ENGLISH FOR OCCUPATIONAL PURPOSES (EOP) AND TRAINING:

TWO LANGUAGES OR ONE?

BY

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DAN KIM

B.A., Sogang University, 1997

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M.A., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1999
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DISSERTATION
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Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirem ents

for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Education
in the Graduate College of the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2006

Urbana, Illinois

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 UMI Number: 3223627

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© 2006 by D an Kim. All rights reserved.
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 C ertificate of C om m ittee A pproval

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Graduate College

March 9,2006

We hereby recommend that the thesis by:

DAN KIM

Entitled:

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ENGLISH FOR OCCUPATIONAL PURPOSES (EOP) AND TRAINING:
TWO LANGUAGES OR ONE? IE
Be accepted in partialfulfillment o f the requirements fo r the degree of:
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Doctor of Philosophy

Signatures:
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D irector ofRe$6ari Head o f Department

/ Committee on Final Examination*

Chairperson -
— V. (j
Cif.
/ UommitfeeMember - / J

Committee M em ber litteeMember

Committee M em ber - Committee M ember -

* Required for doctoral degree but not for master’s degree

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 ABSTRACT

This study involves research exploring the practice of English for

Occupational Purposes (EOP) training in Korea. The expansion of global

business and industry has expedited the growth of EOP, as English is regarded

as the universal communication m edium in m any parts of the world. English for

Occupational Purposes shares many common characteristics w ith general

training such as program design process, according to literature on EOP theories

and models; but few evidences show any exchange between the two fields. The

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purpose of the study was to investigate how EOP training was perceived and

operated in adult language education in Korea, and to explore the possible

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linkage betw een scholarly inquiry into EOP and general training for hum an

resource development. The study adopted a m ixed-method research design,

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utilizing a case study w ithin a single institution consisting of field observations

and interviews, as well as a survey in representative EOP institutions. Three

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months of field work w as conducted in an EOP program provided for a group of

EOP learners from the hum an resource developm ent departm ent of a major

corporation. The study also utilized survey in seven locations, in order to

complement the case study. The major findings are:

1. Participants universally expressed that English proficiency w as an

essential job qualification in their fields and that they always felt the need
to im prove their English.

2. Participants seemed intuitively able to articulate the core elements of EOP

although they were not familiar with EOP as a term.

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 3. The EOP instructors had autonomy to design and develop their EOP
curriculum and instruction w ithout a significant extent of curricular
guidance or standards to follow.

4. Participants generally saw the similarities between EOP and general

training in terms of their core objectives and characteristics.

5. However, the im plementation of training models and techniques was

rarely observed in the selected case.

The methodology of the study allowed em ergent themes to appear while

exploring the major questions. The discrepancy between perceived and actual

needs for EOP was one of the strongest themes that surfaced in the course of data

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collection and analysis.
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To m y grandmothers, Bong-ae Lee and Sook-ae Ra
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 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The completion of this dissertation was possible thanks to the w onderful

people around me w ho have been such blessings in my life.

Dr. Fred Davidson, m y thesis advisor, took me under his wings w hen I

was a struggling novice researcher trying to do an interdisciplinary study. He

has been a true m entor to me whose support, encouragement, and perceptive

insight always gave me a boost to attem pt one more step forward.

Dr. Steven Aragon has been my academic advisor in hum an resource

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education w ho helped me get through some rough stages in my doctoral studies

and supported m y interdisciplinary background. Dr. Kim McDonough had a

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solid presence in the committee even from a long distance, and her strong

expertise and experience in adult language learning helped balance the theory
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and practice in w riting this dissertation. I was privileged to learn the

foundations of m ixed-m ethod research from the best, Dr. Jennifer Greene. I was
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able to have fun w ith designing my study thanks to her keen appreciation of

individual researcher's idiosyncrasy and philosophical dialogs in the

methodology choice. I w ould also like to thank Professor Chip McNeil, a

Grammy aw ard winner, for teaching me the basics of jazz piano improvisation

and inspiring me to come up w ith the jazz metaphor.

Laura Irle w as always reliable in her administrative assistance, which was

especially helpful as I w orked on my dissertation away from campus.

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 I was very fortunate to find great friendships during my graduate studies.

I especially thank Sooyoung Kim and Eunok Kim for their perpetual morale

support and their constructive input to my work.

I also need to express my gratitude to the EOP practitioners at Center X

and the training professionals at KR Training Center in Korea for their kind

support and cooperation for my research.

