English for Special Purpose

1. Bùi Xuân Phước
2. Lê Đình Đạt
3. Võ Văn Thông
4. Lý Hoàng Linh Thảo
5. Trịnh Thị Lương Loan
6. Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Loan
Group 2
Section 2 COURSE DESIGN
3 factors affect ESP course design
1. Language descriptions
2. Theories of learning
3. Needs analysis
There is a close-knit relationship between them
WHO? WHY?
WHERE? WHEN?
Needs analysis
NEEDS ANALYSIS
TARGET NEEDS
LEARNING NEEDS
what the learner
needs to do in the
target situation
what the learner
needs to do in order
to learn
Necessities (destination)
Lacks (starting point)
Wants ( what the destination should be)
Conditions of learning situation
Knowledge, skills, strategies
Learners’ motivation
Language use
Language learning
A learning-centered
approach to course design
ESP course in the faculties of Medicine, Agriculture and Veterinary Science
RICHARD MEAD’S ANALYSIS (1980)
Gathering information about target needs
There are many ways to gather information about target needs.
1. questionnaires
2. interviews
3. observation
4. data collection ( gathering texts)
5. informal consultations with sponsors, learners and others
A target situation analysis framework
1. Why is the language needed?
- for study/ work/ training/ status/ examination/ promotion or a combination of these
2. How will the language be used?
- medium/ channel/ types of text or discourse
3. What will the content areas be?
- subjects/ level
4. Who will the learner use the language with?
- native/ non-native speaker, level of knowledge of receiver, relationship
5. Where will the language be used?
- physical setting/ human context/ linguistic context
6. When will the language be used?
- concurrently with the ESP course/ subsequently
- frequently, seldom, in small amounts….
ANALYSING LEARNING NEEDS
1. Why are the learners taking the course?
- compulsory or optional…
2. How do the learners learn?
- methodology/ techniques
3. What resources are available?
- teachers, materials, aids..
4. Who are the learners?
- age, sex, nationality, interests, subject knowledge
5. Where will the ESP course take place?
- pleasant/ dull/ noisy/ cold…
6. When will the ESP course take place?
- time of day, full time/ part time….
A LANGUAGE- CENTERED APPROACH TO COURSE DESIGN
Some weaknesses:
1. simply learner-restricted
2. being a static and inflexible procedure
3. appearing to be an externally-imposed system
4. analytical model giving no acknowledgement to all factors
5. analyzing target situation data at the surface level
 fail to recognize learning is not a straightforward logical process
Two fundamental principles
1. Theoretical
- getting away from the surface performance data
- looking at the competence that underlies the performance (skills and strategies)
 learning objectives: both performance and competence
2. Pragmatic
concentrating on strategies and
processes of making students
aware of their own abilities
and potential
identify target situation
A SKILLS - CENTERED APPROACH TO COURSE DESIGN
1. Strengths
- view language in terms of how the mind of the learners processes it
- build on positive factors that the learners bring to the course
- enable learners to achieve at least something
2. Weaknesses
- approaches the learners as a user of language rather than as a learner of language
- concerned with the processes of language use not of language learning
- Learning is a process in which the learners use what knowledge or skills they have to make sense of the flow of new information
- Learning is an internal process depending upon the knowledge, abilities and motivation of the language to use it
- Learning should be seen in the context
- Learning is a process of negotiation between individuals and society. Society sets the target and individuals try to get to that target
 maximize learning
Why is the term learning centered chosen?
A LEARNING - CENTERED APPROACH TO COURSE DESIGN
Identify target situation
Analyze target situation
Analyze learning situation
Write syllabus
Write materials
Teach materials
Evaluate learner achievement
A language-centered approach
considers the learner to here
A skills-centered approach
considers the learner to here
A learning-centered approach
must considers the learner at every stage
A COMPARISON OF APPROACHES TO COURSE DESIGN
Conclusion
- target situation influences the development
of syllabus, materials, methodology and tests.
- course design should be a negotiated, dynamic and interactive process
- learning factors must be considered at all stages of the design process
 aim: maximizing the potential of the learning situation
THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION