Specific Purposes Courses Research Articles

HAS GENERAL ENGLISH KNOWLEDGE OF SERBIAN FRESHMEN STUDENTS PREPARED THEM FOR AN ESP COURSE – A PILOT STUDY

This study delves into the language knowledge of incoming freshmen students at two Serbian faculties, the Department of Criminal Investigation of the University of Criminal Investigation and Police Studies and the Faculty of Mining and Geology at the University of Belgrade. The aim of the pilot study was to assess their prior English language proficiency before beginning English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses. Recognizing the challenges of teaching ESP in large, multi-level groups, the study sought to gather initial data on the distribution of Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) levels within the student sample. A questionnaire was administered, gathering demographic details on English language learning experiences, alongside a Face2Face Written Placement Test to assess proficiency levels from A1 to C1. The study, conducted during the 2022/2023 academic year, involved 152 voluntary participants from two faculties. The findings offer valuable insights into the dynamics of language education and their impact on English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses. The results reveal that while a significant portion of students is expected to have a B level of English proficiency upon completing secondary school, the actual language proficiency among students varies widely. ESP courses face the challenge of accommodating students with varying language skills, as this demands tailored language support and instructional strategies to bridge the proficiency gap effectively.

Vocabulary Notebooks as a Noteworthy Powerful Instrument in Technical Vocabulary Learning

This research paper attempts to investigate the organization and effectiveness of vocabulary notebooks by distinguishing several benefits the implementation of this technique brings in the acquisition of technical terminology through an “English for Specific Purposes course”. When tackling with language learning, it is needless to emphasize the noteworthiness and the importance of vocabulary in this process. Appertaining to technical terminology, this plays entirely pertinent. Various studies have concluded that vocabulary notebooks (henceforth VN) efficiently expose different learners’ strategies within this single strategy, which led us to research VN. These research data were obtained mainly by applying the observational research technique, a vocabulary oral and written exam, and a comprehensive questionnaire on the effectiveness of the Vocabulary Notebook. Mechanical Engineering, Textile Engineering, and Hydrotechnical Engineering students at the Polytechnic University of Tirana were selected to obtain the data. The observation is partly overt and partly covert. Students of Mechanical Engineering and Textile Engineering (75 students) are the treatment group wherein the Mechanical Engineering students are an overt group and the Textile Engineering students serve as the covert observational group while on the other hand, the Hydrotechnical Engineering (45 students) students are the control group. The data were obtained during and at the end of the semester. Throughout the observation all along the 1st semester, it was perceived that most of the students organized their VN by utilizing mainly Microsoft Word downloaded on their Smart Phones, while the rest used the traditional paper notebook to organize their technical VN. The organization of the VN reflected the strategies each of the students implemented to learn technical terminology. At the end, students were tested on their acquired terminology through an oral and a short-written exam and then a questionnaire was handed to them. The students of the overt group making use of a digitalized form of a Notebook resulted to have acquired most of the technical vocabulary. In the main, the overt group outperformed the covert group on the acquisition of technical vocabulary, while the control group’s score on the oral exam was significantly below, compared to the all-inclusive treatment group. Students’ questionnaire revealed that overall students had a positive approach to this strategy and they embraced the autonomy acquired throughout the semester by implementing this strategy. With the exception of the effectiveness on vocabulary acquisition, which was on higher levels, this strategy proved itself once again to be an enhancer and promoter of learner autonomy. Keywords: vocabulary notebooks, autonomous learning, technical terminology List of Abbreviations: VN – Vocabulary Notebook, ME – Mechanical Engineering, TE – Textile Engineering

"One Center, Two Integrations, Four Dimensions" Course Teaching Model Construction: A Case Study of the "English for Specific Purposes" Course at Inner Mongolia University of Technology

With the deepening of globalization and changes in vocational education demands, the English for Specific Purposes (ESP) course plays an increasingly important role in higher education, especially in cultivating students' professional English skills and cross-cultural communication abilities. However, traditional ESP teaching models overly emphasize theoretical knowledge, neglecting students' individual needs, which leads to poor learning outcomes. In response, this paper proposes a "One Center, Two Integrations, Four Dimensions" teaching model, centered on students, which integrates professional knowledge with language skills and organically combines online and offline teaching. The aim is to comprehensively enhance students' language proficiency, professional competence, cross-cultural communication skills, and innovative thinking. This paper details the design concept of this teaching model and its implementation path in the "English for Specific Purposes" course at Inner Mongolia University of Technology, as well as a diversified evaluation system and a resource integration plan involving collaboration between teachers and industry experts. This study provides new theoretical and practical references for optimizing the teaching model of ESP courses.

