Journal on Education

Volume 05, No. 04, Mei-Agustus 2023, pp. 16342-16352

E-ISSN: 2654-5497, P-ISSN: 2655-1365
Website: http://jonedu.org/index.php/joe

Teaching English for Specific Purpose Through a Book Entitled

“Communicating at Work: Principles and Practices for Business
and the Professions”

Ariani Rosadi1, Lubis Hermanto2

1,2Universitas Mbojo Bima, Jl. Tendean, Mande, Kec. Mpunda, Kab. Bima, Nusa Tenggara Bar
arianirosadistisipmbojo@gmail.com

Abstract
This study aims to investigate the experience of teaching ESP (English for Specific Purpose) courses for
students of the communication science study program at Mbojo Bima University. Dominantly, ESP teaching
uses an English book entitled "Communicating at Work". This book was written by Ronald B. Adler and Jeanne
Marquardt Elmhorst and was printed in the fifth edition and published by The McGraw Hill Companies. The
subtitle of this book reads "principles and practices for business and the professions". Researchers use Narrative
research to describe the knowledge of teachers. One of the campuses that uses this book is Mbojo Bima
University and in the view of researchers it is very suitable for the needs of communication science students as a
reference for ESP courses. Teaching with this book reflects the life of the work career. There are several
descriptions of the reviews contained in it, including materials on how to communicate in the world of work
involving cultural aspects, language skills and strategies for dealing with the world of work. The weakness of
this book is that the use of English is at an intermediate level. However, overall ESP teaching books using this
book are very helpful in explaining ESP concepts. The basic things about English in general have been taught in
the previous semester and this ESP course is used as a complement.
Keywords: Teaching, EFL, ESP, Communicating

Abstrak
Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menginvestigasi pengalaman pengajaran mata kuliah ESP (English for Specific
Purpose) untuk mahasiswa program studi ilmu komunikasi di universitas Mbojo Bima. Secara dominan,
pengajara ESP menggunakan buku berbahasa inggris yang berjudul “ communicating at work”. Buku ini ditulis
oleh Ronald B. Adler dan Jeanne Marquardt Elmhorst dan dicetak pada edisi kelima serta diterbitkan oleh The
McGraw Hill Companies. Sub judul buku ini berbunyi “principles and practices for business and the
professions”. Peneliti menggunakan Narrative research untuk menggambarkan pengetahuan pengajar. Salah
satu kampus yang menggunakan buku ini adalah Universitas Mbojo Bima dan menurut pandangan peneliti
sangat sesuai dengan kebutuhan mahasiswa ilmu komunikasi sebagai referensi mata kuliah ESP. Pengajaran
dengan buku ini merefleksikan kehidupan karir pekerjaan. Terdapat beberapa uraian ulasan yang terkandung di
dalamnya antara lain memuat materi-materi tentang bagaimana berkomunikasi di dunia kerja yang melibatkan
aspek budaya, keterampilan berbahasa dan strategi menghadapi dunia kerja. Adapun kelemahan dari buku ini
yaitu penggunaan bahasa inggrisnya berada di level intermediate. Tetapi, secara keseluruhan buku pengajaran
ESP menggunakan buku ini sangat membantu dalam menjelaskan konsep ESP. Adapun hal-hal dasar tentang
bahasa inggris secara umum sudah diajarkan pada semester sebelumnya dan pada mata kuliah ESP ini jadikan
sebagai pelengkap.
Kata Kunci: Teaching, EFL, ESP, Communicating

Copyright (c) 2023 Ariani Rosadi, Lubis Hermanto

Corresponding author: Ariani Rosadi
Email Address: arianirosadistisipmbojo@gmail.com (Jl. Tendean, Mande, Kec. Mpunda, Kab. Bima, Nusa
Tenggara Bar)
Received 9 April 2023, Accepted 19 April 2023, Published 21 April 2023

INTRODUCTION
Facing the global competition in Industri 4.0, most successful people recognize the role
communication skill have played in their career. The basic factor leadimg and affecting
communication is language. To transfer information and arguments to others need language. As a
16343 Journal on Education, Volume 05, No. 04, Mei-Agustus 2023, hal. 16342-16352

