Recommendations of the new english syllabus for pharmaceutical students at ben tre medical college m a 60 14 10

One of the reasons for this is the lack of an effective syllabus or the inappropriateness of teaching and learning materials, especially in ESP English for specific purposes Therefore, t

VIET NAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY – HO CHI MINH CITY

THE UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LINGUISTICS AND LITERATURE

BEN TRE MEDICAL COLLEGE

A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT

OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE

OF MASTER OF ARTS

IN TESOL

Supervisor: Le Thi Thanh, Ph.D

Ho Chi Minh City - May 2010

VIET NAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY – HO CHI MINH CITY THE UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LINGUISTICS AND LITERATURE

BEN TRE MEDICAL COLLEGE

A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT

OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE

OF MASTER OF ARTS

IN TESOL Code: 601410

Supervisor: Le Thi Thanh, Ph.D

Ho Chi Minh City - May 2010

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

My first acknowledgements are made to my supervisor, Dr Le Thi Thanh, for her valuable directions, comments, corrections and her constant encouragement during the development of this study report She also provided me with necessary references for the paper Without her help, the research paper could not have been completed

I would also like to exhibit my gratitude to Master Nguyen Quoc Thoi, Head of Ben Tre Medical College and Mr Nguyen Van Pha, Dean of Department of General Education, Mrs Tran Thi Minh Trang, Dean of Pharmaceutical Department, Ben Tre Medical College, who have given me the opportunities to teach, to attend and to observe experimental classes at the college, giving more evidence to this final study report

I own a great deal to all of my lecturers at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Ho Chi Minh City (USSH) for their helpful instruction during my pursuing the MA program

In addition, I wish to thank all of my colleagues at USSH and those at Ben Tre Medical College for their support and encouragement

I would also like to express my sincere thanks to the students and teachers at Ben Tre Medical College, who have participated in my research work and provided me with indispensable data for the study

Last but not least, my sincere thanks go to my family and others whose support has been especially important to the success of my educational endeavors

In terms of the statement of requirements for the thesis and field study reports in Master’s Program (TESOL) issued by Higher Degree Committee

Ho Chi Minh City, May 7, 2010

Author’s signature,

Tran Thanh Du

RETENTION AND USE OF THE THESIS

I hereby state that I, Tran Thanh Du, being the candidate for the Degree of Master

of TESOL, accept the requirements of the University relating to the retention and use of Master’s Thesis deposited in the library

In terms of these conditions, I agree that the original of my thesis deposited in the library should be accessible for the purposes of study and research, in accordance with the normal conditions established by the library for care, loan or reproduction of thesis

Ho Chi Minh City, May 7, 2010

Tran Thanh Du

ABSTRACT

It is an undeniable fact that English is playing a more and more important role in society nowadays due to the fact that this language has been served as a means of communication among people working in different professional fields That is the reason why English has been incorporated as a compulsory subject in almost every vocational school, college and university in Viet Nam However, the teaching and learning of English in these situations are still facing many problems One of the reasons for this is the lack of an effective syllabus or the inappropriateness of teaching and learning materials, especially in ESP (English for specific purposes)

Therefore, this study aims to examine the problems of teaching and learning English at the Pharmaceutical Department, Ben Tre Medical College, concerning the use

of the present syllabus and their influence on students’ motivation all in an effort to find out solutions for the designing of a better syllabus that is effective and motivating to students of the department

As an effort to identify the situation, a survey was carried out to find out teachers’ and students’ attitudes towards the current syllabus as well as their suggestions for a better change in the language program for these students The participants involved in the study and interviews were the teachers in charge of the course, some specialized-subject teachers, the recruiters, the current pharmaceutical students and the graduates The findings reveal that the current syllabus is ineffective due to the fact that this syllabus does not meet students’ needs as well as the expectations of the department and the society The study also proposes a new syllabus and this syllabus has been put into experimental teaching and proved to be better and more effective than the current one

Based on the findings, the suggestions for better practice were made It is hoped that the result of the study as well as the newly designed syllabus will allow the recommendations that may be helpful to teachers and students in teaching and learning English at the pharmaceutical department at Ben Tre Medical College in particular and

in vocational colleges of Medicine and Health in general

TABLES OF CONTENTS

Content Page

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS……… …i

CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY……….…… …ii

RETENTION AND USE OF THE THESIS……….… iii

ABSTRACT……… iv

TABLES OF CONTENTS……….…….……….vi

LISTS OF ABBREVIATIONS………… ……….……… xiii

LIST OF TABLES……… ……….…xiv

LIST OF CHARTS……….……… xv

Chapter I: INTRODUCTION………1

I.1 PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION……… …1

I.1.1 English teaching and learning in Viet Nam……….… 1

I.1.2 A general view on English teaching and learning at Bentre Medical College and at the Pharmaceutics Department……….………3

I.1.2.1 The learners……… … 4

I.1.2.2.The teaching staff……… 5

1.1.2.3 Setting goals and expectations………6

I.1.2.4 Teaching and learning resources……….………7

I.1.2.5 Teaching methodologies……….8

I.1.2.6.The current syllabus of English at BMC……….………9

I.1.2.7 Students’ motivation in learning English at BMC……….10

I.2 THE RATIONALE OF THE STUDY………10

I.3 THE PURPOSES AND QUESTIONS OF THE STUDY………12

I.3.1 Purposes of the study:……… 12

I.3.2 Questions of the study:……… 12

I.4 THE STUDY SIGNIFICANCE……….……… 13

I.5 OVERVIEW OF THE THESIS CHAPTERS……… 14

CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW……….……… 16

II.1 Related studies on the theory of syllabus design in the world……… 16

II.1.1 Definition and types of syllabi……… 16

II.1.1.1 Definitions of syllabi……….……… ………… 16

II.1.1.2 Types of syllabi……… ……….17

II.1.1.2.1 Types of syllabi……….………17

II.1.1.2.2 Practical view on the choice of syllabi……… ……… 18

II.1.1.2.3 Content-based syllabus……….……… …… 19

II.1.1.3 English for specific purposes (ESP)………….………20

II.1.2 Approaches to syllabus design………… ……… ………21

II.1.3 Syllabus design process……….…….21

II.1.3.1 Planning……… ………22

II.1.3.1.1 Needs analysis……… 22

II.1.3.1.1.1 Definition of needs analysis……….…………22

II.1.2.1.1.2 Purposes of needs analysis………… ……….………23

II.1.3.1.1.3 Subjects of needs analysis………23

II.1.3.1.1.4 Types of information to be found in needs analysis………… …………24

II.1.3.1.1.5 Instruments for needs analysis ……… ………24

II.1.3.1.1.6 Needs analysis process……….……24

II.1.3.1.2 Goal and objective settings……….………25

II.1.3.1.2.1 Goals……….25

II.1.3.1.2.2 Kinds of goals……… 26

II.1.3.1.2.3 Objectives……….26

II.1.3.1.2.4 Relationship between goals and objectives………….……….27

II.1.3.2 Implementation……….……… 27

II.1.3.2.1 Methodology……… ………27

II.1.3.2.2 Material development……… ……….……30

II.1.3.2.2.1 Selection of contents……… ………31

II.1.3.2.2.2 Organization of contents……….…… 33

II.1.3.3 Evaluation ……… ………34

II.1.4 Motivation and motivation in foreign language learning……….…… 36

II.1.4.1 Definition of motivation……….………36

II.1.4.2 Kinds of motivation……….……… 37

II.1.4.3 The effects of motivation……….38

II.1.4.4 The relationship between syllabi and motivation in language learning………38