I can never thank enough for my parents' endless faith and love toward

me that have sustained me through my studies. My father, Jong-sik Kim, has

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constantly invited me to intellectually challenging conversations that became the

foundations of my beliefs and philosophy. My mother, Hye-won Suh, has the

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wisdom to let her children follow their dreams w ithout im posing parents'

expectations, while setting an example by helping the underprivileged.

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My husband, H yungpil Moon, has gone through the whole dissertation

experience w ith me as my soul mate, my best friend, and one of the sharpest and
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diligent scholars I know. His constant encouragement, love, and intellectual

curiosity helped me get through everyday even w hen I felt m ost frustrated and

lost in this process.

Finally, I dedicate this work to my two m ost w onderful grandmothers.

G randm other Ra has always shown absolute trust in me and provided

encouragem ent throughout my studies. Grandm other Lee has taught me the art

of storytelling by reading books and telling her colorful stories since I was a little

child. They will always be the greatest w om en in my heart.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE IN TR O .................................................................................................. 1

O verview .................................................................................................................1
Research Background........................................................................................... 1
Problem Statem ent................................................................................................ 4
Purpose of the S tu d y ............................................................................................ 7
Originality of the Study........................................................................................ 8
Limitations of the Study....................................................................................... 8
Chapter Sum m ary................................................................................................. 8
Definitions and Term s.......................................................................................... 9

CHAPTER TWO REVIEW OF LITERATURE............................................................ 11

Introduction..........................................................................................................11
An Overview of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) as a Discipline:
W hat is ESP?.........................................................................................................12

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Approaches for ESP............................................................................................ 21
The Effectiveness of ESP in Workplace T raining...........................................30
The Impact of ESP on People, Programs, and the Workplace:
An Educational Perspective............................................................................... 34
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Chapter Sum m ary............................................................................................... 45

CHAPTER THREE INSTRUMENTS............................................................................ 47

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The Mixed-Method A pproach .......................................................................... 47

Overview of Research D esign........................................................................... 50
The Pilot S tu d y .................................................................................................... 52
Research M ethods................................................................................................57
Data Analysis........................................................................................................66
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Protection of H um an Participants.................................................................... 70
Time Line...............................................................................................................71
Chapter Sum m ary................................................................................................72

CHAPTER FOUR COLLECTING AND ANALYZING VOICES............................74

Entering the Field.................................................................................................74
The Case S tudy.....................................................................................................77
The S u rv ey ............................................................................................................89
Analyzing Mixed-Method D ata........................................................................ 92
Chapter Sum m ary............................................................................................... 96

CHAPTER FIVE FINDINGS AND INTERPRETATION.......................................... 97

Introduction..........................................................................................................97
The First Theme: Perception of E O P ................................................................ 98
The Second Theme: Practice of E O P .............................................................. 119

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 The Third Theme: EOP Versus General T raining........................................138
Chapter Sum m ary............................................................................................. 163

CHAPTER SIX OUTRO................................................................................................ 164

Summary of the Findings................................................................................. 166
Em ergent T hem es............................................................................................. 171
Future Implications........................................................................................... 177
Closing Reflections: C oda................................................................................ 179

REFERENCES.................................................................................................................181

APPENDIX A PILOT SURVEY FORM...................................................................... 190

APPENDIX B CASE STUDY GUIDES....................................................................... 197

APPENDIX C SURVEY FORM ................................................................................... 201

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APPENDIX D SURVEY CONSTRUCT...................................................................... 209

APPENDIX E MIXED DATA ANALYSIS MATRIX................................................ 211

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APPENDIX F HUMAN PARTICIPANTS RESEARCH APPROVAL.................. 214
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AUTHOR'S BIOGRAPHY........................................................................................... 216

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 CHAPTER ONE

INTRO

To the person w ho uses music as the expression of ideas, feelings, images,

or w hat have you; anything which facilitates this expression is properly
his instrum ent. (Mullenweg, n.d., Bill Evans section, para. 1)

Overview

This chapter outlines the study by providing personal accounts on the

background of the study, and stating the research problem and the purpose of

the study. This study explores the perception and practice of English for

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Occupational Purposes (EOP) training in the adult education system in Korea. It

investigates how EOP training is perceived and operated in adult language

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education in Korea, and explores the possible linkage between scholarly inquiry
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in EOP and training and developm ent (T&D) for hum an resource development.

The study adopts a mixed-methods design, involving a micro-scale case study

within a single institution as well as a macro-scale survey w ith representative

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institutions. The purpose of using mixed-method approach in this study is to

gain a m ore comprehensive and enhanced understanding of the phenom ena by

maximizing the strengths of different methods.

Research Background

W hen I think about where I stand as a researcher, I feel that I have come a

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 long w ay to define my identity in order to create something new and meaningful.

