GROUP 1

3.4 The Basic Conceptions/Principles of ESP

3.4.1. Authenticity

○ Emphasizes real-world relevance of language skills.

○ Material selection reflects learners' professional contexts.
○ Challenges with traditional textbooks necessitate supplementary materials.
○ Modern approaches expand authenticity to diverse texts and tasks.

3.4.2. Research Base

○ Halliday, McIntosh, and Strevens advocate for ESP research.

○ Analysis of specialist texts by early ESP scholars.
○ Limitations in early research highlight the need for comprehensive
analysis.

3.4.3. Language/Text

○ ESP projects address safety concerns in maritime, aviation, and law

enforcement.
○ Advancements in ESP research with NEWSPEAK.
○ Shift towards understanding discourse and genre analysis.

3.4.4. Learning Needs

● Tailoring language teaching to specific learner groups.

● Defining purposes for ESP integration in curricula.
● Stakeholder involvement crucial for effective needs analysis.

3.4.5. Learning Methodology

● Shift towards learner-centered approaches.

● Interdisciplinary syllabus design enhances relevance.
● Teaching methods prioritize practical application and skill development.
● Assessment evaluates communication within professional or academic
communities.

Types and Reasons for the Evolution of ESP

3.1 Reasons for the Evolution of ESP

The Demands of a Brave New World

● The end of World War II

● A global expansion in scientific, technical, and economic activities
 ● English is the language for international communication
● English became the language of manuals, textbooks, journals, and product
marketing
● Influenced by the needs and demands of learners and industries.

● The Oil Crisis of the 1970s

● Western knowledge and money flowed into oil-rich countries
● English became the main medium
● A pressure on English language teaching happened to cater growing demand

A Revolution in Linguistics

● Traditional linguists focused on describing the formal features of language while

the new wave of linguists began examining how language is used in context.
● the type of language we are using changes fairly instinctively with the situation (
Davy, 1969)
● From describing language features to understanding how language functions in
real-life communication.

Focus on the Learners

● The shift to addressing individual learners' needs and interests in designing

language courses
● Student motivations and interests play a significant role in the learning process.
● ESP teaching should be determined by the requirements of the learner rather than
external factors.
● Aligning language instruction with the individual needs, motivations, and interests
of learners to optimize learning outcomes.

Three kinds of utilitarian purposes of ESP (Mackay and Mountford, 1978)

● occupational requirements (e.g., international telephone operations)

● vocational training (e.g., hotel staff)
● academic or professional study (e.g., engineering)

ESP Broad Areas (Munby, 1978)

● English for Occupational Purposes (EOP)

to perform occupational duties

● English for Academic Purposes (EAP)

to pursue all parts of studies

Tree of ESP (Hutchinson and Waters, 1987)
Unit 3:

History and Phases in the Development of ESP

3.1 The History and Growth of ESP

● Learners' desire to use English in specific fields drove the creation and
growth of ESP.
● A focus on meeting learners' practical needs became a major trend in
language teaching by the 1980s, especially for ESP and job-related
programs (Brindley, 1984).
● Students in ESP programs aren't motivated by a general interest in English,
but by the need to use English to perform tasks in their specific field. Their
English skills need to be strong enough to succeed in their chosen subject
area. (Robinson & Coleman, 1989, p. 396).
● ESP is a way of teaching a language, designing courses, and creating
learning materials. In this approach, all choices about what and how to
teach are based on the specific reasons why the learners are studying
English. (Hutchinson & Waters, 1987:19).
● ESP should be seen as an “approach” to teaching, or what Dudley-Evans
describes as an “attitude of mind.”
 ● ESP is a way of teaching a language where every decision—what's taught
and how it's taught—is based on why the learner wants to learn English in
the first place.
● The idea of including content of a subject under study into a language
classroom was first introduced in the 1970s by Hutchinson and Waters.
● The idea of acquiring language naturally, championed by Krashen (1981),
aligns with ESP. Both approaches emphasize that the most effective way to
learn a language is by using it for practical and relevant purposes.
● ESP has branched out into various applications depending on the specific
field or teaching approach used for a particular type of English. Examples
include EAP (English for Academic Purposes), CLIL (Content and
Language Integrated Learning), CBI (Content-based Instruction), and TBL
(Task-based Learning).
● Krashen (1981) argues that traditional language teaching gets it backward.
We shouldn't focus solely on teaching skills and then expect students to
use them later. Instead, the most effective approach is to learn something
and use it simultaneously.