II.2 Related studies of syllabus design in Viet Nam……… 39

II.3 Summary……… ………41

CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY……….……….……… 42

III.1 Overview of methodology……….……… 42

III.2 Description of data collection procedures……… ……… … …43

III.2.1 Participants and instruments………43

III.2.1.1 Questionnaires……….……….43

III.2.1.2 Interviews……… 45

III.2.1.3 Investigation: ……….………47

III.2.1.4 Class observation……… ………….47

III.2.1.5 Testing……….……… ……48

III.2.2 Data collection procedures………49

III.2.3 Data processing……….………50

CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND DATA ANALYSIS……….……… … 51

IV.1 Results of the survey……… ………51

IV.2 Data analysis……… ……….52

IV.2.1 Responses to the questionnaires ……….52

IV.2.2 Responses to the interviews……… 62

IV.2.2.1 Employers’ responses………….……….………62

IV.2.2.1.1 Job opportunities for PD students……….………62

IV.2.2.1.2 The importance of English in the field of pharmacy and kinds of English needed for PD students……… ……….63

IV.2.2.2 Responses from teachers of English……….……….64

IV.2.2.2.1 Teachers’ evaluation on the current syllabus……… 65

IV.2.2.2.2 Teachers’ perceptions of the relationship between syllabi and motivation - some suggestions for improvements 65

IV.2.2.3 Staff members’ responses……… ……….…68

IV.2.2.4 Summary of the interviews……….………70

IV.2.3 Class observation results………70

IV.2.3.1 The author’ findings from class observation…… ………72

IV.2.3.1.1 Time allocation and class size:……….………72

IV.2.3.1.2 Students’ English background……… ………73

IV.2.3.1.3 Motivation …… ………73

IV.2.3.1.4 Methodologies…… ………73

IV.2.3.1.5 Class activities………74

IV.2.3.1.6 General rvaluation……… ……….…75

IV.2.3.2 Responses from the students……….………75

IV.2.3.3 Test results……… ………78

CHAPTER 5: FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS……… …….….79

V.1 Findings……… ……… ……79

V.2 Recommendations……….…85

V.2.1 Reasons for the improvements……….… …………85

V.2.2 Guidelines for designing a syllabus for PD students………… …… ……….…85

V.2.2.1 The syllabus should provide students with two separate stages: GE and ……….………86

V.2.2.2 Varying the syllabus types for these students……….……….86

V.2.2.3 In ESP, restricting students’ competence to reading skills only….………87

V.2.2.4 Simplify the text to give students full understanding of the contents… ……87

V.2.2.5 Make sure the ESP reading texts have readability characteristics which

Cause no structural as well as lexical difficulties……….……… …………87

V.2.2.6 Take students’ majors into consideration in dealing with ESP……….……….88

V.2.2.7 Include pictures and explanations in the syllabus……….………….….88

V.2.3 The revised syllabus framework……… ….……….………88

V.2.3.1 Aspects of the syllabus……… ……….…89

V.2.3.2 The contents of the syllabus……… ……….93

(1) Stage 1: General English Stage……….……… 92

(2) Stage 2: English for Specific Purposes……… ……… 93

V.2.3.3 Reasons for the choice of the course book “Let’s study English” as the course book in the first stage……… ………….………95

V.2.4 General evaluation of the revised syllabus in view of pedagogical and linguistic requirements……….……….……….97

V.2.4.1 The GE syllabus:……….………98

V.2.4.2 The ESP syllabus:……… ……… ……… 98

V.2.4.3 General evaluation:……….99

V.2.5 Guidelines for incorporating the syllabus into language classrooms………….100

V.2.5.1 Time allocation……….……… … 100

V.2.5.2 Teaching methods and techniques……… ……… 102

V.2.5.3 Adapting the book “Let’s study English” to the DP students……… ………103

V.2.5.4 Supporting materials and facilities……… ……….104

V.2.5.5 Evaluation and assignments……… ……… ……….105

Chapter 6: CONCLUSION……….…… …………106

VI.1 The summary of the study……….……… …106

VI.2 Delimitations and limitations……… ……… 107

VI.2.1 Delimitations:……….107

VI.2.2 Limitations……… ……… …107

VI.3 Recommendations for further study……….………107

REFERENCES………

APPENDIX 1: A PHARMACIST TRAINING COURSE ……….114 APPENDIX 2: THE ENGLISH CURRICULUM………/……….……….120 APPENDIX 3: THE CURRENT ESP MATERIALS FOR PD STUDENTS………//.123 APPENDIX 4: RESEARCH QUESTIONS FOR 2008-GRADUATE STUDENTS….131 APPENDIX 5: RESEARCH QUESTIONS FOR THE CURRENT STUDENTS

(AFTER ATTENDING THE CLASS WITH THE NEWLY SUGGESTED ESP)….137 APPENDIX 6: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR THE EMPLOYERS……… 140 APPENDIX 7: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR TEACHERS OF ENGLISH…….142 APPENDIX 8: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR STAFF MEMBERS OF THE PD.144 APPENDIX 9: FINAL TEST OF ESP……… 146 APPENDIX 10: OVERVIEW OF UNITS IN “LET’S STUDY ENGLISH”……… 152 APPENDIX 11: SAMPLE UNITS IN “LET’S STUDY ENGLISH”……… ………156 APPENDIX 12: FULL ESP CONTENTS……….162

LISTS OF ABBREVIATIONS

BA: Bachelor of Arts BMC: Ben Tre Medical College CLT: Communicative Language Teaching EFL: English as a Foreign Language ESP: English for Specific Purposes ELT: English Language Teaching ET: Experimental Teaching FELL: Faculty of English Linguistics and Literature GE: General English

GTM: Grammar Translation Method HCMC: Ho Chi Minh City

IT: Instructional Technology M.A.: Master of Arts

MOET: Ministry of Education and Training PD: Pharmaceutical Department

TESOL: Teaching English to Speakers of Other languages USSH: University of Social Sciences and Humanities

