Course Design in English for Specific Purposes

English for Specific Purposes Course

Lecturer: Royani Afriani,M.Pd

Compiled by

TBI 4 /Group 4:

Fidah Istifadah (2008103055)

Linda Nuramaliyah (2008103012)

Rahma Sari Umaris (2008103032)

Widiani Norma Insani (2008103031)

ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING DEPARTMENT

TARBIYAH AND TEACHER TRAINING FACULTY

ISLAMIC STATE INSTITUTE SYEKH NURJATI CIREBON

2022
 INTRODUCTION

Of all countries in the world, the most widely used international language is English. In
today's world learning English is the same as learning life skills because English is considered
very important in almost every discipline, the world of communication between individuals in
this era of globalization is increasingly limitless which can be done by using various channels to
be able to communicate, both communicating domestically and abroad. Therefore, learning
English for specific purposes is needed, which is designed according to the needs of the students
(et al., 2014). The term "specific" in English for specific purpose refers to specific goals in
learning English that can improve students' understanding of what has been learned, and then
enable them to use the English they have learned. (Fitria, 2020).
Course design is a series activity to design course or learning activities. Hutchinson and
Water2 define Course design is the process of interpreting the raw needs analysis data to produce
an integrated series of learning experiences to lead learners to a particular state of knowledge
(Niah & Pahmi, 2019). Further need analysis for students in learning this English leads to ESP
Course Design. In the Design Course ESP contains a specific syllabus (what should be taught),
and the method (how to be taught to students). According to Basturkmen (2006) the function of
language in the Design Course ESP serves to convey facts and knowledge. Also if students'
needs are specific or limited, then the course design serves to facilitate the target needs.
Important in choosing the right course content to be used in the learning process, because
by making and considering the course design, it has taken into account both what is to be learned
by students, and the learning outcomes will be useful according to the goals and needs of the
students.
 DISCUSSION

A. Introduction of Course Design in English for Specific Purposes

English for Specific Purposes (ESP) course design has developed to become one of the most
unmistakable areas of EFL educating since the mid 1960's. Hutchinson and Water states that ESP
is certifiably not an arranged and cognizant development, yet rather a peculiarity that outgrew
various covering tends.

English for Specific Purposes (ESP) is considered as a recent fad in English Language educating.
Our conviction planning a fitting course that suits target ESP students will help them to be
capable in their field of study or work, however it is an extremely difficult errand particularly for
new instructors.The need for ESP courses at the college level is of a foremost significance. Non-
local English understudies need to foster their English abilities to comprehend the language
utilized in various explicit settings like jargon, styles, registers, explicit organizations and
designs. Likewise, understudies should be acquainted with the new scholar climate by fostering
their scholarly abilities.(Mrs Amel Afia Ph.D & Prof. Naouel Abdellatif Mami, 2020).

Course design is a series movement to design course or learning exercises. Hutchinson and
Water characterize Course design is the method involved with deciphering the crude necessities
investigation information to create "an incorporated series of opportunities for growth to lead
students to a specific condition of information. While According to Munby,3 "ESP courses are
determined in all basics by the earlier investigation of the correspondence needs of the learners".

Course design is a series interaction — need examination, deciphering need investigation data,
making schedule, material composition, homeroom educating, and assessment. Course design is
the interaction by which the teachers deciphered information about a learning need inrequest to
deliver joined arrangements of instructing and mastering abilities. (Hutchinson and Waters,
1987).
B. Parameters of An English for Specific Purposes Course Design

According to Dudley Evans and St. John (1998: 145-154), there are a number of
parameters which need to be investigated in making decisions about course design. The
questions listed below by them should be investigated by course designers before making on
designing an ESP course.

1. Should the course be intensive or extensive?

2. Should the role of the teacher be that of the provider of knowledge and activities or as a
facilitator of activities arising from learners‟ expressed wants?

3. Should the course be pre-study or pre-experience or run parallel with work?

4. Should the material be common-core or specific to learners‟ study or work?

5. Should the course designed be worked out by the language teacher after consultation with the
learners and the institution, or should it be subject to a process of negotiation with the learners?