3.2. Phases in the Development of ESP

Five stages in the development of ESP:

1.Register analysis

2.Rhetorical or discourse analysis,

3.Target situation analysis

4.Skills and strategies

5.Learning-centred approach

(Hutchinson & Waters, 1987; Chanloner, 2006).

3.2.1. Register Analysis

·A register is a language variety which is based on the use. It is different from

dialect which is also a language variety based on the user. A register is related to
social context.

·Register analysis is derived from Halliday’s systemic functional grammar which

is “geared to the study of language as communication, seeing meaning in the
writer’s linguistic choice and systematically relating these choices to a wider
socio-cultural framework” (Munday, in Hermansyah, 2005, p. 32).

● Certain grammatical and lexical forms were more frequently used in

scientific and technical writings than in GE (Dudley-Evans & St. John,
1998). Thus, the aim was to identify these forms and produce teaching
 materials that took these forms as their syllabus (Hutchinson & Waters,
1987).
● The 1960s and early 1970s saw ESP focus on identifying specialized
language, particularly in scientific and technical English, through a process
called Register Analysis. (Hutchinson & Waters, 1987).

Ewer and Latorre's (1969) basic scientific English course exemplifies an ESP
syllabus built on register analysis. They emphasized the need for frequency
analysis of real-world scientific writing to understand the core language used in
that field.

The criticism on register analysis can be summarized as the following:

1.It restricts the analysis of texts to the word and sentence level (West, 1998)

2.It is only descriptive, not explanatory (Robinson, 1991);

3.most materials produced under the banner of register analysis follow a similar
pattern, beginning with a long specialist reading passage which lacks
authenticity (Dudley- Evans & St. John, 1998).

Unit 3:

History and Phases in the Development of ESP

3.2.2 Rhetorical and Discourse Analysis

Focus on discourse level above the sentence.

Shift from register analysis to communicative values of discourse (West, 1998).

Address difficulties arising from unfamiliarity with English discourse.

Develop knowledge of how sentences combine in discourse to convey meaning.

Critiques:

● Fragmentary treatment, limited guidance on how functions and sentences

fit together (West, 1998).
● Failure to consider academic or business context of communication
(Dudley-Evans & St. John, 1998).
● Lack of understanding on how functions combine to create longer texts
(Robinson, 1981).

Genre Analysis as Solution:

● Considers text as a total entity rather than unrelated units (Dudley-Evans,

1987).
● Identifies overall pattern of text through phases or moves (Johnson, 1993).
 3.2.3Target Situation Analysis

● Chambers (1980) defines TSA as analyzing communication in the target

situation.
● Focus on communicative needs and their realizations.

Pedagogic Needs Analysis:

Complementary to target-situation needs analysis.

Three types of analysis:

● Deficiency analysis: Identifying lacks in target-situation needs (Allwright,

1982).
● Examination of specialized language forms related to target themes.
● Procedural steps to address needs emphasized (Song, 2006).

Scientific Basis for ESP Development:

● Linking language analysis to reasons for learning language.

● Identifying linguistic features of learner’s specific situation for syllabus
formation.

3.2.4 Analysis of Study Skills and Strategies

Strategy Analysis:

● Seeks to establish learners' preferred learning styles and strategies

(Allwright, 1982).

Means Analysis:

● Investigates the educational environment for the ESP course (Swales,

1989).

Underlying Reasoning and Interpreting Processes:

● Assumption that common processes underlie all language use (Hutchinson

& Waters, 1987).
● Teaching language alone is not sufficient; thought processes should be
addressed.
● Focus on Specific Skills and Strategies:
○ ESP seeks skills and strategies unique to different situations.
○ Emphasis on understanding how words are combined to make
meaning.
 Learning-Centered Approaches:

Shift towards learning-centered approaches in ESP.

Concern with language learning, not just language use.