LIST OF TABLES

Table Page

Table 1: Characteristics of teachers of English……….………… 6

Table 2: The working places of the 2008-graduate students……… 44

Table 3: Characteristics of subjects in the interview……… 46

Table 4: Students’ levels of English after attending the English course at BMC …… 52

Table 5: Students’ average scores of English after attending the course at PD…………53

Table 6: Students’ ideas on the time budget for the course………….……….53

Table 7: Students’ ideas on the usefulness of the syllabus to their profession……… 55

Table 8: Students’ satisfaction on the contents of “Headway series”………….………55

Table 9: Students’ evaluation on the contents of the ESP materials…….……… 56

Table 10: Students’ ideas in difficulty levels of the texts……….………56

Table 11: Students’ ideas on the opportunities for using English in their profession…57 Table 12: Kinds of English necessary to their professions………….………58

Table 13: Students’ ideas on the use of English in their profession……….59

Table 14: Ideas from the employees for an effective syllabus……… 60

Table 15: Students’ final scores of English 72

Table 16: Students’ evaluation on the suggested ESP materials……….………….… 75

Table 17: Students’ scores on the final ESP test……….……….……….77

Table 18: Suggested distribution for the whole English course……… ……….92

Table 19: The suggested ESP syllabus framework……… ……… …… ……….94

Table 20: Criteria for evaluating the syllabus……… ………… …… ………98

LIST OF CHARTS

Content Page

Chart 1: Kinds of English necessary to their professions………58 Chart 2: Students’ ideas on the use of English in their profession……….59 Chart 3: Ideas from the employees for an effective syllabus………61 Chart 4: Students’ final scores of English before attending the experimental Classes…72 Chart 5: Students’ evaluation on the contents of the suggested ESP materials…… … 76 Chart 6: Students’ evaluation on the organization of the contents………6 Chart 7: Students’ scores on the final ESP test……… ……… 78

Chapter I: INTRODUCTION

The study reported in this thesis attempts (1) to make an investigation of students’ attitudes towards the current syllabus of English of the Pharmaceutical Department (PD), Ben Tre Medical College (BMC), (2) to find out the needs of these students, the goals of the Pharmaceutical Department (PD) as well as the expectations of the society and (3) to design a syllabus that can be effectively applied to this educational context This very first part of the thesis presents the overview of the problems concerning the current syllabus the study attempts to solve and provides the rationale for the areas of investigation The purposes of the study and the questions that guide to fulfill these purposes will be presented in this chapter In addition, the significance of the study will also be briefly discussed, followed by the overview of the thesis chapters

I.1 PROBLEMS

I.1.1 English teaching and learning in Viet Nam

The country’s economic, political, and social changes in recent years have brought about the significant role of English as a foreign language in all fields of life in Viet Nam English has become an important means of getting well-paid jobs, promotion, scholarship, further study… Broughton, et all (1980: 6) stated “A good command of English in second language situation is considered as a passport to social and economic advancement”

Because of its importance, more and more people have rushed to learn this international language to meet the ever-increasing demands of the society “English has undergone explosive growth, hundreds of language centers have been established all over the country with an overwhelming majority of Vietnamese learners studying English” (Nguyen Ngoc Quang, 1994, cited in Do Huy Thinh, 1996: 4) At the Center of Foreign Languages and Informatics (Ben Tre Province) alone, in 2008, the total number of learners of English of all levels was 6,000 In 2009, this number went up to 8,000, being

2000 more than the number of the year before Dang Thi Huong (2004: 99) states “In recent years, particularly after the “Open Door” policy was implemented in 1986, English has become one of the required subjects taught at university” Nowadays, English has, in fact, become one of the compulsory subjects taught at universities, colleges and even

vocational levels in Viet Nam It can not be overstated that the teaching and learning of the English language in Viet Nam have undergone dramatic changes in the last decades or

so

In the field of pharmacy, the most popular language is English In fact, English has long been accepted as the main means of communication among those who work in this field A quick look at some medical documents such as medical instructions, medical advertisements or leaflets that are available in a drugstore will reveal that most of these documents are written English It is, therefore, English can be considered as a vital tool for any person who wishes to get a good job as well as to get involved in the field of pharmacy

However, despite the explosion of different kinds of textbooks for students of different levels, there have been existing very few specialized course books suitable for students who need to learn job-particular English vocabulary or structures Accounting, medicine, and health sciences, for example, have their own unique vocabulary, terminology, or writing styles, which should be taught in their special ways Furthermore, students of different environments or educational contexts have different motives or goals

in their second language learning In fact, the curricula of English in many colleges and universities nowadays often focus on training the learners to master 4 basic language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing rather than ESP This explains why most of the students gets demotivated in dealing with this subject in their college years

As English has become a compulsory subject for students of any specialization, and in order to find out an effective syllabus for the students, the study of syllabus design and that of syllabus assessments have attracted attention among many language teachers

A very close survey of the English Language Resource Center at USSH (University of Social Sciences and Humanities) reveals that there have been lots of studies related to syllabus design that have been conducted by students of TESOL at USSH - all with reference to modifying the syllabus that can be effectively applied in their educational contexts The focus of these studies is to choose the best materials and teaching methods which are more suitable to the students’ levels, needs as well as the expectations of the college and the labor market

I.1.2 A general view on English teaching and learning at Bentre Medical College and at the Pharmaceutics Department

BMC was established in 1977, responding to the ever-increasing needs of the society when people’s health was paid more attention to The DP was also founded with the establishment of the college with the objective to provide well-trained pharmacists for pharmaceutical industry in Ben Tre province or the surrounding provinces Every year, the department receives from 150 to 200 fulltime students and more than 200 in-service students A survey by the training department of the college in 2008 showed that more than 90% of the students who graduated from the department have been employed and are now working in different pharmaceutical companies, hospitals and community drugstores, and most of them are highly praised by their employers in terms of their working abilities

To fulfill the course requirements, the students of the department have to attend more than 20 subjects, including general subjects and specialized subjects in their two-year course at the college However, it was not until 1992 that English has been

incorporated into the program for students of the PD (See Appendix 1) As a result,

English is now considered one of the majored subjects in BMC As suggested by the MOET, this subject should be taught in 3 concessive semesters (beginning right in the first semester of the first year) with 150 periods in all, each periods consisting of 45 minutes At first, the aim of teaching English to students of all specializations in general and those of the PD in particular was to master the English language notably its two basic and traditional skills – reading and writing

Nowadays, with the development of communicative language teaching and the needs for ESP in all fields, things have changed considerably in the way that the English course needs not only help learners to develop basic skills for communication (General English) but also provides them with some ESP These two kinds of English can enhance their study, work and ability to become more active and highly motivated participants in their communities Toward this trend, the teaching of English at BMC and the PD as well

is required to include an ESP section to meet the needs of the students and the expectations of the community