Analysing the challenges of developing English for Specific Purpose (ESP) courses for Sino-Foreign cooperative educational programs

With the increasing globalization and internationalization of higher education in China, Sino-foreign cooperative education programs are also flourishing. The English language and English language curricula and teaching are unavoidable topics in Sino-foreign cooperative education programs. The development of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses is directly related to the quality of talent cultivation in Sino-foreign cooperative educational programs. To promote the successful implementation of Sino-foreign cooperative education programs, this study takes the Sino-German Institute of Industrial Design (IDI) as an example to explore the challenges encountered in the development and practice of the English for Industrial Design (ESP) course under the Sino-foreign cooperative education program. This study aims to identify the current challenges of the ESP courses to enable students better to adapt to the foreign learning mode in advanced study and integrate into foreign cultures. This study utilized a qualitative research method of semi-structured interviews. In-depth interviews were conducted with one IDI director and two faculty members of IDI's ESP course. They were questioned about the problems and difficulties they encountered while conducting the ESP course. The study’s results indicate challenges in the IDI’s ESP courses concerning the background of course students, the selection of course materials, the quality of course teachers, and the teaching methods of the courses. The study analyzed the current state of ESP course development in Sino-foreign cooperative education programs, the challenges that significantly affect students’ academic performance, and the successful teaching of IDI Sino-foreign cooperative education.

Who gets to be an ELT course book author? Native speakerism in English for specific purposes and business English course books

IntroductionNative speakerism has a profound influence on many aspects of ELT, for example negatively affecting job opportunities of those perceived as ‘non-native speakers’. Nevertheless, little is known about the effect of native speakerism on the recruitment of course book authors (CBAs).MethodsTherefore, this study analysed the linguistic and ethnic representation of 161 CBAs of 77 business English business English and English for specific purposes English for Specific Purposes course books (CBs) published globally by Pearson, OUP, CUP, Macmillan and NGL.ResultsThe data clearly show that publishers tend to hire white ‘native speakers’ from the UK as CBAs. More specifically, 90% of all CBA slots were taken by ‘native speakers’, 95% by white CBAs, and 78% by CBAs from the UK.DiscussionThis indicates a profound native speakerist bias among publishers against not only ‘non-native speakers’, but also those ‘native speakers’ who are not white or do not come from the UK. It is thus suggested that business English and English for Specific Purposes publishers pay greater attention to the diversity of the author teams they hire.

Obstacles Encountered by Saudi Cadets in English Speaking Skill Competence

This study aimed to investigate the obstacles faced by Saudi cadets in developing their speaking skills and to identify the difficulties that may hinder their ability to speak fluently. Data for this study were collected through field observations of students' classes and semi-structured survey interviews with English instructors. The participants in this study were Saudi cadets enrolled at King Abdulaziz Military Academy during the academic year (2023-2024). The results of the study revealed several challenges faced by cadets, including limited opportunities to practice speaking, a lack of motivation, insufficient self-confidence, and a fear of criticism. Furthermore, some cadets exhibited weaknesses in vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. Additionally, the teaching of speaking skills was predominantly instructor-centered, the allocated time for practicing speaking skills was inadequate, and the assessment of speaking skills in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) course was not tested.

PROFESSIONAL ENGLISH LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION FOR STUDENTS IN THE FIELD OF SPORTS ACTIVITIES AS A PEDAGOGICAL PROBLEM

The English for Specific Purposes (ESP) course plays an important role in professionally oriented foreign language learning. The main reason for studying all the ESP (English for Specific Purpposes) programs listed below is to emphasize increasing their effectiveness through experiments conducted in various professional fields: 1. the ESP program requires a unique teaching methodology, 2. clear definition of professional needs, 3. the application of acquired knowledge in practice, 4. it is necessary to adapt new methods and strategies to sports activities through the study of experience in other areas.

Needs Analysis of English for Specific Purposes for Health Sciences Students: A Cross-Sectional Study at a University in the U.A.E.

This paper presents findings from a needs analysis survey to determine the extent to which the current English for Specific Purposes (ESP) course for healthcare students meets the needs of this population. A structured questionnaire was shared with the students (N=180) from different healthcare departments to examine the preferability of different aspects. Many participants gave great value to ESP courses whose importance was mainly to learn medical or pharmaceutical terminology and communicative skills. Yet, the participants preferred the conversational content over the grammatical one. Most participants perceived the four English skills as important. The overall conclusion shows that the main objective of an ESP course is language fluency to be able to communicate and achieve any requirement in their career. Moreover, the study shows that the conventional methods of assessment are less preferred and that students prefer assessments where teamwork is involved. They also preferred to receive the learning materials via online or technological methods, and they preferred class activities and audio/video aids. Yet, a great number did not prefer using an English Language Laboratory. Finally, most of them agreed that being in a mostly English-speaking community at the university is convenient to enhance their communication skills in English.

Enhancing EMI learning through L1 use and ESP: A mixed-methods study in a Chinese transnational education context

This paper employs a mixed-methods design to investigate the supportive roles of the translanguaging practice, specifically the use of students' First Language (L1), and English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses within the context of English Medium Instruction (EMI) in a Transnational Education (TNE) program in China. It involved collecting questionnaire responses from 268 undergraduate Chemical Engineering students and conducting 17 follow-up semi-structured interviews. The hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed students' academic language-related challenges and ESP course performance were two statistically significant predictors of their EMI academic success; academic linguistic challenges and students' L1 use attitudes emerged as significant indicators of their EMI learning self-efficacy. Qualitative data analysis further uncovered students' positive beliefs regarding the bridging effects of L1 use on facilitating their EMI learning and the foundational role of ESP courses in linguistic preparation. These empirical findings lead to significant pedagogical implications, aiming to scaffold effective EMI learning in the investigated context.

Evaluating panel discussions in ESP classes: an exploration of international medical students’ and ESP instructors’ perspectives through qualitative research

This study investigates the effectiveness of panel discussions, a specific interactive teaching technique where a group of students leads a pre-planned, topic-focused discussion with audience participation, in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses for international medical students. This approach aims to simulate professional conference discussions, preparing students for future academic and clinical environments where such skills are crucial. While traditional group presentations foster critical thinking and communication, a gap exists in understanding how medical students perceive the complexities of preparing for and participating in panel discussions within an ESP setting. This qualitative study investigates the perceived advantages and disadvantages of these discussions from the perspectives of both panelists (medical students) and the audience (peers). Additionally, the study explores potential improvements based on insights from ESP instructors. Utilizing a two-phase design involving reflection papers and focus group discussions, data were collected from 46 medical students and three ESP instructors. Thematic analysis revealed that panel discussions offer unique benefits compared to traditional presentations, including enhanced engagement and more dynamic skill development for both panelists and the audience. Panelists reported gains in personal and professional development, including honing critical thinking, communication, and presentation skills. The audience perceived these discussions as engaging learning experiences that fostered critical analysis and information synthesis. However, challenges such as academic workload and concerns about discussion quality were also identified. The study concludes that panel discussions, when implemented effectively, can be a valuable tool for enhancing critical thinking, communication skills, and subject matter knowledge in ESP courses for medical students. These skills are transferable and can benefit students in various academic and professional settings, including future participation in medical conferences. This research provides valuable insights for ESP instructors seeking to integrate panel discussions into their curriculum, ultimately improving student learning outcomes and preparing them for future success in professional communication.

English language needs of Iranian students of civil engineering: Are the courses aligned with workplace needs?

Although Iranian universities offer English for specific purposes (ESP) courses extensively, there are plenty of challenges in the process of teaching the courses. Drawing on multiple methods, this study explored what 5 civil-engineering ESP instructors, 5 company engineers, and 10 students expected to be included in their language courses suitable for workplace-specific requirements. It used multiple sources of data, including semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, field notes, and focus group discussions. Analysis of data showed that in addition to proficiency in general English, civil engineers need to discuss technical issues, attend conferences and seminars, read or write specific genres, and communicate orally, all of which require knowledge of both general and technical English. However, university programs are not specifically designed according to students’ specialized needs. This study contributes to the importance of needs-based curriculum development pertinent to engineering English challenges and highlights the significance of tailor-made language instruction. Furthermore, ESP educators, policy makers, course planners, and other stakeholders can take advantage of needs-based resources to help engineering students solve problems pertinent to their specialization.

Mind the Gap, Please!

