Module : Unit Definitions, Characteristics and Principles of esp contents
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Theme1
Self Assessment Exercise
(a) How can you describe ESP in relation to ELT? (b) ESP is an approach, not a product. Discuss. 3.3 Characteristics of ESP We have established the relationship between ESP and ELT. Now you will be informed about some characteristics of ESP. ESP is seen as an approach by Hutchinson and Waters (1987). They suggest that ESP does not concern a particular language, teaching methodology or material. If you want to understand ESP, they suggest that you find out exactly why a person needs to learn a foreign language. Your need for learning English can be for study purposes or for work purposes. However, it is the definition of needs that is the starting point for decisions which determine the language to be taught. Strevens (1988) makes a distinction between absolute characteristics and variable characteristics of ESP. The absolute characteristics are that ESP courses are: 1. designed to meet the specific needs of the learner; 2. related in content to particular disciplines or occupations; 3. centred on language specific to those disciplines or occupations; 4. in contrast to General English. The variable characteristics are that courses may: 1. be restricted in the skills to be learned; 2. not be taught according to a particular methodology. Robinson (1991) also suggests two absolute criteria for defining ESP courses. The first is that ESP programmes are normally goal-oriented. The second is that they derive from a needs analysis. The needs analysis will state as accurately as possible what the learners will have to do when speaking the language. Two divisions of the characteristics of ESP are outlined by Dudley-Evans and St. John (1998): some absolute and some variable to resolve arguments about what ESP is. This followed on from the earlier work by Strevens (1988). These characteristics include: Absolute Characteristics 1. ESP is defined to meet specific needs of the learners. 2. ESP makes use of underlying methodology and activities of the discipline it serves. 3. ESP is centred on the language appropriate to these activities in terms of grammar, lexis, register, study skills, discourse and genre. Variable Characteristics 1. ESP may be related to or designed for specific disciplines. 2. ESP may use, in specific teaching situations, a different methodology from that of General English. 3. ESP is likely to be designed for adult learners, either at a tertiary level institution or in a professional work situation. It could, however, be for learners at secondary school level. 4. ESP is generally designed for intermediate or advanced students. 5. Most ESP courses assume some basic knowledge of the language systems (p.4). This description helps to clarify to a certain degree what an ESP course constitutes and what it does not constitute. Dudley-Evans and St. John have removed the absolute characteristics that “ESP is in contrast with General English” and added more variable characteristics. They assert that ESP is not necessarily related to a specific discipline and that it is likely to be used with adult learners although it could be used with young adults in a secondary school setting. ESP should be viewed as an “approach” to teaching, or what Dudley-Evans describes as an “attitude of mind.” Other characteristics are that ESP courses are generally limited to a certain time period, and that they are taught to adults in classes that are homogeneous in terms of the work or study that participants are doing. However, Hutchinson and Waters (1987, 1992) do not emphasize any concrete limits of students’ level or age; they emphasize learners’ individual needs and specialist knowledge of using English for specific purposes. Although there exist several aims and different purposes why learning English, the way of learning may be the same. They state: “Though the content of learning may vary there is no reason to suppose that the processes of learning should be any different for the ESP learner than for the General English learner” (p.18). They add that ESP methodology “could just as well have been used in the learning of any kind of English” (p. 18). Perhaps one of the main distinguishing characteristics is that certain but by no means all ESP (especially EOP) courses are carried out for a group of workers from one area of work. There are a number of other characteristics of ESP that several authors have put forward. Belcher (2006), states that “ESP assumes that the problems are unique to specific learners in specific contexts and thus must be carefully delineated and addressed with tailored to fit instruction” (p. 135). Mohan (1986) adds that ESP courses focus on preparing learners “for chosen communicative environments” (p. 15). Learner’s purpose is also stated by Graham and Beardsley (1986) and learning centredness (Carter, 1983; Hutchinson & Waters, 1987) as integral parts of ESP. Thus it could be argued that ESP, from the outset, focused on learner centred teaching, a situation that was certainly not true of traditional general English courses. As stated above however, this situation has changed dramatically in recent years. Lorenzo (2005) reminds us that ESP “concentrates more on language in context than on teaching grammar and language structures” (p. 1). I would agree with him, but would argue that grammar still plays an important and necessary part in an ESP course. He also points out that as ESP is usually delivered to adult students, frequently in a work related setting (EOP), that motivation to learn is higher than is usual in English as Second Language (ESL) contexts. Carter (1983) believes that self-direction is important in the sense that an ESP course is concerned with turning learners into users of the language. Thus ESP played an integral role in communicative language teaching. To sum up, there are three features common to ESP: (a) authentic materials, (b) purpose- related orientation, and (c) self-direction. These features are indeed useful in attempting to formulate one’s own understanding of ESP. Revisiting Dudley-Evans' (1997) claim that ESP should be offered at an intermediate or advanced level, one would conclude that the use of authentic learning materials is entirely feasible. The use of authentic content materials, modified or unmodified in form, is indeed a feature of ESP, particularly in self-directed study and research tasks. Purpose-related orientation, on the other hand, refers to the simulation of communicative tasks required of the target setting, for example, student simulation of a conference, involving the preparation of papers, reading, note taking, and writing. Finally, self-direction is characteristic of ESP courses in that the point of including self-direction is that ESP is concerned with turning learners into users. In order for self-direction to occur, the learners must have a certain degree of freedom to decide when, what, and how they will study. There must also be a systematic attempt by teachers to teach the learners how to learn by teaching them about learning strategies (Hutchinson &Waters, 1987; Dudley-Evans, 1987 &1998; Shohamy, 1995; Douglas, 2000). Download 363.65 Kb. Do'stlaringiz bilan baham: |
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