Characteristics of ESP Courses

Janeth M. Ordonio
Three features common to ESP courses
• Carter (1983) :

a) authentic material,
b) purpose-related orientation, and
c) self-direction.
Authentic Material
• Material should be authentic.
• ESP should be offered at an intermediate or advanced
level
• Closer examination
• Modified or unmodified in form
Purpose-related Orientation
• Orientation lessons must be according to needs and wants of
students.
• Refers to the simulation of communicative tasks
• Student simulation of a conference, involving the
preparation of papers, reading, note taking, and writing
Self-direction
• Freedom should be given to learners, to decide what to learn
and how to learn.
• Turning learners into users.
• Learners must have a certain degree of freedom to decide
when, what, and how they will study.
RESPOND
Create a poem that explain the following features common to ESP
courses identified by Carter (1983)

• The use of authentic learning materials is entirely feasible.

• Orientation lessons must be according to needs and wants of
students.
• Freedom should be given to learners, to decide what to learn and
how to learn.
Course Design
(Rudyard Kipling)

I KEEP six honest serving-men

(They taught me all I knew);
Their names are What and Why and When
And How and Where and Who.
Three main headings:

• Language descriptions
• Theories of learning
• Needs analysis
Factors Affecting
ESP course design
 TWO STRATEGIES to prevent
TERMINOLOGIES confusion.

• Communicative 1. We shall avoid the term

communicative.
• Structural 2. Make a clear distinction between
• Functional the two elements of language
description and learning theory.
Language Description vs. Language Theory
• The language description is the way in which the
language system is broken down and described for the
purpose of learning.

• The learning theory provides the theoretical basis for

the methodology
REFLECT #4:
• What do you understand by the term 'communicative'? How about
‘structural’ and ‘functional’? What features would,
for example, characterize communicative materials?
RESPOND #7:
• Take one of Kipling's 'honest serving-men' and make a
detailed list of the questions you think it is important
to ask as a preliminary to designing an ESP course.
Language Descriptions
Various Language Descriptions Developed in
Linguistics

• Classical or traditional grammar (Allyza)

• Structural linguistics (Margaret)
• Transformational Generative (TG) grammar (Allyza and Margaret)
• Language variation and register analysis (Rose Ville)
• Functional/Notional grammar (Elizabeth)
• Discourse analysis (RoseVille and Elizabeth)
I. Classical or Traditional Grammar
•Refers to the collection of prescriptive rules and
concepts about the structure of language that is
commonly taught in schools.
I. Classical or Traditional Grammar
ORIGINS OF GRAMMAR

• English language is associated with England. But the first language spoken in
England was Celtic language.
• After the invasion of Rome in England Latin language came into being.
• Until the 16th century, Latin was the official language in England therefore the
only grammar that was studied from school was Latin.
• With the invasion of Anglo-Saxons, English language begun to develop and there
arise a need of grammar for English language.
I. Classical or Traditional Grammar
ORIGINS OF GRAMMAR

• William Bullokor wrote a pamphlet for English grammar

known was Pamphlet for Grammar and this grammar is
based on Latin grammar.
• But the problem is the two language are different in
structure so it is not relevant to apply in English language.
I. Classical or Traditional Grammar
LIMITATIONS

• Traditional grammar prescribe rules, how language should be used, what all
grammatical rules should be followed in a sentence etc.
• By using these rules traditional grammar could separate a sentence into good
sentence and bad sentence.
• Certain rules prescribed by traditional grammar are:
1. Don’t use who instead of whom
Who did you call?
2. A sentence should not begin with and, but.
I. Classical or Traditional Grammar
LIMITATIONS

• It gave importance for writing and won’t let us to write in the way we speak.
• Traditional grammar does not take into account the fact that language undergo
changes.
• Traditional grammar is based on eight parts of speech. This division is done in 5th
century BC for Greek language. But now the number of parts of speech is
questionable. (article, determiners)
II. Structural Linguistics
• Also known as descriptive or modern linguistics/grammar.
• Introduced by Ferdinand de Saussure, who is known as father of
linguistics.
• In America, structural linguistics is introduced by Leonard Bloomfield,
who is known as the father of American linguistics. And Edward Sapir,
Franz Boas, etc.
• Structural linguistics is defined as scientific study of language and its
structure.
• It gave importance for meaning.
II. Structural Linguistics
• It describe language as it used in the text and speech.
• Structural grammarians says that language and
structure of language will change with time.
• For syntactic analysis, structural grammarians use IC
analysis method.
II. Structural Linguistics
• It describe language as it used in the text and speech.
• Structural grammarians says that language and
structure of language will change with time.
• For syntactic analysis, structural grammarians use IC
analysis method.
II. Structural Linguistics
IC ANALYSIS
• Immediate constituent analysis.
• It is introduced by Leonard Bloomfield in 1933 which further
developed by Rulon Wells.
• In IC analysis, a sentence break into many constituents until
one get a meaningful full word.
• First step is to divide a sentence into subject and predicate.
Ex. Poor John ran fast.
II. Structural Linguistics
IC ANALYSIS
• IC analysis have a limitation. It does not indicate grammatical
functions of constituent.
• Mark Halliday types of labels: Class labels: np,vp,adj, articles,
etc. Functional labels: S, O, V
Ex. Poor John ran fast.
II. Structural Linguistics
IC ANALYSIS
Poor John ran fast
(NP) (s) (VP)
Poor John ran fast.