I have studied language instruction, and I have studied training in hum an

resource development. I have been a learner, and I have been an instructor. As

an adult learner, I always needed some rationale and structure for my learning

that m ade sense to me. Otherwise, I felt like I was wasting m y time. I learned

best w hen I w as offered clear objectives and some tasks that seemed closely

related to the learning needs and objectives. W hen I was in the instructor's

position, the same elements m ade m y instruction successful and m y students

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happy. As a researcher, I have been exposed to a variety of ways to enhance

adult learning experience through the literature on training and adult learning.
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Literature on adult language acquisition and learning has also provided me with

ways to understand and enhance adult language learning.

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In my experience in a language training program for Hispanic workers at

a local hospital, I w itnessed the crucial elements of successful training that led to
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positive outcomes. Students adjusted well in their job environment, as they were

equipped w ith the language skills that we selected, prioritized, sequenced,

taught, and evaluated based on their specific needs as hospital cleaners. After

the training, students' American supervisors and coworkers reported that they

had better com m unication w ith students as a result of the training. One of my

students even began to study for her GED at an adult education center. She said

that our course had inspired her to continue her education. It was a very

rewarding experience for me.

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 Some adult learners learn a language for fun or curiosity, b u t in most

cases, they have more specific needs to learn a foreign language. They have to

communicate well in their workplaces: A doctor from India working at a hospital

in the U.S. has to learn how to deliver a diagnosis to a patient efficiently and

compassionately. An employee in marketing at a m ultinational cosmetic

company in Korea has to learn how to convince his French supervisor of the

effective ways to approach Korean female customers w ith their new cosmetic

product. Some occupational learners may already have advanced linguistic

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proficiency in the target language, but they m ight lack communicative or cultural

proficiency in the work-specific context. They are busy w ith their responsibilities
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at work; therefore, they have little time and need to read and analyze newspaper

articles to enhance their communication skills. They have to get exactly w hat
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they need from the language instruction, such as a role play between a doctor

and a patient, and the presentation skills that appeal to certain population.
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With m y background in applied linguistics and training for hum an

resource development, I have become excited about the possibility of how the

theories and practice in both fields will complem ent each other to develop

effective foreign language training for adult occupational learners. However,

there was little evidence that the two fields share expertise according to my

review of literature, despite the benefits that I w itnessed from my

interdisciplinary studies and personal experiences as a language trainer and a

researcher. I have also struggled to clarify where I stand between the two fields

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 as I sought progress in my doctoral program. While I was fortunate to gain

support from the faculty and colleagues in both fields, I had to build something

alm ost from scratch instead of building on w hat the predecessors had p u t

together. My excitements and struggles have inspired me to find a w ay to build

a bridge between the two fields, and I hope this dissertation will shed future

light on my journey as an interdisciplinary researcher.

Problem Statement

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The field of English as a Second Language (ESL) has significantly been

expanded across the world. English has become an accepted international

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language in various professional areas, such as business and technology, since

the 1960s (Dudley-Evans & St John, 1998, p. 2). Especially in the East Asian
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countries such as Taiwan, Japan and Korea, where English is a foreign language

(i.e. English as a Foreign Language: EFL), the need for learning English is
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considered an essential and practical skill in order to be successful in various

workplaces. According to Dudley-Evans and St John (1998), EFL learners may be

categorized into two types: English for Academic Purposes (EAP) students

whose eventual goal is to improve their English for their education including

studying abroad, and English for Occupational Purposes (EOP) learners whose

prim ary purpose of learning English is to improve job-related language skills.

To elaborate the definition of each, they state, "EAP refers to any English

teaching that relates to a study purpose. Students whose first language is not

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 English may need help w ith both the language of academic disciplines and the

specific study skills required of them during their academic course. The study

skills may involve any of the main skills depending on the context" (p. 34). On

the other hand, EOP refers to English that is not for academic purposes; it

includes professional purposes in administration, medicine, law and business,

and vocational purposes for non-professionals in work or pre-work situations

(Dudley-Evans & St. John, 1998, p. 7).

Traditionally ESL/EFL has been treated alm ost equally as EAP, but recent

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trends show a significant growth in EOP population across countries, as English

has become a necessary tool in order to obtain a job, get prom oted, and perform
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effectively in the w orking w orld (Dominguez & Rokowski, 2002). Both EAP and

EOP constitute the concept of English for Specific Purposes (ESP). According to
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Dudley-Evans and St John's definition (1998, p. 4), ESP is designed to meet

specific needs of the learner, and it makes use of the underlying methodology
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and activities of the disciplines it serves. They claim that ESP is centered on the

language, skills, discourse and genres appropriate to these activities (p. 5).