Understanding language learning processes essential for effective

ESP (Hutchinson.

Target Needs Analysis:

Definition of target needs: What learners must do in the target situation

(Hutchinson & Waters, 1987).

Three Categories:

● Necessities: Essential knowledge for effective function.

● Lacks: Gaps between learner knowledge and necessities.
● Wants: Learners' perceived needs (Nation, 2000).

Learning Needs Analysis:

Consideration of various learner factors:

● Socio-cultural background, learning background, age, gender, specialized

content knowledge, English proficiency, attitudes.
● Factors include teaching and learning styles, effective methods,
specialized content knowledge, instructional materials, study location,
course duration, expectations, necessity of courses.

Continuous Needs Analysis:

● Constant checking of needs analysis recommended (Hutchinson & Waters,

1987, 1992).
● Use of multiple data collection methods: interviews, observation,
consultations with stakeholders (Nation, 2000; West, 1994).

ESP refracts the broad spectrum of the English language into specialized areas
tailored to particular professions or fields.

GROUP 2
GROUP 3

ESP as a School Subject

ESP courses are usually provided for the learners who have equipped with the
essential knowledge in English, and the purpose for them to learn ESP is to be
equipped with some professional communicative skills and ability to perform in
job-related activities (Rahman, 2015).

Examples:

● English for Business

● English for Medicine
● English for Engineering

“ESP courses were designed to meet the learning gap that General English
textbooks could not provide”.

Why ESP as a School Subject?

● ESP courses emphasize the actual use of English in real working

environment rather than learning grammar and language structures.
● It is a trend in language teaching that came to be because of increasing
demand for a global language to cope with the new world of technology
and commerce.

Benefits of ESP as a School Subject:

1.) Learning Speed - It follows the pattern of native speaker acquisition of

language.

2. ) Learning Efficiency - Course trainees make

the maximal use of their learning resources.

3.) Learning Effectiveness - Use language appropriately and correctly in

job-related tasks.

ESP course basically should be based on three elements, they are:

1.) ESP has to offer authentic materials, then it requires a purpose-related

orientation.

2.) ESP should be defined by self -direction, i.e. learners are to become active
users.

3.) Then, in covering all areas of ESP that might play an essential role in the
process of course elaboration.
How ESP as a School Subject?

1.1 Student Needs

ESP is needed by all students, Teachers and schools should set up personalized
ESP courses according to the orientation of the school, professional
development and the future needs of students.

1.2 Teacher Allocation

Students need teachers that should not only have English teaching experience,
but also master certain professional knowledge.

1.3 Curriculum Design

Students are looking for personalized courses, hoping that the teaching content
can meet their own needs to the greatest extent.

1.4 Assessment Method

reflects the learners’ ability in professional English.

1.5 Teaching Method

Teaching methods can be more diversified to avoid the boring traditional

grammar translation teaching methods.

1.6 Textbook Selection

In the selection of teaching materials, the needs of students are more practical.

ESP as a study in a specific field

John Munby (1978) provided a succint definition of English for Specific Purposes
(ESP), "ESP courses are those where the syllabus and materials are determined
in all essentials by the prior analysis of the communication needs of the learner"

Hutchinson and Waters (1987) stated that, "ESP is an approach to language

teaching in which all decisions as to content and method are based on the
learner's reason for learning" (p.19).

Hyland (2006) mentions in that ESP focuses on the specific communicative needs
and practices of particular social groups. Because ESP learners need to acquire
competence in particular genres and specific communicative skills along with the
knowledge of their professions, this knowledge becomes the context for learning.
ROLES OF THE TEACHER

In terms of teaching practice, Chien, Lee & Kao (2008) found that the role of ESP
teaching in their context was to activate the learners’ science background
knowledge in English.

Dudley-Evans and St. John (1998, p. 13) have contended that, “we regard ESP
teaching as extremely varied, and for this reason we use the term “practitioner”
rather than teacher to emphasize that ESP work involves much more than
teaching”.

Consequently, the roles of the ESP practitioner or English teacher in ESP courses
focus on five key roles.

