Specific Purposes Courses Research Articles

Integrating extra credit exercises into a university English-language course: how action research provided a framework to identify a practical problem

This article describes an action research (AR) study with multiple cycles undertaken with undergraduates over three years. The university is a trilingual institution in Italy where degree programmes are taught in Italian, German and English. The study’s aim was to improve the syllabus of an advanced English for Specific Purposes course using a blended approach: it would be more learner-centred, but it would also provide more speaking practice during class. This would thus combine elements from process and product approaches to syllabus design. However, students had to attend class to benefit from the speaking skills practice planned, which was not automatic, as the university does not require compulsory attendance. Although optional attendance was a given, its impact on the syllabus was not fully considered and led to an AR cycle that failed to implement the proposed syllabus. However, an advantage of using multiple cycles was that this unexpected problem was identified and addressed in a subsequent cycle when action was taken: the introduction of extra credit exercises (ECE) to motivate students to attend class. The use of ECEs had a startling effect on attendance levels and a positive impact on the study’s central focus, the blended syllabus.

The Undergraduate Spanish Major Curriculum: Faculty, Alumni, and Student Perceptions

AbstractThis article presents the quantitative and qualitative results of a nationwide survey of the perceptions of faculty, alumni, and students regarding the contribution to the undergraduate Spanish major curriculum of various types of courses and experiences. Quantitative results indicated that all participants valued the importance of study abroad as well as advanced composition and grammar courses. Significant differences were found in the relative importance of other components of the undergraduate curriculum. While faculty tended to value traditional offerings such as literature and culture courses, alumni and students rated advanced conversation courses as most important. In addition, students and alumni rated translation and language for specific purposes courses significantly higher than faculty did. Qualitative analysis of the participants’ comments revealed a generalized tension between student and alumni emphasis on the need for courses that promote practical communicative skills vs. faculty emphasis on the development of critical thinking and cultural awareness alongside language skills. Implications are discussed, including the need to incorporate opportunities for speaking in courses at all levels and of all types, and the potential to involve students in discussions of curricular reform.

The Effect of ESP Courses on Dental Hygiene Student Motivation for English Language Learning

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of an English for Specific Purposes (ESP) course on the motivation of English learning for undergraduate dental hygiene students. Questionnaires from 112 undergraduate level dental hygiene majors were distributed before and after one semester of an ESP course. Prior to the class, a needs analysis revealed that there was a want and need to learn hospital-communicative language skills and dental-related terminology. At the end of the course, the same target students indicated a higher level of interest and motivation in English learning than they did with TOEIC classes. Intermediate-level students expressed a much higher level of satisfaction in comparison to beginner-level students. The level of confidence was also improved, especially, for intermediate-level students after taking an ESP class. A majority of the students indicated the desire to take more ESP classes while only 4.5% of the students wanted to take TOEIC courses in the future. Among the four motivations, the students answered instrumental motivation as the main reason for studying English. However, intrinsic motivation was relatively high among more proficient students and the students who took part in the overseas training program. Students who have taken part in the overseas programs expressed integrative motivation to be equally important as instrumental motivation. (Chungnam National University)

Achieving Independent Language Learning through the Mobilization of Ubiquitous Instructional Technology Resources

In programs meant for foreign language majors, there is typically a broad range of linguistic competence in advanced-level Languages for Specific Purposes (LSP) courses. Troublesome in any course, this is especially so when instruction directly relates to professional training, where students need to attain a level of competence that will allow them to subsequently function as fully independent language learners. Considering the normal constraints on in-class instruction, the mobilization of ubiquitous instructional technology resources, coupled with sound curriculum design and metacognitive awareness raising, is critical to providing the amount of time on task required to attain this objective. The case of the English for Specific Academic Purposes course that is the subject of this study provides an example of how the challenge of bringing students up to the level of independent language learners has been approached. It is hoped this may serve as a pedagogical model that can be applied to advanced-level LSP courses in general.