I.1.2.1 The learners

Information relating to the learners is very necessary because it is this information that can help the teachers or the curriculum developers have the best textbook selection as well as the best techniques in dealing with the materials in their teaching process As a classroom teacher for more than 8 years at the PD, the author of the study understands his students very well From his personal observations and experiences in teaching English to these students, he knows well his students’ needs as well as what they expect after the course

BMC students in general and DP students in particular have come from many different districts in the province and some others are from surrounding provinces, such as Tra Vinh, Long An or Tien Giang province As it is widely-known, the conditions of English teaching and learning in the remote areas like those in Ben Tre province or in the surrounding ones are mostly poor and dissimilar In most of English classes at the department, the number of students is 50 or even more The problem becomes worse when each student has a different language background and language ability On the other hand, as English is not students’ majored subject, some of these students do not have very good motives for learning These problems have, for years, created difficulties for classroom management and syllabus performance in dealing with the subject

However, on entering the college, most of the students have studied English at least for three years or more at their high schools and they have been all taught with exactly the same syllabus published by the MOET, therefore, they have been equipped with a certain amount of basic English Based on this, their language learning experience

is, therefore, believed to be enough for them to take the English course at the college The interesting thing about these students is that most of them are eager, dynamic, and hardworking to study Most of the students work very hard to get good scores in their study so that they have more job opportunities in the future

I.1.2.2.The teaching staff

The teaching staffs including 5 teachers who are in charge of teaching English for students of the PD have over 5-year experience in teaching English to these students They all received formal training in English language teaching (ELT) at the University of Education in Ho Chi Minh City or at Can Tho University They are all very enthusiastic,

experienced and are willing to apply new techniques and methods in teaching Moreover, realizing the role of English in the curriculum and in students’ future profession, the principal of the college, the head of the department and the majority of the staff members are now welcoming every effort to find out a new syllabus and materials to make teaching and learning English at the department more and more effective The backgrounds of the teachers are displayed in the following table:

Years of experience

1 Phan Nguyen Hai Dang 30 Can Tho University 5

2 Nguyen Thi Dung 40 University of

Education, HCMC 12

3 Nguyen Thi My Le 38 Can Tho University 8

4 Vo Thanh Khoi 40 Da Nang University 8

5 Tran Thanh Du 31 University of

Table 1: The background of teachers of English However, the weakness of the staff is that they have no training in ESP Because of this, most of them are often unconfident when teaching ESP, especially when they have to deal with topics they themselves find hard to understand

1.1.2.3 Setting goals and expectations

Setting goals and expectations is an important step in designing a syllabus for a language course because they can help identify the rationale for the course Theoretically, the teaching of English at BMC aims at helping the learners to use the target language well for communicative purposes The students are expected to know how to express themselves as well as how to interact in different communicative and professional

situations (See Appendix 2) More specifically, in GE, students are expected to develop

basic language skills and in ESP, they are expected to read simple medical documents Towards these objectives, language competence is; therefore, very important in learning and teaching the target language

However, my overall observation reveals that most of the pharmaceutical students

at BMC study English not only because it is one of the compulsory subjects but also it is one of the important employment requirements - it is very necessary for their job in the future Some of the students expect to develop basic language skills so that they can be qualified for National certificate on Level A, B or even higher Many of them also seem

to need some kinds of ESP so that they can get exposure to some specialized terms and materials These students seem to put more attention on those kinds of English that are relevant to their major Even some students wish to be able to read medical English materials or documents and to communicate in their specific field

As the Minister of Health officially states it in the documents about the general programme for DP students, the aims of teaching English to these DP students can be identified as (1) to help learners do drills on four basic language skills and (2) to provide them with specialized terms and basic knowledge related to their field of study These two aims then serve the broader aim, which is to prepare the students for their future employment

These goals and objectives, in fact, can never be met with the use of “Headway series” or “Streamline series” alone Thus, improving the syllabus and other factors that affect the implementation of the newly suggested syllabus should be done to improve English teaching and learning at the department

I.1.2.4 Teaching and learning resources

The students are self-equipped with the course books according to the requirements of the course The classrooms are equipped with neon lights, electric fans, blackboards, and chalks Teaching aids include cassette players and microphones for teachers Technology tools such as overhead projectors, CD players, TVs and some of other kinds are available and teachers can take use of them when they are needed In general, the teaching and learning resources are sufficient for these students

However, the source of reference books for teaching English in the college is very poor: limited resources of references, frequent unavailability of exercise books and few other additional teaching aids As a matter of fact, there are tens of references books

available in the library However, these books seem to be beyond the comprehensibilities

of vocational students There is also the problem of overcrowding in the language classes

I.1.2.5 Teaching methodologies

Although teaching methodology has undergone considerable changes in recent years, it seems to the author of this study that traditional teaching methods have still taken control in the area of language teaching and learning at the college In most classes, Grammar Translation Method (GMT) has been employed most of the time The notion of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) is somehow rather new to most of the teachers and students in the college For these classes, the employment of communicative or meaningful activities or other kinds of teaching aids such as real objects or pictures is still

a problem among the teachers of English in the college In fact, some teachers have tried

to apply new teaching methods; however, their educational endeavour does not seem to bring any satisfactory results

Reality shows that most of the students attending the English course at BMC are greatly affected by the way English is taught in their high schools - the teachers take dominant roles in English classes and the students are the attentive listeners, not active participants In the process of learning English, most of the students’ work concentrates

on the study of vocabulary and grammar They just study for the sake of passing written English examinations at the end of the course, not for developing communicative competence There are almost no exams in oral skills; therefore, these productive skills are neglected among students

In general, although the teachers and students at the PD are very enthusiastic and most of them have some preference for teaching and learning English, the application of CLT has been still a problem in this educational context There are actually no features of communicative language teaching in the college that has been proposed and discussed for years

I.1.2.6.The current syllabus of English at BMC

From its foundation to 2000, the PD did not have its own English syllabus Instead, every language teacher adopted his or her own kinds of materials and the department could not take control of what kinds of syllabus were taught to the students The

instructional materials were the “Elementary Streamline English” and “Pre-intermediate Streamline English” (written by Hartley & Winey, 1990) taught in 3 successive semesters beginning right in the first year with 150 periods in all

Since 2003, through much practice and discussion, the course books chosen for the whole English course have been “Elementary New Headway” written by John and Liz in

2000 and half of the “Pre-Intermediate New Headway” written by the same author The aim of using this series is to help develop basic English skills for students - Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing, with general knowledge and terms These books; however, have nothing to do with any kinds of ESP Since the academic years of 2004-

2005, some teachers of English at the department have begun to introduce specialized

texts to these students (See Appendix 3) However, these materials were randomly chosen

and thus not easy for students to follow On the other hand, as these materials were collected without any consideration of syllabus design procedures, they do not seem to meet students’ needs and the expectations of the department