According to Hutchinson & Waters (1987) There are a number of parameters that need to
be investigated in making decisions about course design.

1. How should we teach?

2. Should the course be intensive or extensive?

3. Should the learners’ performance be assessed or non-assessed?

4. What is the role of needs’ analysis?

5. Should the role of the teacher be that of the provider of knowledge and activities, or should it
be as a facilitator of activities arising from learners’ wants?

6. Should the course have a broad or narrow focus?

7. Should the course be pre-experience or experience?

8. What is the role of materials?

 Moreover, according to Dudley-Evan & St. John (1998) suggest some parameter to be
considered in designing course as follows:

1. Should the course be intensive or extensive?

2. Should the learner's performance be assessed or non-assessed?

3. Should the course deal with immediate needs or with delayed needs?

4. Should the role of the teacher be that of the provide of knowledge and activities, or of a
facilitator of activities arising from learners' expressed wants?

5. Should the course have a broad or narrow focus?

6. Should the course be pre-study or pre-experience or non parallel with that study or
experience?

7. Should the material be common-core or specific to learners' study or work?

8. Should the group taking the course be homogeneous or heterogeneous?

9. Should the course design be worked out by the language teacher after consultation with the
learners and the institution, or should it be subject to a process of negotiation with the learners?

A comprehensive English language needs analysis is definitely needed in order to design

an effective ESP course for teachers training college students. We must admit that in planning a
course, ESP teachers should first be aware of the options and of the limitations arising from
institutional and learner expectations. In some circumstances, course design may be carried out
before the course takes place and the details may be revised either during the course or after the
course has been run. Initial revisions may be major, but thereafter the details may only need fine-
tuning. In other circumstances the teacher may be designing the course while teaching takes
place or negotiating the course with the learners and reacting quickly to the needs as expressed at
the beginning of the course and as they change over the period of the course. It is generally
important in such situations that the ESP teacher has a good deal of experience in both teaching,
materials provision and writing. It is also important to have a range of materials available.
C. Characteristics of English for Specific Purposes Course Design

According to Steven's (1998) ESP is divided into two characteristics, namely:

1. Absolute characteristics (language teaching is designed to meet specified needs of the

learner; related in content to particular disciplines, occupation and activities; centred on
the language appropriate to those activities in syntax, text, discourse, semantics, etc., and
analysis of the discourse
2. Two variable characteristic (ESP may be restricted to the language skills to be learned,
e.g. reading; and not taught according to any pre-ordained methodology)

Furthermore, based on the ESP characteristics according to Steven's (1998), Dudley-Evans and
ST John made slight changes to the ESP characteristics, becoming:

1. Absolute characteristics:
a. ESP is designed to meet specific needs of the learner
b. ESP makes use of the underlying methodology and activities of the disciplines it
serves
c. ESP is centred on the language (grammar, lexis, register), skills, discourse and genres
appropriate to these activities.
2. Variable characteristics:
a. ESP may be related or designed for specific disciplines
b. ESP may use, in specific teaching situations, a different methodology from that of
general English
c. ESP is likely to be designed for adult learners, either at a tertiary level institution or in
a professional work situation; it could be used for learners at secondary school level
d. ESP is generally designed for intermediate or advanced learners; and
e. Most ESP courses assume basic knowledge of the language system, but it can be used
with beginners
From the two characteristics according to the expert opinion above, it can be concluded that the
overall characteristic of ESP is that ESP is based on a needs analysis that aims to be applied in
practice directly, both in an academic context and for certain professions.

D. Approaches in English for Specific Purposes Course Design

An approach is a set of correlative assumptions dealing with the nature of language

teaching and learning. An approach is axiomatic. It describes the nature of the subject matter to
be taught. There are many different approaches to ESP course design. There are probably many
different approaches to ESP course design as there are course designers. However, we can
identify five main types of course design: Language-centered course design, Skills-centered
course design, Learner-centered approach, Learning-centered approach, and Integrated approach.