Analysis of ESP Courses Profile: Bridging the Gap Between ESP Challenges and 21st Century Skills

English has the status of a global language and nowadays, it is “a must tool“. In order to be successful in any field of study you need to know the language that is spoken or known worldwide. Therefore, English should be included in any fields of study or disciplines. English for Specific Purposes (ESP) Courses have been offered at the public universities in Kosovo as an elective or compulsory course at many departments, at least for two semesters. Teaching English courses in higher education should be designed based on students’ needs by analyzing their level of English and study disciplines, concretely, English for specific purposes courses. Even though, ESP looks as an “easy peasy” issue, in this study has been involved the challenges that ESP teachers and students come across during the complexity of teaching and learning process. In general, this paper also presents an overview of the current situation of ESP courses profile at three public universities in Kosovo. The study has been carried out using three different evaluative research instruments, concretely, has been included a quantitative questionnaire with students and ESP teachers, a qualitative questionnaire (interview) with ten ESP teachers, currently teaching English specific courses at the three universities and also a class observation at three main public universities in Kosovo (Prishtina, Peja and Prizren). Based on the findings, the course content affects directly beliefs, motivation and interests of the students. Hence, ESP courses should be designed based on students’ specific language and professional needs in each discipline, while studying at Higher Educational Institutions.

Continuous Assessment in ESP Context

Due to the globalization process and scarcity of learning hours Ukrainian higher educational standards in terms of English for Specific Purposes course are being reconsidered currently to enable university graduates to be highly competitive in the world labour market. Under these conditions assessment as an integrated part of any process of learning has to be reviewed as well. Earlier assessment was used as a tool for increasing extrinsic motivation of students and measuring their success, but nowadays, when the learning hours have been decreased dramatically, we have researched, how to reduce possible demotivating effect of assessment and how to use assessment for enhancing intrinsic motivation of students. For that purpose we have used a variety of continuous assessment. Moreover, we have managed to contribute in the development of 21-st century skills of our students (critical thinking, creative thinking, collaborating, communicating) through self-assessment and peer-assessment while they were developing the criteria for assessment themselves. Furthermore, during the experiment that lasted from September, 2016 till June, 2017 students under our supervision have developed the lists of criteria for assessing such soft skills as presenation preparation and delivery, participation in discussions, etc. The results of the experiment were measured with the help of summative assessment at the end of the study year and questionnaires that students under experiment filled in January, 2017 and in June, 2017. The difference with the control group was tremendous.

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A Multimodal Approach toward Teaching for Transfer: A Case of Team-Teaching in ESAP Writing Courses

This paper presents a detailed examination of learning transfer from an English for Specific Academic Purposes course to authentic discipline-specific writing tasks. To enhance transfer practices, a new approach in planning writing tasks and materials selection was developed. Concerning the conventions of studies in learning transfer that acknowledge different learning preferences, the instructional resources were designed to be multimodal to engage all participants in construing the principles of academic writing. To promote the relevance of writing practices and their transferability to future professional settings and to ensure the success of the multimodal presentations, a practice of team-teaching between the English Language and content lecturers was rigorously embraced. A sample population of 28 postgraduate medical students from Jondi Shapur University of Medical Sciences in Ahvaz participated in this research. The data were collected through interviews and writing samples throughout a whole semester and were subsequently analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively based on James' (2009) checklist of writing outcomes. The results indicated that the instruction did stimulate transfer from the course to the authentic tasks notably in the skills associated with organization and language accuracy; however, the transfer of some outcomes appeared to be constrained particularly the use of punctuation marks. Implications of the findings for theory, practice, and future research in discipline-specific writing practices are discussed.

Business Spanish in the Real World: A Task-Based Needs Analysis

The growing demand for Spanish for Specific Purposes (SSP) courses at universities in the United States in the last two decades (Klee, 2015) has brought to light the need for more theoretically driven research in this field, which can inform pedagogical decisions and materials design. The present study conceptually replicates Serafini and Torres (2015), adopting a Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) approach to instructional design, and it aims to contribute to the under-researched field of SPP by a) performing a needs analysis (NA) of a university business Spanish course at two institutions, and b) creating a semester-long syllabus, which better equips non-expert instructors to teach their business Spanish courses. Results indicated that of the total 40 target tasks cited in the first phase of the NA, 21 were reported to be very commonly performed by at least 30% of the respondents in the second phase. These 21 tasks were regrouped and categorized into five more abstract, super-ordinate target task types that made up the objectives for the semester-long business Spanish syllabus informed by TBLT.

НЕОБХОДИМОСТЬ ИНТЕГРАЦИИ КРИТИЧЕСКОЙ МЕДИАГРАМОТНОСТИ В КУРС АНГЛИЙСКОГО ЯЗЫКА ДЛЯ ЖУРНАЛИСТОВ

Critical media literacy has gained much importance in Western educational curricula lately but still remains insufficiently explored and implemented in the English language education in Russian universities. This article explores the theoretical foundations of critical media literacy, discusses the necessity to focus on developing students’ critical thinking skills with regard to the proper use of media in the context of English for journalism and provides examples of practical applications. Most English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses that are designed for future journalists and specialists in media communications are focused solely on either theoretical knowledge about the profession or on general knowledge about the professional world and the language it uses, which is clearly not enough for a successful future activity.The rapid development of the mass media causes a need for journalists of a new type: creative professionals, people who are able to access, analyze, evaluate, distribute media messages and act using all forms of communication. On the basis of the works of leading Russian and international researchers in the field of media education, the author offers a rationale for incorporating critical media literacy into the process of English language acquisition. Therefore, strategies that can be used to strengthen critical thinking abilities are given as well as an in depth analysis outlining the benefits of media literacy for journalism students.

Students’ Perceptions of Using Facebook as a Learning Management System at a Thai Public University

Web 2.0 technologies have changed the manner in which people across the world communicate. Social media allows people to interact and share information. These technologies may be able to provide solutions to some of the issues currently faced in education. Facebook is a widely adopted and popular social media platform that could potentially enhance learning and increase course satisfaction levels. The purpose of this study was to examine students’ perceptions of using Facebook within a university course. A closed Facebook group was set up and used to post resources and course information. The group also acted as a communication channel between the course instructor and students. Data for this study was collected through questionnaires. The participants of this study were 2nd year hospitality major students taking an English for specific purposes course at a public university in Bangkok, Thailand. The results showed that students were positive towards the use of Facebook within the course. The findings of this study can provide data for educators considering using Facebook as a learning management system.

Developing a Spanish for Health Professions Course: A Preliminary Mixed-Methods Study

The mixed-methods pilot study described in this article traces the development of a Spanish for Specific Purposes: Health Professions course that was designed to help future health care professionals develop their linguistic proficiency and intercultural abilities. The study included nursing, medical, and dental students and was conducted at a large public university in an area of the southeastern United States that has experienced an increase in the Spanish-speaking Limited English Proficiency (LEP) population. The purpose of the study was to explore students’ perceptions of the course and its curricular design, as well as to investigate students’ perceptions with respect to a series of motivation constructs. The findings indicated that Language for Specific Purposes courses focused on health professions can have a positive impact on students’ perceptions, while preparing language-concordant providers to more effectively and sensitively meet the needs of LEP patients. Benefits were related to the context-specific nature of the course and tasks, while challenges included curricular constraints and schedule conflicts.

ESP TEACHER EDUCATION MODEL IN INDONESIAN CONTEXT

English for Specific Purpose (ESP) course has been taught over the years in many in Indonesia. However, the ESP teaching practice in nationalwide are confronting with several serious problems. One of the major problems lies on its teachers. This paper will attempt to first review the existing ESP schools in Indonesia, then will briefly explain certain theories underlying ESP. The next, the paper will analyze the existing and the practice of ESP schools in several countries and will finally propose ESP teacher education models

Best Practices in the English for Specific Purpose Classes at the Language Center

Abstract South East European University is an Institution, established in 2001 by few International Stakeholders with the aim of introducing new teaching techniques and approaches in education. Special curriculums and courses were designed as an innovation in higher education. Within these news curriculums, English for Specific Purpose course emerged, which was dedicated to advanced students in English Language. This course was introduced around 2005 for the first time and since then has been constantly part of every study program. Thus, with this research, we will describe in general the English for Specific Course (ESP) with its features and bring to light the best practices occurring in these courses. Learners in ESP course are interviewed and asked to rate some of the best and common practices in the course. The findings from the research are analyzed and introduced in the paper for our own benefit and also for sharing them with other teachers of ESP who take part in the conference. As regards the research methodology surveys and interviews were conducted. The questions were agreed in advance with students of ESP and through them we collected information about their attitudes and their general view of the best practices in ESP classes. Our hypothesis from the research was that students view ESP as a very useful course, which helps them reach higher communicative competence in their field of study and as a result higher job opportunities in the labor market of Macedonia, as a country aspiring for integration in international organizations such as NATO and EU. The outcome of the research strongly affirmed that, and students indicated that the course was effective.

Impact of Genre-Based Instruction on Development of Students’ Letter Writing Skills: The Case of Students of Textile Engineering

The current study investigated the effectiveness of genre-based instruction on the development of EFL learners’ writing skills. Participants were 34 undergraduate students majoring in textile engineering at an Iranian state university, and they had enrolled in the English for specific academic purposes course. Participants were taught how to write 4 types of business letters, highlighting the presentation of appropriate moves and lexicogrammatical features. Furthermore, a letter writing attitude questionnaire was administered to the participants at the end of the semester. Participants’ abilities in writing letters were measured across the 4 letter writing tasks. Results revealed that those who had been exposed to the genre-based instruction made great improvement in different aspects of writing letters such as content, organization, vocabulary, language use, and mechanics. Correspondingly, raising the participants’ awareness of the genre-based features of the letters contributed to their positive attitudes and production of high-quality texts.

Some suggestions for modelling a contemporary medical English course design based on need analysis

In English for Specific Purposes course design is based on a thorough need analysis of language learners. This paper focuses on the linguistic needs of medical students and it also identifies the areas perceived as the most problematic and the most important for their future careers. English for Medical Purposes is content- and context-based and an interdisciplinary approach in cooperation with medical teachers may greatly contribute to the students’ professional development.The present study focuses on data obtained from questionnaires and interviews with 62 medical students, 43 medical doctors and 24 teaching assistants. In order to design a relevant course it is necessary not only to analyze the current students learning needs but also to determine what their future needs would be and that was done by including the medical doctors and the teaching staff.

Intercultural perceptions among undergraduate students in English for Business and Economics courses.

<p><em>The practice of intercultural communication should be a primary goal of Language for Specific Purposes (LSP) courses in tertiary education, because, through language instruction, future professionals can become aware of intercultural differences and develop strategies to deal with them, thus equipping themselves with necessary skills for effective cross-cultural communication in a globalized work environment. In this study, the intercultural awareness of first and second year undergraduate students attending an English for Business and Economics course was examined in relation to their interest in the economy and culture of other countries as well as to their preferred sources of information about current economic issues. Their preferences and perceptions regarding the intercultural elements incorporated in the methods and material used in the English course were also explored. The analysis of the Likert-type questionnaire revealed that intercultural awareness needs to be further practiced in class and led to important implications for the teaching methods and tasks used in the LSP courses.</em></p><p><strong><em> </em></strong></p>

English for Specific Purposes: Proposing an Innovative Approach to Teaching English to Medical Students

Background: English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses should empower students to satisfy their language needs. However, at many Iranian universities, these courses are mostly taught based on the Grammar Translation Method focusing on teaching grammatical rules and reading comprehension. The present study aims at proposing an innovative approach for teaching English to Medical students that can improve students’ proficiency in different language skills. Methods: The design of this qualitative study was action research. The participants were 53 freshmen medical students studying at the Birjand University of Medical Sciences during the spring semester of 2015. A new syllabus including authentic medical materials (both visual and written) with a focus on all four language skills was designed and implemented to help the students learn English language as a whole and to become capable of producing the language on their own. During the term, learners were given the appropriate instruction on how to read, write, speak, and also watch English programs. Results: The results indicated that by implementing this new approach, the students’ proficiency in all language skills was improved. It was also revealed that they preferred this alternative approach since it was more in line with their language needs. Conclusions: Taking into consideration the benefits of this approach, it seems necessary for English language instructors to teach language as a whole by using authentic materials. Also, for a more effective language instruction, more multimedia devices should be provided and the class size should be reduced.

Troublesome English translations of Taiwanese dishes

Almost every Taiwanese university has some form of an English Department, some with straightforward names (e.g., Department of English) and some with ambiguous names (e.g., Department of Applied Languages). The so-called ‘Applied Courses’ are in fact English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses covering a range of Business and Tourism topics. While pursuing my doctorate I taught these courses as an adjunct lecturer in several universities. This experience continuously reaffirmed suspicions that one particular aspect of English language education was being neglected in Taiwanese secondary and tertiary education, that is, how to translate the names of the foods and dishes that make up the culturally laden Taiwanese cuisine.

Medical Students’ Challenges and Strategies in Producing Web TV Programs on YouTube

Cooperative learning occurs when students work together in small groups on an assigned project to achieve learning objectives. A classroom assignment given in an English for Specific Purposes course namely, Workplace Communication III, exposed medical students to this method. This assignment required students to produce a Web TV program and upload it to YouTube. In completing their assignment by employing cooperative learning method, the students applied several processes and faced challenges that eventually helped them to improve their communication skills in the English language. This study aimed to identify the challenges faced and the strategies the students employed to overcome those challenges. Seventeen first year medical undergraduates who enrolled in the Workplace Communication III course were involved in this study. Semi-structured focus group interviews and reflective notes were used to collect the data for this study. The challenges faced by students are time constraint, communication and technical difficulties, and a lack of creativity and confidence. The main strategies applied included brainstorming ideas, independent learning, and practices to overcome these challenges. This study could serve as a guideline for the course designers to improve the current course.