Because of these, the syllabus for DP students does not seem to meet students’ professional needs in some respects This results in students’ lack of motivation in the process of dealing with the subject and therefore the objectives of the course can not be fully obtained

I.1.2.7 Students’ motivation in learning English at BMC

Students’ motivation in learning English varies considerably from individual to individual Some students learn English to enhance their basic skills of the language so that they can use the language to communicate in different situations even in their professional fields Some students learn English so that they can know some specialized terms that are related to their field of study Still, others come to study English because it

is one of the compulsory subjects and they think they have to try their best to get good results on this subject, which will later may affect their results of the whole course

No matter what kinds of motives or reasons for learning English, most of the students in the college have, in their mind, some amount of motivation in studying the language This is one of the most important factors that can make good contributions to the success of foreign language teaching and learning at the department

I.2 THE RATIONALE OF THE STUDY

Although the importance of English is very indispensable, the teaching and learning of English in the college has not been changed and improved much since this subject was first incorporated in the academic program in 1992 It is, in fact, facing lots of challenges and obstacles This can be traced back to various reasons among which one of the most important reasons is the lack of an effective syllabus that can motivate students

to learn the subject As a result, these teachers are facing many difficulties not only in time management but also in classroom management resulting in the process of teaching English to these students

At present, the syllabus used for students of the Pharmaceutics Department is not organized properly Programmed by the Ministry of Education and Training and the Ministry of Health, English is one of the compulsory subjects; however, there has been no official syllabus for this subject It is, therefore, up to the English teachers here to choose kinds of materials that they can use in their teaching This resulted in controversies and disagreements among both the teachers and the students in the college

In the past, the main syllabus used for students of all fields of study in the college was exactly based on “Streamline series” (published by OUP) taught in three concessive semesters beginning right in the first year (each semester contains 50 periods) Since

2003, the main syllabus used for these students has been “Headway Series” (published by OUP) Although some of the English teachers here are trying to incorporate some reading texts or subject matters that are related to students’ interest or field of study, the English program at the PD, in general, does not include a well-organized ESP syllabus The students did not benefit much from such an inappropriate syllabus This resulted in students’ inability to neither read simple medical English documents nor communicate in English after the course

The author of this study has been teaching English for over 8 years in the college From his personal observations and experience in teaching English at the department, and from informal talks with his colleagues, the current syllabus and randomly-optionally selected materials do not meet all of the learners’ needs and the department’s expectations because there not a well-organized section in the English syllabus Furthermore, English

teaching and learning at the PD do not satisfy all the employment requirements for the students This is one of the most important factors that can affect their interest and motivation in learning the target language

To improve the quality of English teaching and learning, the leaders of the college and the department of General Education require their teachers of English to design a new and job-related syllabus for the Pharmaceutical students In addition, this research will serve as a good start to revise the English syllabus for students of other departments in the college Without an official syllabus, the author and his collegues as well can not do anything to enhance English teaching and learning in the department The study will then aims at building up a syllabus with which the teachers can provide learners with English classes that are motivating and effective

I.3 THE PURPOSES AND QUESTIONS OF THE STUDY

The English language has been incorporated as a compulsory subject at BMC for years At present, the main concern for teachers of English in the department is to improve the English syllabus to meet the needs of the students, the goals of the college and the allocation of time The course aims should enhance students’ four basic language skills - listening, speaking, reading, and writing - and to provide them with some basic knowledge of ESP The materials require improvement, supplementation, or even a replacement of the current syllabus

I.3.1 Purposes of the study:

From the above-mentioned reasons, the purposes of this study are (1) to evaluate the present English syllabus and (2) to investigate and analyze students’ needs and the expectations of the department and then (3) to suggest a new syllabus for pharmaceutical students together with some guidelines to work well with the new syllabus These purposes then serve to fulfill the broader and more general objective that is to improve the situation of English teaching and learning at BMC

I.3.2 Questions of the study:

In accordance with the purposes of the study, the research has been specifically designed to look for answers to the following guiding questions:

Question 1: How does the current syllabus meet students’ needs as well as the

expectations of the department?

Question 2: What should the newly suggested syllabus framework be like to meet

students’ needs and the expectations of the department and the labor market?

In the effort to answer these two questions, the following sub-questions are addressed:

1 What are the teachers’ and students’ attitudes towards the current syllabus?

2 What are the needs of the students when attending the course at BMC?

3 What are the expectations of the department and the labour market concerning the English syllabus for these students?

4 What should be included in the suggested syllabus?

5 What should be done to make the best use of the new syllabus?

I.4 THE STUDY SIGNIFICANCE

With the aims beforehand, this thesis will not only raise our awareness of syllabus design as well as the relationship between syllabi and learning motivation but also implement a well-designed syllabus that can meet mostly all of the learners’ needs and the expectations of the department The newly suggested syllabus includes not only GE but also a well-organized ESP syllabus that is intended to provide students with English in their vocational area Hopefully, the recommendations proposed in the thesis will serve as

a support for both teachers and learners at BMC - the good start for them to improve the situation of English teaching and learning at the college It is also hoped that this research will give a great deal of contribution to not only teachers and students at BMC but also to those of other colleges of medicine and health where two-year programs are used so as to help them learn and teach English effectively

I.5 OVERVIEW OF THE THESIS CHAPTERS

The main contents of the thesis will be dealt with in six separate chapters:

Chapter 1 is concerned with the introduction to the study, which includes the

rationale, the background, the purposes, and the research questions of the study This

chapter also comprises the background of teaching and learning at the pharmaceutical department, BMC in view of teachers’ methodology, an analysis of students’ as well as the faculty’s goals and expectations, and the language teaching and learning resources at the college

Chapter 2 is concerned with the literature review which consists of references and

discussions about various viewpoints on syllabi, types of syllabi, procedures for designing

an ESP course, constructing a content-based syllabus and manipulating communicative approach, theories and kinds of motivation and the factors that can affect motivation in language classroom The relationship between syllabi and students’ learning motivation is also described and discussed in this chapter

Chapter 3 deals with the methodology employed in the study, including the

description of the subjects, instruments, the data collection procedures for the study The reasons for the employment of the methodology are also clearly described in this chapter

Chapter 4 presents the data analysis and the results of the study The information

collected concerns the present situation of English teaching and learning at BMC, teachers’ and students’ attitudes towards the current syllabus, students’ motivation in learning English, goals and expectations on the parts of the students, teachers’ and students’ perception of the relationship between motivation and syllabi, teachers’ and students’ evaluation on the ESP syllabus This chapter also investigates teachers’ and students’ suggestions for the improvement of the current syllabus