1. Language-centered course design

Hutchison and Waters states that Language-centred course design approachis the simplest
kind of course design process and one most familiar to English teachers. It aims to draw as direct
a connection as possible between the analysis of the target situation and the content of the ESP
course.

this approach starts at identifying learner’s target situation and then select theoretical
language to identify the linguistic features that the learners need. Based on the identified data,
syllabus created. The next step is designing material based on the syllabus, then establishing
evaluation to see the successfulness of the course.

2. Skills-centered course design

Skills-centred course design is a reaction both to the idea of specific registers of English
as a basis for ESP and to the practical constraints on learning imposed by limited time and
resources. Its aim is not to provide a specified corpus of linguistic know ledge but to make the
learners into better processors of information. Hutchinson and Waters (1987) state that the role
needs analysis in this approach is to help the ESP practitioner discover the potential knowledge
and competences of the learner, and their perspectives of the target situation.
 Skills centred model view language in terms of how the mind of the learner processes it
rather than as an entity in itself. In addition, it tries to build on the positive factors that the
learners bring to the course, rather than just on the negative idea of ‘lacks’. Finally, it frames its
objectives in open-ended terms, so enabling learners to achieve at least something. Yet, in spite
of its concern for the learner, the skills-centred approach still approaches the learner as a user of
language rather as a learner of language.

Formed in two basic principles, namely:

a) Hipotesis basic theory underlines that some habits of language is a skill and a certain
strategy, which students use to generate discourse discussion.

b) Pragmatic basic obtained from the difference made by Widdowson (1981) between the
goals of the original course and process of the original course.

3. Learner-centered approach

It is based on the principle that learning is totally determined by the learner even though
teachers can influence what is taught but what the learners learn is determined by the learner
alone. Learning is seen as a process in which the learners what knowledge or skill they have in
order to make sense of the flow of new information. Learning therefore, is an internal process,
which is crucially dependent upon the knowledge the learners already have and their ability and
motivation to use it.

4. Learning-centred approach

A learning-centred course differs from a traditional teaching-centred (language /skills

centred) course in several ways (Weimer, 2002). The term learning-centred approach introduced
by Hutchison and Waters.18 It is seen as a process in which the learner use what knowledge or
skills they have to make sense of the flow of new information. It is an internal process, which is
crucially dependent upon the knowledge the learner already have and their ability and motivation
to use it. It is a process of negotiation between individuals and the society. Society sets the target
and the individuals must do their best to get as close to that target as is possible.
The idea behind this approach is that the learner is the main actor in the learning process for this
to happen it takes the following principles:

• Learning is totally determined by the learner who uses his knowledge and skills to make
sense of new information.

• Learning is not just a mental process; it is a process of negotiation between individuals

and society.

• Course design is negotiation process in which both the target situation influences the
features of the syllabus and also it's a dynamic process in which means and recourses vary from
time to time.

Despite the fact of being: a language, learning, or skills- centred approach; making the
ESP course as dynamic and flexible as much as possible is the most important thing. Hence, a
clear understanding of students’ needs and the demands of the target situation will serve in
developing the appropriate materials and methodologies needed to function effectively in a given
domain.

5. Integrated approach

Integrated Approach is an approach that integrate teacher centred learning, learner centred
leaning and learning centred approach. It is based on the principle that learner in learning process
must be guided by the teachers to learn optimally. Not all the learning source comes from the
learner, but the learning process can be processed optimally if the all components of the learning
process function well.

Integrated approach in need analysis means integrate three component of need analysis,
PSA, TSA, and LSA, which are involved integrated source of data stakeholder, learner, teacher,
and expert. The next step is creating syllabus which integrate more than two kinds of syllabus.
The third step in course design is material development. In this step, course designer integrate
content material and functional language. Teaching ESP must integrate students centred and
teacher guided. In teaching process the main factor determining the failure or successfulness are
learners and teachers. The teachers is nor the only source of the material, but teacher plays key
role to facilitate learners to learn. Evaluation is a final part in course design. In order the
 information gathered maximum so the method of collecting data for evaluation must also be
integrated.

E. The Principles of English for Specific Purposes Course Design

ESP teachers have to provide the material for the program. Teachers of ESP can apply
materials by selecting from the existing sources, simplifying if it is not suitable, or writing by
their own. Whatever the ways they choose, the teachers must have critical eyes so that the
learning materials can function effectively in the classroom.

