tunisian context, there are some calls to focus on this particular concern to boost practitioners' awareness and professional development. Thus, this exploratory study focused on tracing EFL teachers’ philosophy of teaching ESP in the tertiary Tunisian system. to identify their previous knowledge and experience. The data was gathered over a period of two months. Data analysis provided support for the challenges faced by the teachers in approaching ESP teaching that parallel the ones found in the literature on teacher change and teacher cognition. In light of the findings, the researcher recommends that ESP teacher educators focus on adopting a reflective model of training in order to boost teacher development and schema change in relation to the existing challenges identified in this study.

THE USE OF VERSATEXT IN TEACHING ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES AT MEDICAL UNIVERSITIES

This article explores the integration of data-driven learning tools, as exemplified by VersaText, into the process of teaching English for Specific Purposes in medical education. The study investigates the efficacy of VersaText’s functions (Word Cloud, Concordance, and Profiler) in enhancing language acquisition and proficiency development among medical students. Through a series of classroom-based activities and exercises, students engage with authentic medical texts, analyze linguistic patterns, and develop a deeper understanding of specialized medical terminology. This study discusses the benefits of integrating open-access materials sourced from PubMed and other databases with VersaText's features, further enriching the learning experience by exposing students to real-world medical discourse. By incorporating such authentic materials, educators can enhance students' awareness of current research literature and reinforce their understanding of medical terminology within a contextually relevant framework. The pedagogical implications of using VersaText in ESP teaching are discussed, highlighting its potential for fostering active engagement, collaborative learning, and critical thinking skills. Furthermore, the article emphasizes the need for ongoing research to further refine and expand the use of data-driven learning tools in ESP teaching methodologies. This study contributes to the growing body of literature on technology-enhanced language learning and provides valuable insights for educators seeking to optimize ESP instruction in various professional contexts.