English for Specific Purposes (ESP), therefore, has become an essential discipline

in the field of English as a Second/Foreign Language (ESL/EFL).

The gap between academ ic/ general EFL and occupational EFL has

required the modification of existing EFL program s according to the concept of

ESP in order to reflect the needs of occupational language learners. As a sub-

area of ESP, EOP is particularly concerned w ith adult language acquisition as

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 well as w ith aspects of training and developm ent (T&D) for adult learners: The

purpose of EOP training is to enhance workplace performance w ith special

attention to how adults learn a language to communicate better in job-related

contexts. Both EOP and T&D adopt a process involving the ADDIE process (i.e.,

Analyze - Design - Develop - Implem ent - Evaluate) (Swanson & Holton, 2001,

p. 244), w ith an emphasis on needs analysis in developing the training program.

There are some distinctive aspects of EOP training: For example, the needs

analysis stage of EOP is particularly concerned w ith language competencies - the

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specific forms and types of language that are crucial to performance

improvement. Although literature on EOP course design does not explicitly

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share terms w ith T&D, the instructional design processes in both fields seem

almost identical. In spite of the similarities, however, there have been few
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attempts to view EOP as an interdisciplinary field between language learning

and training and development. Instead, ESP professionals have rather neglected
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research into training, due to the prevailing view in the field of TESOL that

separates education and training (Richards, 1989, p. 207). As a result, the

evidence of sharing knowledge and practice between EOP and T&D is scarce in

literature in both fields.

This study investigates the perception and practice of EOP in an EFL

context, a language institution in Korea. While EOP program s in the U.S. are

mostly concerned w ith the im m igrant workforce w ith lim ited English proficiency,

EOP in EFL countries involves more varied types of EOP, as EOP needs in EFL

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 countries range from basic communication skills to professional skills such as

international negotiation. Examining how EOP is perceived and practiced in an

EFL context will clarify the identity of EOP as an interdisciplinary field, and may

enrich the field through the inclusion of broader body of knowledge combining

together the perspectives of language learning and training and development.

Purpose of the Study

The purposes of the study are to examine how the identity of EOP is

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perceived and how an actual EOP program is practiced in adult education in

Korea, and to explore if the perception and practice of EOP reflect the connection
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between EOP and training for hum an resource development. Overall, the study

attempts to answer three fundam ental questions:

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1. How is EOP characterized and perceived in terms of its concept, the focus
and scope of implementation, program organization and management,
classroom experience, and its relationship w ith general training?
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2. How is EOP training practiced in Korea? W hat do various participants of

an EOP program experience?

3. Do the perception and practice of EOP reflect the core elements of general
training for hum an resource development? If so, w hat elements and how?
W hat are the implications of the connection for the future developm ent of
EOP?

The study takes a mixed-methods approach involving adult language education

system in Korea in order to address these descriptive questions.

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 Originality of the Study

A dding to the existing attempts to define and characterize EOP in

academia, the study views EOP through the perception and experience of

various program participants, which may enhance and clarify the identity of

EOP in practice. By examining the phenom ena in the adult language education

system in Korea, the study provides an in-depth portrait of an EOP case as well

as a macro-scale understanding of EOP practice in Korea that have not been

introduced in detail to the field of ESP, TESOL, and general training. The study

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also observes the connection between EOP and training, which has been

neglected in existing research and practice in both fields.

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Limitations of the Study
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The delivery of EOP curriculum and instruction may vary depending on

the characteristics of diverse academic communities in different cultures and,

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therefore, the findings from this study may not represent the trends and issues in

other contexts.

Chapter Summary

The increasing need for special language instruction for adult

occupational learners has resulted in the modification of general EFL instruction

based on the concept of English for Specific Purposes (ESP). English for

Occupational Purposes (EOP) as a sub-area of ESP is particularly concerned w ith

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 adult language acquisition as well as training and developm ent (T&D) for adult

learners. However, there have been few attem pts to view EOP as an

interdisciplinary area between language learning and T&D for hum an resource

development. The study explores the perceptions and experiences among

various participants of EOP program s in order to provide an enhanced

understanding of the current practice of EOP program s in an EFL country.

Through the perception and experience of the informants, it also highlights

commonalities between EOP and T&D, as the interdisciplinary nature of EOP

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may enrich the field by complementing knowledge between language learning

and general training for hum an resource development.

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Definitions and Terms
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English for Specific Purposes (ESP)

English for Specific Purposes (ESP) is designed to m eet specific needs of

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tire learner, and it makes use of the underlying methodology and activities of the

disciplines it serves. It is centered on the language, skills, discourse and genres

appropriate to these activities (Dudley-Evans and St John, 1998, pp. 4-5).