1. Content should lead language

The content itself should be useful to the students, and should be stretching in its own right. This
does not mean that the texts used are always complicated: there are plenty of genres, such as
blogs, the latest news etc where the content is new and interesting and still covers the needs to
reinforce basic language.

2. The exercises on the material should be authentic, as well as the material itself
This means an end to trivial tasks, and a major focus on real world comprehension, inferencing,
and debating.

3. There should be massive exposure to content and language

This massive exposure should often come from many directions simultaneously.

4. We need to be using authentically long texts for listening and reading

Most authentic texts are NOT short. Short texts are harder to interpret than long texts because
short texts lack discourse clues and they lack redundancy.

5. Communication gaps should be massively exploited

It is well known that language is learned fastest when there is a desire to know, or when there
iscontroversy.

6. Methods should draw inspiration from content teacher

The comparison to be made is with how learners advance and learn a new technical subject in.
 Therefore, ESP should draw inspiration from the content teaching methods which frequently
have high demands on language.

7. Elaborate, but do not simplify

Elaborated texts retain the original complex authentic text, with all the associated context,
redundancy, and language clues. They add extra supporting material, and this elaboration is
much more than translations or synonyms. It can include supplementary material, and extra
extended explanations. In short, elaboration should not lead to simplification. Rather, the
material is repeated in another linguistic form.

8. Train students to handle difficult texts

we should not expect students to understand every idea or word. Native speaker academics
frequently do not understand every single idea or word in a text. Yet they are capable of using
the texts. Therefore, the language teacher should not expect students to fully understand every
text.

9. Consider using translation as a scaffolding for weak students

10. A course designer should have three syllabuses: a content syllabus, a language syllabus, and a
learning/skills syllabus. The ‘content syllabus’ should be related to the way the specialists divide
up the subject.

11. Students need exposure to the multiple genres within their speciality. These genres can differ
widely in language and style.

12. Ideally, another subject should be taught in English, and failing that, compulsory readings in
English should be set by the subject specialist.
When students really want to understand, when they are encouraged by examination pressure,
then they will make the extra effort to learn.

There are some criteria of teaching materials that need to be taken into account.

1. Materials Should Provide a Stimulus for Learning

The learning materials for ESP should be a stimulation and motivation. According to
Dudley Evan and St. John (1998) effective materials need to be challenging but achievable; to
offer new ideas and information whereas being grounded in the learners’ experience and
knowledge; and to encourage fun and creativity. The input must contain concepts and knowledge
that are familiar but it must also offer something new, a reason to communicate, to get involve.
Similarly, Hutchinson and Waters suggest that good materials do not teach but encourage
learners to learn. Therefore, to make materials effective there should be interesting texts,
enjoyable activities which engage learners’ thinking capacities, and opportunities for learners to
use their existing knowledge and skills.

2. Materials Should be Sequenced

The learning materials should be sequenced in the presentation. John state that materials
need to be consistent and to have some recognizable pattern. Additionally, Hutchinson and
Waters write that material help to organize the teaching and learning process, by providing a path
through the complex mass of the language to be learnt. Good materials should, therefore, provide
a clear and coherent unit structure which will guide teacher and learner through various activities
in such a way as to maximize the change of learning. This structure should help the teacher in
planning lessons and encourage in the learner a sense of progress and achievement.

3. Materials Should be Authentic

An important component of teaching ESP is the introduction of authentic teaching

material to the classroom. Basturkmen states that one of the key characteristics of ESP is that
teachers and course developers value the use of authentic texts and tasks. The term authentic
denotes that the texts were written for purposes of other than language teaching and learning.
The authentic texts play an important role in demonstrating real language use.

