Innovation in Language Learning

With the instantly growing application of English in job and academic worlds, many people learn the language with a purpose of being able to put their English skills in use for occupational or academic purposes. Learners’ specific subject and the learning of English language are put together in ESP programs. Centre to the program development [2], the purpose of learners’ use of English will determine the curriculum and material development of the ESP program. In addition to knowing what kind of program (EAP or EOP) will suit the learners, what need to be learned based on their professional or academic work are also crucial. In order to provide well-suited ESP materials, needs analysis has been considered essential [3]. There have been many studies conducted to investigate learner’s needs for English specified for supporting their various background studies or professions. These needs analyses show how ESP has been demanded, yet the supporting materials have been found scarce in many institutions providing English language learning. The reason can be the lack of experience and trainings English teachers have had in designing an ESP learning materials and classroom activities for their learners. Time is also a possible constraint in this matter. Conducting needs analysis requires much time and English teachers often do not have enough time left in their weeks to do this. It is interesting that many previous studies done in the investigation of learners’ needs for ESP was not completed with a design of the ESP materials. Instead, the authors of the papers often provide suggestions for other English practitioners to do the design of the materials based on the results of their needs analysis. For this reason, English practitioners may use the results of the available, previously conducted, needs analyses as the basis for their ESP materials design. Although it is possible that the needs may not precisely suit what their learners actually need for their study or work, it will not be far too different. In this paper, an experience on how English practitioners attempted to design an ESP course and sample materials based on the available needs analysis results will be explained. Some possible ways English practitioners can do to amend the designed materials and evaluate them to better suit their learners will as well be shared in details, by refering to the existing literatures in material design and evaluation.

References

1. Díaz, C. A. (2011). EOP Vocabulary to Improve Communication between Tourism Professionals and International Tourists Visiting Nayarit. Memorias de las Jornadas de Lenguas en Contacto, 1-8.
2. Prachanant, N. (2012). Needs analysis on English language use in tourism industry. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 66, 117-125.