system of communcation, language can express by using sounds or conventional symbols. Being a
good person in a career is not a simple thing. Competence and skills are considered in the workplace.
It involves mastering English as an international language. Learning English can assist learner to
achive career prospects in many diferent ways. English speakers are in demand in commerce roles in
many countries. Tourism as a huge industry attracts the attention of both visitors and foreign
investors. Effective communication affects processes, efficiency, and every layer of a company.
In social life, soscio-cultural values are reflected as an personal identity. Cultural differences
begin when communication encounter one another. There are three type of people when interaction:
Firstly, multicultural refers to a society that contains several cultural or ethnic groups; secondly,
cross-cultural deals with the comparison of different cultures that understood and acknowledged, and
can bring about individual change, but not collective transformations and thirdly, intercultural
communication focuses on the mutual exchange of ideas and cultural norms and the development of
deep relationships (Schriefer, 2016). Cultural barriers are the challenges in communication include
differences in language, ethnocentrism, stereotypes, and prejudice (Smith, 2022).
Nowadays, ESP courses are determined in all essentials by the prior analysis of the
communication needs of the learners (Nurpahmi, 2016). English for specific purposes (ESP) teaching
conducted to equip learners with a certain English proficiency level for a situation where the
language is going to be used, termed target needs (Agustina, 2014). In teaching ESP, English lecturer
in communication study program of Universitas Mbojo Bima make sure students to learn english
based on socio-cultural context. The internalization of culture and communication in ELT (English
teaching language) is expected in a new curriculum namely “Merdeka Belajar”. Teaching and
learning are a set of activies enables students to engage with a facilitator ( instructor, lecturer,
lecturer) to learn the knowledge or skills. It is required to upgrade need analysis of students.
Pancasila values are inserted in constructing English materials to boost students character in
communication among society.
Students are highly motivated in studying topics closely associated with their major or work
areas. To apply appropriate materials and a suitable method in teaching ESP, a lecturer can elaborate
several recferences, includes e-resources and printed resource. “Electronic resources” refer to those
materials that require computer access, whether through a personal computer, mainframe, or handheld
mobile device (Yamson et al., 2018). In other case, readers of print books absorb and remember more
of the plot than readers of e-books do, according to a study that was presented in Italy in 2014 (Floss,
2023). Even though there are two types of learning media, lecturers are still consider to choose which
media they prefer. For instance, teaching ESP in Universitas Mbojo Bima, especially communication
study program, uses printed book and e-resources. The book entitled “communicating at work:
“principles and practices for business and the professions”.
Teaching English for Specific Purpose Through a Book Entitled “Communicating at Work: Principles and Practices for
Business and the Professions”, Ariani Rosadi, Lubis Hermanto 16344

METHOD
Narrative research comprises many procedures, including gathering data through the
collection of individuals’ stories, reporting their experiences, and chronologically ordering the
meaning of those experiences (Creswell, 2013). There is a wide variety of narrative approaches. The
well-known approaches are briefly described below:
1. A biographical approach is a narrative study in which the researcher writes and records
individuals’ life experiences.
2. An autoethnography approach is one in which the subject of the study writes or records her own
experiences.
3. A life history approach explores an individual’s entire life in multiple episodes. d) An oral history
approach gathers personal reflections of events from one or several individuals (Komolthiti,
2016).
The researcher used a qualitative research design and a narrative research tradition to capture
these experiences and the meaning- making process. In an educational research effort, a narrative
study is used to explore the experiences of an individual; the narrative design was most suitable for
this study because it allowed the researcher to explore experience in teaching English for Purpose and
to review the old book entitiled “communicating at work:Principles and practices for Business and
the Professions”.

RESULT AND DISCUSSION

Course design of English for specific purpose (ESP) is described based on need analysis.
Needs analysis identifies a particular learner’s or group of learners’ communicative needs and their
learning styles and preferences. It assists the educator in identifying the learners’ future target tasks
and, if necessary, changing the syllabus, adapting it to the learners’ specific needs, what learners
know and what they need to learn in order to address these needs (Graves, 2001).
Need Analysis
Conducting students’ needs analysis, the lecturers used four approaches of need analysis.
They conducted: (1) target situation analysis (TSA), (2) wants, means, and subjective needs analysis,
(3) present situation analysis (PSA), and (4) lack analysis. The types that the educators take to
conduct students’ need analysis are generally in line with the ideal types of conducting students’
needs analysis, since they missed some essential types (Lapele, 2019).
1. Lecturer’s knowledge during teaching experience about Target Situation Analysis (TSA):
“Students are in ESP class use English as foreign language and they are inadequate in mastering
english or low level quality. So, students’ needs is mostly input language from reading and
listening”
The satatement above in line with theory, Target Situation Analysis is a kind of needs
analysis which mainly focuses on students' needs at the end of a language course (Robinson, 1991).
16345 Journal on Education, Volume 05, No. 04, Mei-Agustus 2023, hal. 16342-16352