This mixed-methods study investigates the mismatch between student use of AI for academic tasks and teacher awareness in Saudi Arabian higher education. Surveys of 78 teachers and 243 students in English for Specific Purposes courses at public and private universities included Likert-scale items and an open-ended question on AI tools' benefits, challenges, and impact on learning and academic integrity. The study reveals a significant gap between teachers' perceptions of students' AI skills and the reality of AI integration, leading to discrepancies in judging student knowledge and assessment authenticity. To address these challenges, the manuscript proposes strategies, including targeted professional development for teachers, swift adoption of best practices for ethical use of generative AI in classrooms, and fostering open dialogue within institutions. This research provides insights to inform teaching practices, curriculum development, and policy-making in higher education's evolving landscape. Future research could benefit from more comprehensive sampling to enhance generalizability

INSTAGRAM IN TEACHING ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC ACADEMIC PURPOSES

The purpose of the study is to explore the potential of integrating Instagram in university-level English for Specific Academic Purposes (ESAP) courses, focusing on Business English for Advanced Students. Using a mixed-methods approach, it combines qualitative data from observing the completion of Instagram-based assignments and subsequent semi-structured group interviews with quantitative data from a five-point Likert scale questionnaire distributed to the students who participated in the study. The research sample consisted of twenty-six undergraduate students from the Faculty of Commerce at the University of Economics in Bratislava, Slovakia, who completed four Instagram-based tasks related to communication, international marketing, promoting Slovakia, and success, which were linked to topics covered in the course during the winter semester of the academic year 2020/2021. The findings show that Instagram can be used effectively in ESAP courses mainly due to its popularity, visual appeal of posts, and, most importantly, as a platform that serves as a powerful marketing tool. The results indicate that the implementation of Instagram activities was positively perceived by most students, with high levels of agreement regarding the relevance, engagement, and creativity of the tasks. The study highlights the potential benefits of using Instagram in ESAP, providing insights into effective language learning through authentic, business-related tasks. Ultimately, integrating Instagram into ESAP can enable students to develop the language skills and competencies needed in real business contexts.

Oral Proficiency in Higher Education: A Comprehensive Examination of Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) for ESP Students

There have been various conceptualizations about the implementation of task-based language teaching (TBLT) in the context of English language teaching. TBLT has been proposed as a potentially efficacious approach for instructing English as a second language (ESL) in Asian settings, such as Indonesia. The present study aimed to investigate the optimal implementation of TBLT for higher education students in ESP classrooms. A cohort comprising seventy ESP students pursuing a degree in the Accounting Study Program participated as research subjects. This research used a descriptive quantitative research method. The results show that the implementation of TBLT into the teaching of speaking skills resulted in beneficial result concerning students in ESP classrooms. The findings of this study indicate a statistically significant increase in the mean scores of oral English proficiencies among students enrolled in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses, as seen by the comparison between pretest and post-test scores. This study can be implemented by providing opportunities for students to engage in spoken language practice rather than learning sessions primarily focused on the explicit instruction of grammatical rules and ESP students’ comprehensibility. This study can be applied in TBLT approach in the ESP classroom setting for comprehensibility in EFL students' oral English.

Implementing Content-Based Instruction in Online ESP Course within the System of Professional Training of Future Officers

The article examines the capabilities of content-based instruction (CBI) within the system of professional training of future officers of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, specifically within the online English for Specific Purposes (ESP) course. The authors argue that nowadays, due to the quarantine restrictions and ongoing war initiated by Russia, it is crucial to enhance the border guards’ foreign language competence through a distance learning system. The study showed positive results in applying the CBI strategy to deliver an ESP course. This approach contributes immensely to developing context-appropriate language competence, boosts motivation-driven engagement, and increases retention and long-term academic success rates. The course content includes such topics as intercultural communication, illicit trafficking of radiological and nuclear materials, human trafficking, and fundamental rights. To deliver the content of the CBI course, the authors had to consider its online format and work out such learning activities as reading and listening to authentic job-related content, completing online interactive activities, and engaging in case-studying and problem-solving activities. The course results showed a considerable improvement in learners’ ability to effectively communicate in English within the professional border guard context, use the foreign language to build knowledge and skills around human values, recognise, analyse, and solve various border-related incidents involving topics covered in the course. The effectiveness of the online ESP course studied based on CBI has shown that implementing this approach in online education deserves recognition and acceptance.

A needs analysis of ESP courses in colleges of art and design: Consensus and divergence.