Poor John Ran Fast

( Adj ) (NP) (VP) ( Adv )
III. Transformational Generative (TG) grammar
• Noam Chomsky made improvement upon IC analysis and introduced
phrase structure grammar/Transformational generative grammar.
• Noam Chomsky is an American linguist, philosopher, and political
activist.
• TG grammar appeared in his work Syntactic structure (1957) and
Aspects of theory of syntax (1965).
• TG grammar is a set of grammatical rules that are used when basic
sentences are combined to form more complex sentences.
III. Transformational Generative (TG) grammar
PHRASE STRUCTURE TREE DIAGRAM
• The structure of the sentence is described by drawing a tree diagram
which is called as phrase structure tree diagram.
Ex: He gave a flower to the girl.
(s)

He gave a flower to the girl.

(N P)
(VP) (det) (NP) (PP) (det) (NP)
III. Transformational Generative (TG) grammar
• It was structuralist grammarians who used phrase structure grammar.
• It have a draw back, structure of a sentence is described as it is.
Ex: The thief they caught.
(to get the original shape of the sentence we should use transformation
method)
Topicalisation: this movement does not change the
They caught the thief. meaning of sentence but it changes the position of
some of the phrase in a sentence

s v o TG grammar have two

components:
1. Phrase structure
2. Transformation
III. Transformational Generative (TG) grammar
ADDITION TRANSFORMATION
• Certain new words are added.
Ex. Active to passive transformation.

Polo read a novel. (Active voice)

S V O

A novel was read by Polo (Passive Voice)

III. Transformational Generative (TG) grammar
• A novel was read by Polo.
(s)

A novel was read by Polo

(det) (np) (aux.) (vp) (pp) (vp)

III. Transformational Generative (TG) grammar
DELETION TRANSFORMATION
• Imperative transformation: type of sentence that gives instructions or
advice, command, or order.
Ex. You will go to the shop.
Rule: Should remove s+ should/must/will/shall/ ought to,
etc.
Go to the shop.
Rule: you are requested to --- replace with please or kindly
III. Transformational Generative (TG) grammar
DELETION TRANSFORMATION
Ex. You are requested to attend the party.
Ans. Please attend the party.
Rule: you should not ---- replace with Do not
Ex. You should not play ---Do not play
III. Transformational Generative (TG) grammar
SEPERATION TRANSFORMATION
• The position of some existing items are altered.
• ex. The baby tore up the paper
The baby tore the paper up
IV. Language variation and register analysis
• The concept of language variation give rise to the type of ESP which
was based on register analysis .
• If language varies according to text it was argued ,then it should be
possible to identify the kind of language associated with a specific
context such as an area of knowledge.(legal Eng, social Eng , Medical
Eng , business Eng).
• The whole communicative act is made up of a number of contextually
dependent factors.
• Language varies to the context of use that enables us to distinguish
formal from informal, written from spoken etc.
IV. Language variation and register analysis

Transcript of a demonstration Instructions from the manual.

Now I have to change the final size drill I 1. Select required drill.
require, which is three quarters of an inch 2. Mount drill in tailstock. Use tapper sleeves
diameter and this is called a morse-taper as necessary.
sleeve.
3. Set speed and start machine spindle.
A slower speed for a larger drill.
4. Position tailstock to work piece.
Nice even feed should give a reasonable 5. Apply firm even pressure to tailstock hand
finish to the hole. wheel to feed drill into work piece
Applying the coolant periodically. This is 6. Apply coolant frequently.
mainly for lubrication rather than cooling.
7. Drill hole to depth.
Almost to depth now.
8. Withdraw drill.
Right. Withdrawing the drill.
9. Stop machine.
That’s fine
https://espeed2016.blogspot.com/2016/06/chapter-4-language-description.html
V. Functional/Notional grammar
• Functional grammar is associated with Michael Halliday. He is a linguist.
His famous work is An introduction to functional grammar.
• It is concerned on how language makes meaning and it opposes formal
grammar which focuses on word classes such as noun and verb.
• These units of meaning are represented in various oral and written texts.
• Functional grammar is interested to analyze language at the text level
rather than sentence.
• It is all about language use: how language is used in different situations.
V. Functional/Notional grammar
• Semantic and communicative aspects came under functional
grammar.
• Semantics is study of meaning.

COMMUNICATION
Communication is an act of expressing ideas, feelings, and transferring
data to others.
1. Verbal Communication
2. Non Verbal Communication
V. Functional/Notional grammar
VERBAL COMMUNICATION

• Communication by means of language

• Types of Verbal Communication
1. Oral Communication
2. Written Communication
3. Visual Communication
4. Audio- visual Communication
5. Network Communication
6. Participant based communication (inter, intra and extra)
V. Functional/Notional grammar
NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION

• Communicating without the use of words

1. Body language
2. Paralanguage
3. Proxemics
4. Haptics
5. Sign language
VI. Discourse analysis

SPEAKER TEXT HEARER

VI. Discourse analysis
• It emphasize on how meaning is generated between sentences
• The context is important in creating meaning
• The change of meaning is influenced by Sociolinguistic context: Who
is speaking to whom and why. The meaning changes according
to the relationship between the participants in the dialogue
and according to their reason for speaking
VI. Discourse analysis
EXAMPLE:

1. Can I go out to play?

It's raining.

2. Have you cut the grass yet?

It's raining

3. I think I’ll go out for a walk.

It s raining.
 RESPOND #8:
• Answer the following questions:
1. Do you think that classical and structural descriptions still have a
value in ESP? Why?
2. What do you think is the importance of the concepts of
communicative competence in ESP?
3. In what ways do the interests of linguistics research and language
teaching differ?

https://youtu.be/Unzk02NJejc
Theories of Learning
• Behaviorism
• Mentalism
• Cognitive code
• Affective factor
• Learning and acquisition
• A model for learning