The information collected in the target situation includes the language application information,
communicative skills, and the cognition of the teaching objectives of the learners, working institutions
and societies (Li, 2014).
2. Lecturer’s observation about wants, means, and subjective needs analysis showed that “students
are able to communicate in the form of speaking and writing.”
3. Lecturer’s view about Present Situation Analysis (PSA),” most students are poor in english skill,
but they have high motivation to be able to communicate well”
Point of view (3) can be explained that PSA exlpores to find out the language proficiency of
the students when the language course begins and their strengths and weakness (Robinson, 1991).
TSA aims at identifying what learners should be able to do after the course whereas PSA seeks to
establish what learners are like at the beginning of the course (Sabah & Mohammed, 2018).
4. Lecturer’s argue that “ students’ lack analysis is at low level in mastering english”
Deficiency analysis can form the basis of the language syllabus because it should provide data
about both the gap between present and target extralinguistic knowledge, mastery of general English,
language skills, and learning strategies (Jordan, 1997).
Selected resource (printed book)
Dealing with ESP resources, the lecturer dominantly uses a book entitled “communicating at
work: principles and practices for business and the professions.”. It was written by Ronald B. Adler
dan Jeanne Marquardt Elmhorst and published by The McGraw Hill Companies. It is interested to
read material directly without thinking about internet connection problems. The main reason of using
this book is material completeness consisting of systematically relevant topics based on problem-
solving strategies. Specifically, this book was designed to facilitate career-oriented students and to
illustrate how communication principles operate in the “real world”. The lecturer’s belief that this
book has many advantages such as : (a) Improve Pedagogy Competence; (b) Expanded Consideration
Of Culture and Gender; (c) Focus on New communication; (d) clearer organization and (e) Other new
mterials.
The implication of the book and Dudley-Evans and St John's Model of Needs Analysis
A modern and comprehensive concept of needs analysis is proposed by Dudley-Evans and St.
John (1998: 125) which encompasses all the above-mentioned approaches. Their current concept of
needs analysis includes the following (Songhori, 2008):
Picture 2. Dudley-Evans & St John's Model of Needs Analysis
Teaching English for Specific Purpose Through a Book Entitled “Communicating at Work: Principles and Practices for
Business and the Professions”, Ariani Rosadi, Lubis Hermanto 16346

Concept A Holistic Review

Lecturer book
Environmental situation - The following component The book aims at retaining the
information about the situation in identifies the learning features that have served career-
which the course will be run. environment, such as lecturers, oriented students well in the past
(means analysis) teaching methods, existing while also reflecting changes in
facilities (Rahman, 2015): the world of work.
Educational background of
lecturers is Magister of English
Deparment;
Teaching experience about 8
years in communication study
program;
Teaching methods: Teaching
english based contextual
learning and project based
learning;
Facilitation: LCD projector to
show power point contained
summary of materials;
Classroom culture : Most of
students are from Mbojo tribe;
Resources: Assesing avalaible
printed book from campus
library entitiled “communicating
at work” and combining another
electronic resources from intern.
Personal information about learners Wants : To succeed in Material based on context and
- factors which may affect the way communication study culture
they learn. (wants, means,
subjective needs) Means : information of the local
situation (e.g., the lecturers,
teaching methods, management,
students facilities, etc) to see
how a language course may be
implemented.

“Means analysis is an
acknowledgement that what
works well in one situation may
not work in another”.
For example, while hotel staff
around the world may share
some similar language needs,
how they learn the language, the
conditions in which they are
learning and where and how
they apply the language are not
the same”.
16347 Journal on Education, Volume 05, No. 04, Mei-Agustus 2023, hal. 16342-16352

Subjective needs refer to the

cognitive and affective needs of
learners in language learning,
such as confidence, attitudes and
expectations.

Personal Information about the

students is concerned with
learners’ general profile,
previous language learning
experiences
Language information about English language information Information about strengths and
learners - what their current skills about the students: weakness in language skills
and language use are (present what their current skills and related to communication skills
situation analysis) language use are- present and channels.
situation analysis (PSA)-this
could allow us to assess the
students’ lacks.
PSA determines strengths and
weakness in language skills.
(Rahman, 2015)

Learner's lacks (the gap between Most students are difficult in
the present situation and understanding english
professional information about competence and skill
learners)
Learner's needs from course - what 1. Why are the learners
is wanted from the course (short- taking the course?
term needs)
• compulsory or optional; •
apparent need or not;
• Are status, money,
promotion involved?
• What do learners think
they will achieve?
• What is their attitude
towards the ESP course? Do
they want to improve their
English or do they resent the
time they have to spend on
it?
Focus on students’ needs to
accomplish problem in
communication.
Four parts of this book will assist
learners become more successful
in their careers. Those parts are:
1. Basics of business and
profesional
communication;
2. Personal skills;
3. Working in groups; and
4. Making effective
presentations

2. How do the learners learn?

• What is their learning

background?
• What is their concept of
teaching and learning?
• What methodology will
Teaching English for Specific Purpose Through a Book Entitled “Communicating at Work: Principles and Practices for
Business and the Professions”, Ariani Rosadi, Lubis Hermanto 16348

appeal to them?
• What sort of techniques
bore/alienate them?

3. What sources are

available?

