Innovation in Language Learning

This paper highlights the growing demand for developing ESP reading Materials in Moroccan universities. ESP has become an important area in English Language Teaching (ELT) since there is a large variety of majors in Moroccan tertiary Education for which tailored courses to the needs of students are of paramount importance to achieve effective learning. Consequently, the role of ESP teachers usually involves needs analysis and syllabus design in addition to materials selection and adaptation. Obviously, all these tasks are equally demanding and contribute to the success of the ESP teaching/learning experience. When students are introduced to content-based syllabi with a focused language goal for their learning needs, ESP can prove to be a catalyst for developing and improving their language skills thereby making them more effective in their professional pursuit. The present study, then, aims to contribute to such debates by proposing a set of materials design and selection criteria and arguing that there is a direct link between the two stages in the process of developing teaching materials. Reflecting on my own experience as an adjunct ESP professor at the faculty of letters (Rabat/Morocco) in charge of designing an English reading course for students of Islamic studies, I suggest undertaking an analysis based on the criteria that informed the design of the textbook. The outcome of the analysis is a theoretical model that could prove relevant in informing the design of textbooks in other disciplines. More specifically, the current paper aims to present a theoretical framework for developing ESP reading materials by presenting some aspects of ESP that are decisive for materials selection and adaptation. It also outlines the guidelines I followed when preparing reading course materials for Islamic studies students. The paper concludes with observations that will definitely lend insight into the challenges facing ESP instructors acting as ESP syllabus designers in Morocco.

Keywords: ESP, ELT, theoretical framework, content-based syllabi, language skills, professional pursuit, English reading course, materials selection, syllabus design