Chapter 5 contains two main parts The first part deals with the findings of the

study, concerning an insight view on the current syllabus with its own strengths and weaknesses in the real situation of BMC via the feedbacks from the respondents The second part presents some recommendations for a better syllabus designed for the students, the applicability of the syllabus design in view of pedagogical and linguistic requirements At the end of this part, the framework of the revised syllabus for the students and some guidelines for incorporating the syllabus into language classroom are also presented

Chapter 6 concerns the conclusion of the study summarizing what have studied in

the thesis so far In addition, this chapter presents the limitations of the study and some recommendations for further study

CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW

II.1 Related studies on the theory of syllabus design in the world

In order to carry out this thesis research, the author of this study would like to refer

to researches and studies of different authors about syllabus design, motivation, and the effects of a syllabus on students’ learning motivation

II.1.1 Definition and types of syllabi

II.1.1.1 Definitions of syllabi

Through the history of language study, there have been various definitions of syllabi

In Wilkins’ words (1982), syllabuses are “specifications of the contents of a language teaching course which has been submitted to some degree of structuring or ordering with the aim of making teaching and learning a more effective process”

Candlin (1984) views syllabuses as “social constructions, produced interdependently in classrooms by teachers and learners… They are concerned with the specification and planning of what is to be learned, frequently set down in some written form as prescriptions for action by teachers and learners”

Nunan (1988: 14) claims “Syllabus is used to denote that part of a curriculum activity with the specification and ordering of course contents or input In other words, it

is concerned with “what” of the curriculum”

In the same way, “a syllabus is the specifications of the work of a particular department in a school or college, organized in subsections defining the work of a particular group or class” (White, 1988, P.3)

No matter what definition it may be, a syllabus should include the “description of the contents of a course of instruction and the order in which they are to be taught” (Richards, J C & Platt, J & Platt, H., 1992 Dictionary of Teaching and Applied Linguistics Longman (Second Edition) P.368) These definitions share more or less the same view that a syllabus is the collection of the contents to be taught and the order in which these contents are organized These definitions are exploited in this study because

of their clarity, comprehensibility and practicality to the situation of the DP, BMC

A properly constructed and planned syllabus are believed to assure successful learning, since it can meet the students’ needs and therefore represents a linguistically and psychologically optimal introduction to the target language (Richards 1990) In other words, a good syllabus is one of the most important factors that can greatly contribute the success of foreign language teaching and learning

II.1.1.2 Types of syllabi

II.1.1.2.1 Types of syllabi

There have been various viewpoints on syllabus types In this study, the author would like to refer to the two viewpoints that are more practical, applicable and more related to the situation of BMC According to Reilly (1988), there are six types of

teaching syllabi which are not entirely distinct from each other These are: (1) Structural syllabus - organized primarily around the forms and structures of the language being taught, (2) Notional/ Functional syllabus - organized primarily around the functions that are performed when the language is used or the notions that the language is used to express, (3) Situational syllabus - organized primarily around real or imaginary situations

in which the language occurs, (4) Skill-based syllabus - organized primarily around specific abilities that may play a part in using the language, (5) Task-based syllabus - organized primarily around complex or purposeful tasks that the students want or need to perform with the language they are learning and (6) Content-based syllabus - organized primarily around the teaching of some kinds of contents or information using the language that the students are also learning

In another view, Richards (1990) extends the list to 9 types, which are (1) Grammatical syllabus, (2) Lexical syllabus, (3) Functional syllabus, (4) Situational syllabus, (5) Topical or content-based syllabus, (6) Skill-based syllabus, (7) Task-based syllabus, (8) Text-based syllabus, and (9) Integrated syllabus

In fact, these 2 writers share more or less the same view on their categorizations of syllabi However, Richards seems to be more practical in saying that there is other kind of syllabi that is most often used in many educational contexts nowadays – integrated syllabus – a syllabus designed on the basis of a combination of different kinds of syllabuses

II.1.1.2.2 Practical view on the choice of syllabi

In the process of syllabus design, decisions on which types reflect different priorities in teaching rather than absolute choices What is important here is to make a decision on which types will be central and which types will be secondary In practice, a combination of different types is most commonly employed i.e a well-designed syllabus should involve various types In this view, Jordan (1997) proposed that the approach adopted in a certain syllabus, especially an ESP syllabus should be “a combination of different syllabus types” because a single type of syllabi can not guarantee the satisfaction

of the learners’ needs and the effectiveness of the course For example, a syllabus that is primarily functional and notional may have underlying topical or situational

characteristics To the author of this study, this view seems to be suitable and applicable

to the situation of vocational colleges like BMC That is, the English syllabus for PD students should be of at least 2 types: an integrated syllabus in the first stage dealing with General English and a content-based syllabus in the second stage providing students with terms related to the field of medicine

II.1.1.2.3 Content-based syllabus

The above section has presented different kinds of syllabus As the syllabus designed for PD students is more related to the type of content-based syllabus, in this study, further information on this kind of syllabus will be presented

Content-based syllabus or topic-based syllabus is a collection of contents using the language that the learners are learning This kind of syllabus integrates the study of some specific subject contents with the learning of the second language Concerning this type, Richards (2001:157) states that a content-based syllabus is the one that is organized around themes, topics or other units of contents

White (1988:177) also agrees that a content-based syllabus takes information or contents as the main principle for selecting and organizing the syllabus

With the content-based syllabus, the students are simultaneously language students and students of other professional fields For these students, “the subject matters are primary and language learning occurs incidentally round the content learning” (Vo Thanh Long, 2005)

All language courses, all types of syllabi must include some form of contents It should be noted that the content is incidental and can serve as the vehicle for practicing other aspects of language such as language structures, functions, or skills The special characteristic of a content-based syllabus is that it integrates the learning of the foreign language with the learning of some other contents, often academic subject matters In a general view, a content-based syllabus can allow for the complete integration of language skills and the contents This explains why this kind of syllabus is commonly employed among syllabus designers in the field of language teaching and learning, especially for

those who are striving for ESP courses Briton (1989) and Mohan (1986) propose some advantages of a content-based syllabus as follows: (1) it felicitates comprehension, (2) the content makes linguistic forms more meaningful, (3) the content serves as the best basis for teaching the skill areas, (4) it addresses the students’ needs, (5) it motivates learners, (6) it allows for the integration of the four skills, and (7) it allows for the use of authentic materials

However, problems arise when different topics may require language of different complexity levels It is, therefore, difficult to develop a logical or an appropriate sequence for other syllabus components if the content is the sole framework of the syllabus This, in fact, puts heavy demands on designers of language courses or foreign-language teachers

As a result, a good syllabus should make an appropriate reconcile between the two aspects: the content and the language

II.1.1.3 English for specific purposes (ESP)