• Number and professional

competence of lecturers;
• Attitude of lecturers to
ESP;
• Lecturers' knowledge of
and attitude to subject
content;
• Materials;
• Aids;
• Opportunities for out-of-
class activities.

4. Who are the learners?

• Age/sex/nationality;
• What do they know
already about English?
• What subject knowledge
do they have?
• What are their interests? •
What is their socio-cultural
background?
• What teaching styles are
they used to?
• What is their attitude to
English or to the cultures of
the English- speaking
world?

Language learning needs - effective After analyzing the lacks, Communication practice
ways of learning the skills and lecturer selects the method in
language determined by lacks; teaching based on the level of
students’ level.
Professional information about Providing task and activities for Factors most important in helping
learners - the tasks and activities english learners appropriated graduating college students obtain
English learners are/will be using target and objective needs. employement based on the
English for (Target Situation highest skills evaluated as follows
Analysis and objective needs) TSA may pinpoint the stage at :
which ‘good enough’
competence for the job is 1. Oral (speaking)
reached as Munby, as follows communication;
(Rahman, 2015) : 2. Listening;
3. Enthusiasm;
4. Written commmunication
skills;
16349
How to communicate in the target
situation – knowledge of how
language and skills are used in the
target situation (register analysis,
discourse analysis, genre analysis)
Journal on Education, Volume 05, No. 04, Mei-Agustus 2023, hal. 16342-16352
How will the language be 5. Technical competence
used? etc. (Page 4 chapter 1)
• Medium: speaking, writing, This book presents context
reading, etc.; (physical, social, chonological
and cultural context)
• Channel: e.g. telephone, face
to face; To improve Pedagogy, activities
are now integrated throughout
• Types of text or discourse: e.g. each chapter and identified by
academic text, lectures, their goals as follow:
catalogues, etc. (Songhori, 2008) a. Skill builders give readers
practice in applying newly
Where will the language be learned skills;
used? b. Invitation to Insight assist
readers understand how concept
• Physical setting: e.g. office, from the text apply in the evryday
lecture theater, hotel, workshop, world of work:
library; c. Ethical challenges invite
readers to explore the ethical
• Human context: alone, implications of on the job
meetings, demonstrations, on communication
telephone;
chapter 6, 7, 14 about principle of
• Linguistic context: e.g. in own interviewing, types of interview,
country, abroad. (Songhori, special-ocasion speking can be
2008). references to enhance speaking
skill;
The tasks and activities are
appropriate to the objective Chapter 4 can improve students’
needs. For example, four listening skill;
language skills ( reading,
listening, speaking and writing), Chapter 1 and Appendix part,
the lecturer must apply students can apply written
indicators of language skill to communication through email to
support the goal of increase writing skill.
communication.
To enrich language accuracy,
students can read the whole
content of the book.
Register analysis Linguistic knowledge is not
elaborated specifically, but
Some other linguists prefer to students can find the technical
restrict the domain of the term words.
register to describe specific
vocabulary (which one might
commonly calls jargon) which is
associated with particular groups
in a certain situation.
Wardhaugh (1997) emphasizes
Teaching English for Specific Purpose Through a Book Entitled “Communicating at Work: Principles and Practices for
Business and the Professions”, Ariani Rosadi, Lubis Hermanto 16350

the term register as a set of

vocabulary items associated
with occupational groups. Thus,
Register is viewed as an
occupational language of a
group of specialists which
functions as technical words
used in the discussion about
their specialty that is shaped by
the work environment (Nurani,
2014).

Discourse analysis

In practice, according to West

(1998), this approach tended to
concentrate on how sentences
are used in the performance of
acts of communication and to
generate materials based on
functions. In other case, this
may involve the study of
cohesive links between
sentences, of paragraphs, or the
structure of the whole text.

The mode of discourse refers to

the way in which the exchage is
transmitted. The mode of
discourse analysis includes three
main discussions, that is,
language role, channel, and
medium (Nurani, 2014).
Genre analysis

The focus of text analysis is on

the regularities of structures that
distinguish one type of text from
another, this is genre analysis
and the results focus on the
differences between text types,
or genres (Bonyadi, 2012).

Bhatia who is one of the

researchers in the field of genre
analysis has his definition of
‘genre analysis’ as the study of
linguistic behavior in
institutionalized academic or
professional setting (Bhatia,
undated).
16351 Journal on Education, Volume 05, No. 04, Mei-Agustus 2023, hal. 16342-16352

CONCLUSION
Teaching english for specific purpose is a great experince. Lecturer must focus on two sides
to achive a purpose. First side, Identifcation of students necessity in English skill. Need analysis is a
way to clasify wants, needs, and lacks. Second side, preparation of career material. The “
communicating at work” has many advantages to students in communication sience of Univeristas
Mbojo Bima as communication practice. It also has disadvantages for students having low level in
mastering language skill.

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