● course designer
● materials provider
● collaborator
● researcher
● evaluator

Their primary focus isn't solely on language instruction, but on bridging the gap
between language and the target discipline's knowledge base. This requires the
ESP teacher to:

Conduct Needs Analysis

- Identify the specific language skills and knowledge students require in their
chosen field (Dudley-Evans & St John, 1998).

Collaborate with Subject Specialists

-Work with professors or instructors from the specific discipline to understand

the language demands of their courses (Johns & Swales, 1994).

STUDENTS OF ESP IN SPECIFIC DISCIPLINE

Students typically come from a single academic program or department (Johns &
Dudley-Evans, 1991). For example, an ESP class within an engineering program
would cater solely to engineering students.

Students have a common purpose – to improve their English language skills

specifically as they relate to their chosen field of study (Hutchinson & Waters,
1987).

They are likely to share prior knowledge and academic interests within the
discipline.
Students may have varying levels of English proficiency, but they generally
possess a solid foundation in the target discipline (Dudley-Evans & St John,
1998).

METHODS OF TEACHING

Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL)

This approach merges language learning with subject matter learning (Coyle,
2005). The ESP teacher collaborates with the subject-matter instructor to
integrate language skills development into existing disciplinary content.

Task-Based Learning (TBL)

Students focus on completing authentic tasks related to their field of study,

promoting language use in a meaningful context (Littlewood, 1996). The ESP
teacher facilitates task completion while addressing any language-related
challenges that arise.

Genre Analysis

Students learn to identify and analyze the specific writing styles and conventions
used within their discipline (Swales, 1990). The ESP teacher guides them in
understanding how language is used to achieve specific purposes within their
field.

CONTENT IN ESP AS A STUDY IN SPECIFIC FIELD

Discipline-Specific Focus

The content directly relates to the students' chosen field of study (Johns &
Dudley-Evans, 1991). For instance, an ESP class within an engineering program
might analyze technical reports or engineering case studies.

Authentic Materials Integration

Real-world materials used in the discipline, such as textbooks, journals, lab

reports, or presentations, form the core content (Hutchinson & Waters, 1987).
This exposes students to the language used in professional practice.

Focus on Language in Use

The language skills are taught within the context of the specific discipline's
content (Coyle, 2005). Students learn vocabulary and grammar relevant to
understanding and producing discipline-specific texts.
ESP Course/ Syllabus Design

ESP is based on learners’ reasons for needing English, special attention will be
paid to needs analysis. Needs analysis is the process of establishing what and
how of a course (Dudley-Evans & St. John, 1998).

1.1 Issue of Definitions: Courses, Syllabus versus Curriculum: Course/Syllabus

Design

● Stern (1983), the field of curriculum studies is part of the discipline of

educational studies.
● Syllabus refers to the content or subject matter of a particular individual
subject.

1.1 Issue of Definitions: Courses, Syllabus versus Curriculum: Course/Syllabus

Design

Graves (1996), citing White’s (1998) definition, states that a syllabus will be
defined narrowly as the specification and ordering of content of a course or
courses.

1.1 Issue of Definitions: Courses, Syllabus versus Curriculum: Course/Syllabus

Design

● Shaw (1975) defines a syllabus as ―a statement of the plan for any part of
the curriculum, excluding the element of curriculum evaluation itself.
● Noss and Rodgers (1976) refer syllabus as "a set of justifiable, educational
objectives specified in terms of linguistic content."

1.1 Issue of Definitions: Courses, Syllabus versus Curriculum: Course/Syllabus

Design

Strevens (1977) says that the syllabus is partly an administrative instrument,

partly a day-to-day guide to the teacher, partly a statement of what is to be taught
and how, sometimes partly a statement of an approach.

1.1 Issue of Definitions: Courses, Syllabus versus Curriculum: Course/Syllabus

Design

Wilkins' (1981) words, syllabuses are "specifications of the content of language

teaching which have been submitted to some degree of structuring or ordering
with the aim of making teaching and learning a more effective process."