Many teachers around the world are called on to teach English in job-related or career-related settings According to Hutchinson & Waters, (1987: 19) “ESP is an approach to language teaching which aims to meet the needs of particular learners” The common characteristic of all ESP programs is that they are designed for adults who have common professional or job-related reasons for learning English, a common context in which to use English, content knowledge of their subject area and well-developed learning strategies Where learners of English are adults with a common professional interest in learning English, an ESP approach is often the most motivating and effective (Jordan, 1997) This means that the students bring to the ESP class a reason for learning and a context for use of English, knowledge of the vocational or professional field and well developed adult-learning strategies (Jordan, 1997) In this view, ESP is much more related to a content-based syllabus or a topic-based syllabus

“ESP courses are developed through a needs assessment that identifies what the students need to do in English (tasks), the context in which they will do it (texts) and their current levels of English” (Thomas Kraal, 1994: 235) No matter of what kinds of views

on ESP are put forward, these authors seem to agree on the point that ESP involves identifying and meeting the specific learning needs of a particular group of learners The

main purpose of an ESP course is to equip learners with knowledge of English that they will later can use in their professional life In the situation of BMC, ESP includes kinds of English that are related to the field of medicine and health

II.1.2 Approaches to syllabus design

Syllabus design is the process of choosing the materials for language teaching and the ordering of these materials into appropriate orders From theoretical background of syllabus design in the history of language teaching and learning, it can be possible to make a distinction between two approaches to syllabus design In this view, Nunan (1998: 5) states that:

“The narrower view draws a clear distinction between syllabus design and methodology Syllabus design is seen as being concerned essentially with the selection and grading of content, while methodology is concerned with the selection of learning tasks and activities Those who adopt a broader view question this strict separation, arguing that with the advent of communicative language teaching, the distinction between content and tasks is difficult to sustain”

In this study, the author prefers the broader view on syllabus design rather than the other one With this view, the methodology is included in the process of syllabus design and can be considered an integrated part of the syllabus design process

II.1.3 Syllabus design process

Syllabus design can be considered as a process including a sequential list of activities (Dubin & Olshtain, 1986; Nunan, 1988; Krahnke, 1994; Brown, 1995) The process for designing an ESP syllabus also contains the phases for designing a GE syllabus It includes the following dimensions: (1) Planning, including needs analysis, goal and objective setting, (2) Implementation, including methodology and material development and (3) Evaluation

II.1.3.1 Planning

II.1.3.1.1 Needs analysis

II.1.3.1.1.1 Definition of needs analysis

Needs analysis is “the systematic collection and analysis of all relevant information necessary to satisfy the language learning requirements of the students within the context of particular institutions involved in the learning situation” (Brown, 1995: 21)

The student needs constitute a second major source of information for the language teacher in the process of syllabus design The needs of language students are greatly diverse Different types of students have different language needs and what they are taught should be related to their needs

There is a distinction between “content” needs and “process” needs Content needs include the selection and sequencing of such things as topics, grammars, functions, notions, or vocabulary – the domain of syllabus design Process needs refer to the selection and sequencing of learning tasks and methodology – or the domain of methodology

Hutchinson and Waters (1987) made a distinction between “target needs” - what the learners need to do in the target situation and “learning needs” - what the learners need to do in order to learn Target needs comprise necessities (what the learners have to know in order to function effectively in the target situation), lacks (the gaps between the target proficiency and the existing proficiency of the learners), and wants (learners’ view

as to what their needs are) However, how to get from the starting point to the destination indicates other kinds of needs: learning needs

Needs analysis is one of the most important steps that can help us to have the correct choice of the tasks as well as the subject matters of the syllabus First, it will help the teacher to select and present the materials in the most appropriate way Second, by voicing their needs, students will clarify them in their own minds and be able to formulate realistic and concrete goals to achieve (Jordan, 1997) In language teaching, the impact of need analysis has been greatest in syllabus design not only in ESP but also in general language courses It is; therefore, need analysis should be carried out in the process of designing language courses

II.1.2.1.1.2 Purposes of needs analysis

According to Richards (cited in Nunan, 1988), needs analysis serves 3 main purposes: (1) Providing a means of obtaining wider input into the content, design and the

implementation of a language syllabus, (2) Developing goals, objectives and contents for the syllabus, and (3) Providing data for reviewing and evaluating an existing syllabus

In designing a language syllabus, it is necessary to gather information about both the current state of the learners, where they stand in terms of language ability, learning preferences, and the designed goals or change, and where they would like to be or what they want to achieve, change and so on” (Kathleen Graves, 2000: 101) The final shape of

a syllabus may depend largely on the needs of the students who are going to be taught (Harmer, 1991:27) Yalden (1983 in Nunan 1988) says that a good needs analysis should identify the communication requirements, the personal needs, motivations, relevant characteristics, and resources of the students

II.1.3.1.1.3 Subjects of needs analysis

Richterich and Chanceri (1978: 80) proposed that learners, teachers and employers should all be involved in determining learners’ needs The more sources from which the information is taken from, the more reliable it will be Potocar (1998: 4) suggested that

“not only students but also teachers and people already employed in different professions would have interesting things to say about students’ needs: teachers as facilitators of learning and employees as former students using their acquired knowledge in real situations”

II.1.3.1.1.4 Types of information to be found in needs analysis

According to Graws (2000: 102), these are types of information that can be gathered when assessing needs: (1) information related to the present and (2) information related to the future Information related to the present includes (1) who the learners are, (2) the learners’ levels of language ability, (3) the learners’ levels of intercultural competence, (4) their interests, and (5) their attitudes Information related to the future include (1) the learners’ goals and expectations, (2) the target contexts, situations, roles and topics, (3) types of communicative skills they will need and tasks they will perform, and (4) language modalities they will use

In this study, all of these types of information were collected to set a good foundation for the suggested syllabus

II.1.3.1.1.5 Instruments for needs analysis

According to Brown (1995:45), the following instruments are very useful in gathering needs analysis information: (1) existing information, including data within a program or external data sources, (2) tests, providing a wealth of information about the general ability level of students or about specific problems that students may have with the syllabus, (3)observations, including watching an individual or a small number of individuals and recording the behaviors that occur in the implementation of the syllabus, (4) interviews, providing a wealth of information on the basis of open-ended types of instrumentation, and (5) questionnaires of all kinds, as very useful means of gathering large scales of information on the needs of learners and the society

II.1.3.1.1.6 Needs analysis process

According to Kathleen Graves (2000: 100), the process of needs analysis involves

a set of decisions, actions, and reflections that are cyclical in nature: (1) deciding what information to gather and why, (2) deciding the best way to gather it: when, how and from whom, (3) gathering the information, (4) acting on the information, (5) evaluating the effects and effectiveness of the action, and (6) deciding on further or new information to gather

With so many approaches and methods of data collection on needs analysis, one may feel overwhelmed However, the most important thing to remember is that there is no single approach to needs analysis as circumstances are different and variable “If needs are clear, the learning aims can be expressed more easily and the language course can become motivating” (Mackay & Mountford, 1978)

In this study, needs analysis is made based on ideas from the former students, the employees, as well as the teachers involved The instruments employed for discovering needs of the students include questionnaires, interviews, and observation

II.1.3.1.2 Goal and objective settings

After determining the needs of a group of language students, the next step is to specify the goals, that is “general statements about what must be accomplished” in order

to attain and satisfy students’ needs Objectives, on the other hand, are precise statements about what contents or skills the students must master in order to attain a particular goal” (Brown, 1995: 21)

II.1.3.1.2.1 Goals

A goal is something we want to achieve and in the case of language learning, goals are “general statements of the overall, long-term purpose of the course” (Graves, 1996: 17) The purposes of goal statements are: (1) to provide a clear definition of the purposes

of a language program, (2) to provide guidelines for teachers, learners and material writers, (3) to help provide a focus for instruction, and (4) to describe important and realizable changes in learning

II.1.3.1.2.2 Kinds of goals

Goals are of various kinds A useful distinction can be made between short-term

goals and long-term goals (Harmer, 1991: 3) Long-term goals might have something to

do with the desire to get a good job in the future or a desire to be able to communicate

with the largest language community Short-term goals might include such things as

wanting to pass an exam or to finish a certain language course

Nunan (1988: 25) suggests four areas of necessary goals: (1) affective goals

dealing with such factors as maintaining students’ motivation and interests, ensuring that the students feel that they are making progress, creating a supportive and comfortable

atmosphere in the class, (2) learning goals dealing with developing the ability to assess

their learning styles, introducing peer correction activities in the class to encourage

reflection of their work, (3) communicative goals dealing with establishing and

maintaining relation through communicative activities, giving students opportunities of developing their oral fluency and accuracy, developing their writing competence, and (4)

cognitive goals dealing with making students aware of their interlingua and the

reformulation of fossilized language

II.1.3.1.2.3 Objectives

Objectives are defined as “the specific ways in which the goals will be achieved Through objectives, a goal is broken down into learnable and teachable units” (Graves, 1996: 17) Objectives are useful in that they help language teachers to invert the perceived needs of the students into teaching plans, to clarify and organize their teaching plans, to

think through the skills and sub-skills underlying different instructional points, to decide

on what they want the students to be able to do at the end of instruction and so on

Mager (1975) suggested three components necessary for the formulation of good

objectives: (1) performance - saying what a learner is expected to be able to do, (2)

conditions - describing the important conditions under which the performance is to occur,

and (3) criteria - describing how well the learners must perform in order to be considered

acceptable

To have good statements of objectives, Richards (1990) proposed the following

principles: (1) the objective statement should describe a learning outcome, (2) the

objective statement should be consistent with the curriculum goals, (3) the objective

statement should be precise, and (4) the objective statement should be feasible

Compared with General English (GE), ESP has narrower objectives preparing

learners to function in very specific environments

II.1.3.1.2.4 Relationship between goals and objectives

According to Graves (1996: 77), goals and objectives are manifested in some kind

of cause-and-effect relationship that is represented in the following figure:

When these objectives are achieved, this goal will be reached

In general, as one of the important steps in syllabus design, formulating goals and

objectives can help to build a clear vision of what will be taught and how these will be

taught in the course

II.1.3.2 Implementation

II.1.3.2.1 Methodology

Once the goals, objectives, and contents of a language program have been

determined, the decisions about materials should be then taken into consideration The

Objective 1

Goal

Objective 1

Objective 1

focus of this phase of syllabus design is to help achieve the goal of the course (Richard, 1990)

Methodology is defined in terms of “approach (which provides theories on the nature of language and learning), design (specifying objectives, learning - teaching activities, learners’ and teachers’ roles, and the roles of instructional materials) and the procedure (dealing with classroom pedagogical techniques and procedures)” (Richards & Rogers, 1996, as cited in Nunan, 1988)

Methodology can be characterized as the activities, tasks and learning experiences selected by the teacher in order to achieve learning, and how these are used within the teaching or learning processes (Richards, 1990)

In language teaching and learning, some type of “communicative” approach is becoming more and more popular among many language teachers This approach puts stresses on both the form and the meaning of the language “A basic principle underlying all communicative approaches is that learners must learn not only to make grammatically correct, propositional statements about the experimental world, but must also develop the ability to use the language to get things done” (Nunan, 1988: 25)

Communicative language teaching (CLT) has been put forward around the world and has a great influence on the development of approaches in language teaching Communicative language teaching has brought many changes in assumptions about the nature of language, the nature of goals, objectives and syllabus design in language teaching and a search for appropriate methodology in the light of these changes

CLT has made a shift from the teacher to the students Students’ needs and expectations are taken into consideration; goals and objectives are clearly stated at the beginning of a course and serve as a foundation for syllabus designers In teaching and learning processes, activities are communicative Students are offered opportunities to work with authentic materials Through these kinds of communicative activities, the learners become personally involved in communication in the target language

Concerning its advantage on syllabus design process, CLT approach can help syllabus designers to match the content more closely with the actual communicative uses that the learners will have to make of the foreign language That is the reason why this

teaching approach is referred to in this study report In fact, the newly-suggested materials should be implemented in view of CLT so as to develop students communicative abilities

in job-related situations

In reality, “the principles which underline good ESP methodology are the same as those that underline sound ELT methodology in general” (Hutchinson & Waters, 1987: 142) The thing is to adapt or construct tasks that reflect real world tasks in the learners’ profession to help him or her get language practice in near-authentic content specific situations According to Phillip (1985), here are the following main principles underlying ESP:

+ Reality control: Tasks are made accessible to students

+ Non-triviality: Tasks are generated by reference to students’ special purposes + Authenticity: Language is naturally generated but once again must suit the students’ special purposes

+ Tolerance of errors: Errors are tolerated if the language is comprehensible

In practice, some kinds of tasks commonly used in ESP are case studies,

role-plays, and oral presentations Role-plays require learners to take on roles other than their

real ones Role-plays allow learners to practice using the language in contexts related to their jobs or study situations and prepare them for their real life communicative situations

Case studies are written documents containing all relevant data about an actual situation

or event The primary purpose of a case study is to develop the learners’ ability to think,

decide, and choose appropriate courses of action An oral presentation provides learners

with the opportunities to use the language as well as professional communication skills This kind of tasks is rather demanding but efficient if it is well-done

In general, there is nothing new about the pedagogical principles concerning ESP

or GE and those that can be applied for GE can be applied for ESP However, as the ESP course is designed for students in specific situations or professions, the ESP syllabus usually has more restricted purposes, and the tasks in this kind of syllabus are more clearly defined and should make direct reference to eventual aims of language teaching and learning

II.1.3.2.2 Material development