Esp Oblak

"I LIKE A TEACHER WHO GIVES YOU SOMETHING TO TAKE HOME TO THINK ABOUT

BESIDES HOMEWORK.“ EDITH ANN

THOUGHT FOR THE MORNING

MODERN METHODS AND APPROACHES WHEN TEACHING ESP ENGLISH

A CASE STUDY: TEACHING ENGLISH TO SECRETARIES ACROSS CULTURES

POLONA OBLAK, MAG.II. GIMNAZIJA MARIBOR

Main aims of this paper:

Do a needs analysisCreate/ develop a tailor made courses Show a practical example of a

workplace observation method

What do all the ESP trainings have in common?

By Carter (1983) :

a.) Authentic material, b.) Purpose-related orientation, and c.) Self-direction

These in turn necessitate the following three steps:

d.) Needs analysis e.) Course development and designf.) Learners’ Interest

Learners:

Who are my learners/ what is their previous education?

What is their level of English/ how many years of English have they had?

What do they need English for: job, profession, university, free time?

Are they motivated to learn?What is their previous experience?

Teacher:

Is what I teach the best/ most suitable for my learners?

Do I teach homogeneous or heterogeneous classes?

How my learners acquire language?What do they need in order to succeed in their

jobs/ professions?Is there a connection/ link between real life

situations and what I teach?Will I have to develop/ create my own material?

Textbooks:

Do ESP textbooks for a particular course really exist?

Is the textbook I am using suitable for my course?Does the textbook cover the main issues that the

students need for their education/ jobs/ profession?

Are there any authentic situations presented?Are there any skills (reading, writing, speaking,

listening) practised?Are there different teaching techniques present?

Course/ Syllabi design

Am I able to design syllabi?Do I have enough skills to design/ organise a

course?Do I have enough time to do so?

The words mentioned most frequently are:

Needs analysisAuthentic materialsReal communication

Oxford Brookes University: A Case Study

Methodology:

Students were split into small groupsGroups were observing administrative

assistants at work Students then analysed the dataCreated a course for administrative

assistants

Main Focus of the research:

Topics (covered by administrative assistants)Basic interpersonal communication skills

(General English) Cognitive language proficiency (research,

making sense of the use of Academic English)

Findings:

Language perspective: grammar, vocabulary, lexis, aspects, genre, language function, discourse

Activities and tasks: directing/ guiding people, answering course inquiries, marketing

Topics: work related topics, non work related topics

Skills: secretarial skills, speaking, writing (emails, fax, brochures, leaflets) , interpersonal skills

Conclusions:

By Nunan (1987, p. 75) Successful communication in

occupational settingsContent language acquisitionHomogenous learner groupMaterial development

Consequently learners are :

THE MEDIOCRE (ESP) TEACHER TELLS. THE GOOD (ESP) TEACHER EXPLAINS. THE

SUPERIOR (ESP) TEACHER DEMONSTRATES. THE GREAT (ESP) TEACHER INSPIRES.

WILLIAM ARTHUR WARD

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY!

Bibliography:

Dudley-Evans, T., & St John, M. (1998). Developments in ESP: A multi-disciplinary approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Nunan, D. (Ed.). (1992). Collaborative language learning and teaching. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Oblak, P. (2003). The Young Learner and Learning Language through the Vehicle of Sport: A case study. Oxford Brookes University.

Selinker, L., Tarone, E., & Hanzeli, V. (Eds.). (1981). English for Academic and Technical Purposes: Studies in honor of Louis Trimble. London: Newbury House.

Stryker, S., & Leaver, B. (Eds.). (1997). Content-based instruction in foreign language education: Models and methods. Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press.

Useful Websites for teaching Business English

1. http://fc.epi.sc.edu/tbe/2. http://www.ihes.com/bcn/tt/business-links.html2. http://fc.epi.sc.edu/tbe/3. http://www.rong-chang.com/business.htm4. http://esl.about.com/5.http://www.cip.dauphine.fr/riccioli/geamsg/

geaindex.htm6.http://www.englishstudydirect.com/OSAC/

ebookappling3.htm7. http://edition.tefl.net/articles/business-english-

esp/