1.1 Issue of Definitions: Courses, Syllabus versus Curriculum: Course/Syllabus

Design

● Johnson (1982) explains syllabus as an "organized syllabus inventory"

where "syllabus inventory" refers to the items to be taught.
 ● Crombie (1985) also defines syllabus as a list or inventory of items or units
with which learners are to be familiarized

1.1 Issue of Definitions: Courses, Syllabus versus Curriculum: Course/Syllabus

Design

● In addition to specifying the content of learning, a syllabus provides a

rationale of how that content should be selected and ordered (Mackey,
1980).
● Candlin (1984) takes a different stand when he says that syllabuses are
social constructions, produced interdependently in classrooms by
teachers and learners .

1.1 Issue of Definitions: Courses, Syllabus versus Curriculum: Course/Syllabus

Design

syllabus can be seen as "a plan of what is to be achieved through our teaching
and our students' learning" (Breen, 1984) while its function is "to specify what is
to be taught and in what order" (Prabhu, 1984).

1.1 Issue of Definitions: Courses, Syllabus versus Curriculum: Course/Syllabus

Design

● a syllabus can be described a statement of what is to be learnt; it reflects

the language and linguistic performance (hutchinson and waters 1987).
● a syllabus can also be seen as a "summary of the content to which learners
will be exposed" (Yalden.1987)

1.1 Issue of Definitions: Courses, Syllabus versus Curriculum: Course/Syllabus

Design

Curriculum as defined by Allen (1984) is a very general concept. It involves

consideration of philosophical, social and administrative factors which contribute
to the planning of an educational programme.

1.1 Issue of Definitions: Courses, Syllabus versus Curriculum: Course/Syllabus

Design

● The curriculum is seen in terms of what teachers actually do; that is, in
terms of ―what is, rather than what should be (Nunan, 1988, p. 1)

1.1 Issue of Definitions: Courses, Syllabus versus Curriculum: Course/Syllabus

Design

● Barnes (1976) in line with the above added that when people talk about the
school curriculum‘they often mean what teachers plan in advance for their
pupils to learn‘. But a curriculum made only of teachers‘intentions would
be an insubstantial thing from which nobody would learn much.
1.1 Issue of Definitions: Courses, Syllabus versus Curriculum: Course/Syllabus
Design

● A course is an instructional programme (Dudley-Evans & St John, 1998;

Feez, 1998) with a name such as ―English for Engineering Students.
● Curriculum is designed prior to classes, but remains open to scrutiny and
adjustment in real situations (Shavelson & Stern, 1981; Nunan, 1988; Smith,
1996, 2000; Stenhouse, 1975)

1.1 Issue of Definitions: Courses, Syllabus versus Curriculum: Course/Syllabus

Design

● Brown (1995) describes curriculum as a systematic process during which

● language teaching and language programme development are a ―dynamic
system of interrelated elements‖ (p. ix).

1.1 Issue of Definitions: Courses, Syllabus versus Curriculum: Course/Syllabus

Design

● Richards (2001) emphasises that the processes of ―needs analysis,

situational analysis, planning learning outcomes, course organization,
selection and preparing teaching materials, providing for effective teaching
and evaluation‖ (p. 41)

1.1 Issue of Definitions: Courses, Syllabus versus Curriculum: Course/Syllabus

Design

Shaw's (1975) survey of literature on second language syllabus development

brings out the following distinction between "curriculum" and "syllabus". He
says, ... the curriculum includes the goals, objectives, content, processes,
resources, and means of evaluation of all the learning experiences planned for
pupils both in and out of the school and community, through classroom
instruction and related programs. (p. 83).

ESP curriculum And Course/ Syllabus Design

1.2 ESP CurriculumESP Curriculum differs from General English curriculum by

ESP Curriculum differs from General English curriculum by focusing on practical

application in job-specific situations.

Key aspects of ESP Curriculum:

Specific tasks, vocabulary, and language in context to avoid wasting time on

irrelevant learning.
 ● Needs assessment to determine learners' existing knowledge and goals.

Key aspects of ESP Curriculum:

● Operational, communicative, and notional syllabus which emphasizes

real-world functionality.
● Learner-centered approach where teachers act as facilitators and
resources.

1.3 Course vs. Syllabus

● Course: A specific series of lessons delivered to a particular group of

students
● Syllabus: A more abstract plan outlining the general content to be covered
in the course.