This study presents a comprehensive needs analysis of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses in colleges of art and design in China. By examining the perspectives of undergraduate students, graduate students, art teachers, and English teachers, the research identifies consensus and divergence in ESP needs and implementation challenges. The analysis reveals a strong demand among students for specialized English learning, with a particular emphasis on receptive and interactive skills. However, there is a widespread acknowledgement of students' difficulties across ESP skills, indicating a gap between student competencies and the professional demands, thus highlighting the need for targeted educational interventions to effectively address the difficulties. Notably, reading and writing abilities emerge as the most lacking skills. While there is unanimous recognition of the positive impact of ESP on students' professional abilities and international competitiveness, a significant disparity exists in the enthusiasm for implementing ESP courses, paticularly with resistence from English teachers. The study highlights the critical challenges in ESP teaching, with teacher qualifications identified as the most prominent issue. Interestingly, English teachers attribute difficulties primarily to teaching materials, indicating a potential lack of readiness for ESP course delivery. A gap is also observed between teachers' evaluations of student abilities and students' self-assessment, especially among undergraduate freshmen, suggesting an overestimation of their English proficiency in professional contexts. The paper concludes with the implication that for effective ESP course implementation in colleges of art and design in China, targeted faculty development programs and a collaborative approach involving English teachers, art teachers, and professionals are essential. The collaboration should aim to develop materials that integrate specific professional knowledge with linguistic expertise. Additionally, a balanced approach combining general English proficiency and specialized English training is recommended to address both foundational and specialized language skills. Overall, the study underscores the need for targeted ESP courses in art and design education, tailored to bridge the gap between current proficiency levels and professional language requirements.

Addressing the Gap: Perspectives on Developing English for Specific Purposes Course Books for Business Management in Mongolia

This research paper explores the necessity for the development of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) course books tailored to the needs of professionals in Business Management in Mongolia. Despite the availability of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) books, there remains a significant gap in resources catering to the specific language requirements of professionals in this field. English teachers in Mongolia recognize the importance of ESP materials in enhancing language proficiency and employability among Business Management students. Drawing upon interviews and surveys with English teachers, this paper highlights the challenges faced due to the absence of relevant ESP course books and proposes of recommendations for their creation and implementation.

Enhancing English Proficiency for Thai Music Professionals: A CLT Instructional Package

The study aims to achieve three primary objectives: 1) To identify essential components for developing an instructional package aimed at enhancing English proficiency among individuals working in the Thai music industry; 2) To design an instructional package specifically tailored to improve the English proficiency of personnel in the Thai music industry; and 3) To implement the developed instructional package and assess its effectiveness in advancing English proficiency among music industry personnel. Employing the principles in developing an ESP course, the study comprises three phases: need analysis, instructional package development, and implementation. The need analysis phase involved surveying 150 individuals employed in the Thai music industry using a structured questionnaire. The instructional package development phase enlisted the expertise of five experts to evaluate the instructional model. Finally, phase three involved administering a pre-posttest study with 30 music professionals. The results highlight the successful creation of an English instructional package based on communicative language teaching (CLT) principles, leading to significant enhancements in participants' English proficiency. The study's significance lies in its identification of English language development needs within the music profession and its provision of a practical methodology for designing specialized English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses tailored to the unique requirements of music professionals.

Learning to read patient notes in the workplace: How reading aloud and reading alongside can help students for whom English is an additional language

Much of the recent research in English for nursing has focused on the specialised spoken discourses rather than the written documentation that nursing students need for patient care. However, patient documentation can be challenging to learn, particularly for some students for whom English is an additional language. This study investigated how novice English as an additional language students learned to read patient documentation during their work placements, and the role that their workplace supervisors played in helping them learn. An ethnographic approach and discourse analysis of workplace interactions with three supervisors and 16 students in three Australian hospitals showed that most nursing students observed required explicit guidance from their supervisors to read the documentation and to understand the linguistic and rhetorical functions of those notes. The findings suggest that developing reading skills in the workplace should involve explicit guidance in learning to read the requisite documentation. It is recommended that English for Specific Purposes courses for nursing students pay attention to written as well as spoken discourses and that language specialists work with nursing educators to provide professional development for workplace supervisors and to ensure that guidelines and expectations for reading documentation are clear for supervisors and students.

Needs Analysis of English Skills for Logistics Business Among Thai University Students

Logistics plays a vital role in driving the global economy forward. Within this profession, English serves as the primary means of communication. However, not all logistics personnel, especially those for whom English is a second language, find it easy to use. The aim of this research is to conduct a needs analysis for English skills in the logistics industry. A questionnaire was distributed to 156 Thai logistics management students and employed Google Forms together with Microsoft Excel for quantitative analysis. The findings revealed the following: 1) The four core skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) and vocabulary were reported extremely important, while grammar was rated as important. 2) The most frequently utilized English skill was reading, the skill most desired to improve was speaking, the skill that lacked the most was grammar, and the skill requiring the greatest development in their future were reading, listening, speaking, and writing, respectively. The implications of this study are significant for the development of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses.