Dr. Csilla Sárdi, PPKE BTK

2016 Autumn

Teaching English for Specific Purposes 1

BMNAT01700M

Course Description:

This is the first of a set of two courses focusing on teaching English for Specific Purposes (ESP). As such, it builds on knowledge and experience students already have in Applied Linguistics and ELT, and investigates a specific area of Language Pedagogy providing a comprehensive understanding of ESP which students can then use in future language teaching. The course explores the key concepts and developments in ESP theory and practice, and looks at the teaching of a variety of branches of ESP such as English for Academic Purposes (EAP) and English for Occupational Purposes (EOP). Focused attention will also be given to issues in needs analysis, course design, materials development as well as ESP methodology and assessment. Although a variety of ESP situations will be addressed throughout the course, specific attention will be given to business English (BE) settings.

Aims:

  1. to familiarize students with concepts and developments in the field of ESP teaching,
  2. to raise students’ awareness and understanding of issues relevant in ESP course design and course management,
  3. to enhance students’ critical thinking and evaluation skills in relation to the above topics,
  4. to provide students with opportunities to develop design a mini ESP course based on learner needs.

Requirements:

Students are expected to

  • participate actively in discussions,
  • read the assigned literature,
  • give a presentation and lead a follow-up group discussion based on the selected article,
  • design and carry out a needs analysis and report on the results both in writing (1000 words), and in speech (a 10 minute presentation in class),
  • design and submit a 15 hour ESP course based on the needs analysis results supplemented with a discussion in writing (1000 words), and in speech (a 10 minute presentation in class).

Students will be assessed on the basis of class attendance and activity, fulfilment of classroom tasks and home assignments.

Obligatory reading:

Dudley-Evans, T. and St. John, M. (1998). Developments in English for Specific Purposes: A Multi-Disciplinary Approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (Chapters 1-4; 7-11)

Suggested reading:

Basturkmen, H. (2010). Developing Courses in English for Specific Purposes. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillen.

Hyland, K. (2006). English for Academic Purposes. An Advanced Resource book. London: Routledge.

Syllabus:

Date / Topics / Focus on the literature / Presentations / Homework due
14th Sept. / Introduction. Defining ESP
21st Sept. / Language status and language function, EIL
28th Sept. / Branches of ESP / Basturkmen 2006
5th Oct. / Needs Analysis (NA) in ESP / Sárdi 2002 / NA target group to be selected
12th Oct. / English for Business Purposes (BE) / Zhu & Liao 2008 / NA survey instrument and questions to be decided on
19th Oct. / English for Academic Purposes (EAP) / (Spack 1988; )
Hyland 2002 / Work in progress to be discussed
26th Oct. / Needs analysis revisited / Presentations on NA results / NA survey to be completed
Autumn break
9th Nov. / The ESP practitioner / Sierocka 2008 / Report on NA results due
16th Nov. / ESP course design / Basturkmen 2010, 4.2
23rd Nov. / ESP materials: evaluation and development / Hutchinson & Waters, 1987
30th Nov. / Methodology in ESP / Jordan, 1997 pp. 109-113
7th Dec. / Needs-based course design / Presentations on ESP course design / Needs-based course supplemented with a discussion due
14th Dec. / Assessment in ESP. Conclusion

References:

Basturkmen, H. (2006). Ideas and options in English for specific purposes. ESL & Applied Linguistics Professional Series. London: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. pp. 15-17.

Basturkmen, H. (2010). Developing courses in English for specific purposes. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 59-62.

Hutchinson, T. & Waters, A. (1987). English for specific purposes. A learning-centred approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 118-126.

Hyland, K. (2002). Specificity revisited: how far should we go now? English for specific purposes. 21: 385-395.

Jordan, R. R. (1997). English for academic purposes: A guide and resource book for teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 109-113.

Sárdi, Cs. (2002). A needs-based course design. Székesfehérvár: Kodolányi János Főiskola. pp. 57-65.

Sierocka, H. (2008). The role of the ESP teacher. www. teacher.pl. 2, 56: 33-37.

Spack (1988).

(Spack, R. (1988). Initiating ESL students into the academic discourse community: How far should we go? TESOL Quarterly. 22, 1: 29-51.)

Zhu, W. & Liao, F. (2008). On the differences between General English teaching and Business English teaching. English Language Teaching 1, 2: 90-95.