Syllabus Design

Involves deciding what and how to teach.

Key Factors of Syllabus Design:

● Theory of language: How language is viewed and structured.

● Theory of learning: How learners acquire new knowledge and skills.

Key considerations of Syllabus Design

● Progressing from familiar to unfamiliar concepts.

● Using appropriate unit sizes and activity variety.
● Ensuring content is teachable and creates a sense of purpose for learners.

Additional factors of Syllabus Design (according to Garcia 1976):

● Social forces
● Learner characteristics
● Purpose of learning
● Contemporary views on language teaching

Two main categories of variables to consider (according to Halim1976):

● Linguistic variables: Relationship between target language and learner's

native language(s).
● Non-linguistic variables: Policy, social, cultural, technological, and
administrative factors.

Overall process (as summarized by Maley 1984):

1. Needs analysis (identify learner needs).

2. Content specification (determine what will be taught).

3. Syllabus organization (sequence and structure the content).

General Model advocated by Taba (1962)

1. Needs Analysis

2. Formulation of Objectives

3. Selection of Content

4. Organization of Content

5. Selection of Learning Activities

6. Organization of Learning Activities

7. Evaluation

Course Design vs. Curriculum Design

● Course Design: This focuses on the specific level of planning for a

particular course.
● Curriculum Design: This is a broader concept encompassing all the
processes involved in creating a learning program.

1.4 Conclusion

● Syllabus design is complex and requires careful consideration of various

factors.
● In ESP, syllabus design is often negotiated with learners due to their
specific goals.
● Curriculum design is broader, encompassing needs analysis, setting goals,
syllabus development, and evaluation.

GROUP 4

UNIT2: Factors Affecting ESP Course Design: Language Description

Main stages in the development of language

in designing a course, what key factor/s does the teacher needs attention to?

General Introduction

Hutchinson and Waters (1987) list the questions that need the attention of the
teacher in designing a course:
These questions they summarized into three key factors namely:

(a) Language description

(b) Learning theory and

(c) Needs analysis

What is needs analysis?

Needs analysis was firmly established in the mid-1970's as course designers

came to see learners' purposes rather than specialist language as the driving
force behind ESP. Needs analysis is the process of establishing what and how of
a course (Dudley-Evans & St. John, 1998).
 ● Needs analysis is the requirement for fact-finding or the collection of data
(Jordan, 1997).
● Needs analysis is a vital pre-requisite to the specification of language
learning objectives (Brindley, 1989).
● Needs analysis is the most characteristic feature of ESP course design
(Hutchinson and Waters, 1987).

QUESTIONS
Before beginning a needs analysis, one must first answer the following crucial
questions:

Will the students use English at the university or in their jobs after graduation? In
what situation? For what purpose? What language skills will be required (reading,
writing, listening, speaking)? What extra linguistic knowledge of academia,
specific disciplines, specific vocations, or specific professions is required for
successful English usage in these areas?

INTERPRETATION
Brindley (1989, p. 65) in trying to state the role of needs analysis, we shall first,
try to define the word ―needs.

● Narrow or product-oriented needs- The learner‘s needs are seen as the

language they will use in a particular communication situation.
● Broad or process-oriented needs- This involves analyzing the needs of the
learner as an individual in the learning situation.

CLASSIFICATION
Hutchinson and Waters (1987) classified needs into necessities, lacks and wants.

● Necessities are what the learners have to know in order to function

effectively in the target situations.
● Lacks are the gap between the existing proficiency and the target
proficiency of learners. Wants are what the learners feel they need.
● Wants perceived by learners may conflict with necessities perceived by
sponsors or EAP teachers and this conflict may have a de-stabilizing effect
on motivation.

SOURCE AND PROCEDURE

Brindly (1989) stated that teacher’s approaches to needs are influenced by their
personal philosophy and conception of their role.

The teachers’ views of students’ needs were identified as:

i. Language proficiency view

ii. The psychological-humanistic view and

iii. The specific purposes view.

GROUP 5
Berwick (1989) and Brindley (1989) propose other need concepts: perceived vs. felt
needs; product vs. process-oriented interpretations; and objective vs. subjective needs.
Conducting a Learner analysis