English for Academic Purposes (EAP)

English for Academic Purposes (EAP) refers to any English teaching that

relates to a study purpose. Students whose first language is not English may

need help w ith both the language of academic disciplines and the specific 'study

skills' required of them during their academic course. The study skills may

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 involve any of the m ain skills depending on the context (Dudley-Evans and St

John, 1998, p. 34).

English for Occupational Purposes (EOP)

English for Occupational Purposes (EOP) refers to English that is not for

academic purposes; it includes professional purposes in administration,

medicine, law and business, and vocational purposes for non-professionals in

work or pre-w ork situations (Dudley-Evans and St John, 1998, p. 7).

Training and Development (T&D)

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Training and Development (T&D) is a process of systematically

developing w ork-related knowledge and expertise in people for the purpose of

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improving performance (Swanson and Holton, 2001, p. 204).

Human Resource Development (HRD)

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H um an Resource Development (HRD) is an integrated use of training and

developm ent (T&D), organization developm ent (OD), and career development
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(CD) to increase individual, group, and organizational effectiveness, using

developm ent as the prim ary process (McLagan, 1989, p. 6)

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 CHAPTER TWO

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

I've found you've got to look back at the old things and see them in a new
light. (Mullenweg, n.d., John Coltrane section, para. 7)

Introduction

The purpose of this chapter is to help understand the field of English for

specific purposes (ESP) and to discuss the impacts of ESP on education and

training. This chapter brings together literature in English for specific purposes

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(ESP) and workplace training in adult education and discusses the development

of ESP research and practice. It provides an overview of the field of ESP by

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describing the history and the definitions of ESP and the current developments
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of the field. It also illustrates various approaches to ESP course design, from

both the perspectives of teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL)

and of education and training. It then discusses how ESP can enhance learning
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and performance in the form of workplace training, and various issues and

trends in the practice of ESP will be discussed w ith regard to the participants,

program m anagem ent, and other practice-oriented issues such as curricular

innovation and evaluation and accountability. Finally, the chapter will describe

the long-standing separation between ESP and general training.

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 An Overview of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) as a Discipline:
W hat is ESP?

English for specific purposes (ESP) is a sub-area of teaching English to

speakers to other languages (TESOL), which is the current and alternative term

for teaching English as a second language (TESL). The umbrella field for TESOL

is applied linguistics, which includes the investigation of first, second, or foreign

language acquisition at different stages of hum an life from infants to adults. ESP,

or language for specific purposes (LSP) in general, emphasizes the language and

conventions needed for a certain discipline or profession (Kasper, 2000). It aims

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at addressing learners' special needs for language learning and reflecting them

on language instruction.
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The Definitions of ESP
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H utchinson and Waters p u t forward one of the first definitions of ESP in

1987. They define ESP as 'an approach' rather than a product, entailing that ESP

does not involve a particular kind of methodology, material or language.

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According to H utchinson and Waters, the starting point of ESP program m ing is a

simple question—w hy does this learner 'need' to learn a foreign language? In

this case, need is defined by the reasons for which the student is learning English

(Hutchinson & Waters, 1987). In 1988, Strevens identified four 'absolute'

characteristics of ESP: According to Strevens, ESP consists of English language

teaching which is a) designed to m eet specified needs of the learner, b) related in

content (in its themes and topics) to particular disciplines, occupations and

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 activities, c) centered on language appropriate to those activities in syntax, lexis,

discourse, semantics and analysis of the discourse, and d) in contrast with

'general English' (as cited in Dudley-Evans & St John, 1998, p. 3). Robinson

(1991) accepted the primacy of needs analysis in ESP program m ing process. His

key criteria include that ESP is normally goal-directed, and that ESP courses

develop from a needs analysis which "aims to specify as closely as possible w hat

exactly it is that students have to do through the m edium of English" (p. 3). He

also characterizes that ESP courses are generally constrained by a limited time

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period and are taught to adults in homogeneous classes. More recently, Dudley-

Evans and St John (1998) defined ESP as the w ide area that concentrates on all
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aspects of the specific-purpose teaching of English and encompasses the

academic (English for academic purposes: EAP) and occupational (English for
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occupational purposes: EOP) frameworks as sum m arized in the following table:

Table 1
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Classification of ESP (Dudley-Evans & St John, 1998, p. 6)

Area Sub-area
EAP English for science and technology (EST)
English for medical purposes (EMP)
English for legal purposes (ELP)

EOP English for professional purposes English for medical purposes

(EPP)
English for business purposes
English for vocational purposes Pre-vocational English
(EVP)
Vocational English

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