4. Supplementary Materials are Needed

The most essential materials usually refer to paper based, however, ESP teacher
sometimes apply audio and video cassette, computer, or other real objects. Crawford views that
using multimedia as classroom materials is valuable since advanced technology in an increasing
multimedia world allow for expanding flexible delivery It is also because such materials can
create a learning environment that enriches linguistic and cultural information about the target
language.
F. Factors Affecting in English for Specific Purposes Course Design

In relation to the factors affecting course design Hutchinson and Water (1987) used
Kipling’s honest serving men to outline the basic questions that we need to know before
designing course, as follows:

1. Why does the students need to learn?

2. Who is going to be involved in the process? This will need to cover not just the students, but
all the people who may affect on the process: teachers, sponsors, inspectors, etc.

3. Where is the learning to take place? What potential does the place provide? What limitation
does it impose?

4. When does the learning take place? How much time is available? How will it distributed?

5. What does the student need to learn? What aspect of language will be needed and how will
they be described? What level of proficiency must be achieved? What topic areas will need to be
covered?

6. How will the learning be achieved? What learning theory will underlie the course? What kind
of methodology will be employed?

Based on the question, Hutchinson and Water (1987) identified factors affecting to ESP
course design namely language description, theories of learning and need analysis, as can be seen
in the following figure:

Factors affecting ESP Course Design

The above figure shows that there are three main points affecting ESP course design. The
first is language descriptions, the answer of question of what. Language description shows the
language knowledge needed by the learners that put at the syllabus. The second factor is how the
learner learn a language, and the third factor is the nature of particular target and learning
situation. Phillips (as citied in Wello and Dollah) considers factors contributing to the success
and failure of ESP course as follows:

1. The subject content embodied in the learners’ purposes;

2. The duration for ESP course

3. The weekly intensity of the course

4. The composition of the students group according to their mother tongues

5. Age, academic background, degree of competence in second language (if any)

6. The staff- students ratio

7. The staff teaching load

8. The organizational structure of educational institution

9. The budgetary provision for the course and

10. The availability of educational technology.

Furthermore, Wello and Dollah classified factors affecting the ESP course into institutional
time allotted for learning English, classroom and learning condition, and attitude of the head
institution and staff, the teachers factor, the competence of the teacher, the confidence of the
teachers in using English, teaching strategies, the attitude of the teacher, and the learner factor
internal and external factors.
 CONCLUSION

English for Specific Purposes (ESP) course design has developed to become one of the most
unmistakable areas of EFL educating since the mid 1960's. Hutchinson and Water states that ESP
is certifiably not an arranged and cognizant development, yet rather a peculiarity that outgrew
various covering tends. Course design is a series movement to design course or learning
exercises. Hutchinson and Water characterize Course design is the method involved with
deciphering the crude necessities investigation information to create "an incorporated series of
opportunities for growth to lead students to a specific condition of information. While According
to Munby,3 "ESP courses are determined in all basics by the earlier investigation of the
correspondence needs of the learners."

A comprehensive English language needs analysis is definitely needed in order to design an

effective ESP course for teachers training college students. We must admit that in planning a
course, ESP teachers should first be aware of the options and of the limitations arising from
institutional and learner expectations. There are probably many different approaches to ESP
course design as there are course designers. However, we can identify five main types of course
design: Language-centered course design, Skills-centered course design, Learner-centered
approach, Learning-centered approach, and Integrated approach.

The principles of English for specific purposes course design, There are some criteria of teaching
materials that need to be taken into account : Materials should provide a stimulus for learning,
materials should be sequenced, materials should be authentic and supplementary materials are
needed. And the last there are factors affecting ESP course design : The subject content
embodied in the learners’ purposes, the duration for ESP course, the weekly intensity of the
course, the composition of the students group according to their mother tongues, age, academic
background, degree of competence in second language (if any), the staff- students ratio, the staff
teaching load, the organizational structure of educational institution, the budgetary provision for
the course and the availability of educational technology.

References
Dr Chams Eddine LAMRI, D. A.-H. (2017). ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES . Department of English .

Nurpahmi, S. (2016). ESP COURSE DESIGN: AN INTEGRATED APPROACH . lentera pendidikan, 172-181.

Sufiyandi, M. F. (2020). SOME BASIC PRINCIPLES IN DESIGNING MATERIALS FOR STUDENTS OF ENGLISH
FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSE. Ijierm, 1-18.

Suryati, N. (2009). Principles of ESP course design. scientific language, 1-7.