Some problems in teaching and learning esp at ho chi minh city vocational college of technology a case study of it english in it department m a 60 14 10

The findings of the study are that there are many problems arising in the current IT English course and possible changes should be made to improve the teaching and learning of IT English

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LINGUISTICS AND LITERATURE

SOME PROBLEMS IN TEACHING AND LEARNING ESP AT HO CHI MINH

CITY VOCATIONAL COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY: A CASE STUDY OF IT

ENGLISH IN IT DEPARTMENT

A thesis submitted to the Department of

English Linguistics and Literature

In partial fulfillment of the Master’s degree in TESOL

By

PHAM NGUYEN HOAI PHUONG

Supervised by

PHAN THI KIM LOAN, M.A

HO CHI MINH CITY, MAY 2011

CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY

I certify my authorship of the thesis submitted today entitled:

SOME PROBLEMS IN TEACHING AND LEARNING ESP AT HO CHI MINH CITY VOCATIONAL COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY: A CASE

STUDY OF IT ENGLISH IN IT DEPARTMENT

In terms of the statement of Requirements for Theses in Master’s Programs issued by the Higher Degree Committee

Ho Chi Minh, May 10th, 2011

PHẠM NGUYỄN HOÀI PHƯƠNG

RETENSION AND USE OF THE THESIS

I hereby state that I, Pham Nguyễn Hoài Phương, being the candidate for the Master’s degree in TESOL, accept the requirements of the University relating to the retention and use of Master’s Theses 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 purposes of study and research,

in accordance with the normal conditions established by the Library for care, loan or reproduction of theses

Ho Chi Minh, May 10 th, 2011

PHẠM NGUYỄN HOÀI PHƯƠNG

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to express my sincere thanks to my supervisor, Ms Phan Thi Kim Loan, M.A for her great help and kindness Without her support and advice, this study could not have been completed

I am also very grateful for helpful comments given by Dr Le Hoang Dung, Vice Dean of the Department of English Linguistics and Literature at the HCMC University of Social Sciences and Humanities In addition, I would like to thank all the English teachers in the Department of Basic Sciences at HCMC Vocational College of Technology and the IT second-year students at this college They have provided me with important data and given me constructive suggestions for my study

I have benefited a great deal from the two-year Master program in TESOL at HCMC University of Social Sciences and Humanities These courses have helped to form a solid foundation for this study I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all the teachers who have taught me in these two years

Last but not least, my deepest gratitude and special thanks go to my friends and my family who greatly encouraged and supported me during the time that this thesis was being carried out

ABSTRACT

ESP teaching has gained much of the linguists and language teachers’ attention and interests However, in recent years, there have been many newspapers raising some alarming problems of the teaching and learning of ESP at universities in Vietnam English for IT, a branch of ESP, has also got into the same situation as ESP From the general circumstance and the ineffectiveness of the IT English course at HVCT, the ideas of the study were developed

The study is intended to investigate the current teaching and learning of IT English at HVCT in terms of the syllabus, the coursebook, the methodology and the assessment Recent researches on ESP have helped to provide the basis for IT English research The aim of the study is to examine some of the problems of the IT English course and then to make a number of constructive suggestions for students, teachers and educational administrators

Quantitative and qualitative research methodologies were both applied to conduct this study and the research instruments included observations, questionnaires and interviews The classroom observations were made in four IT classes during the sixty-period course in IT English The questionnaires were delivered to 164 IT students in which 126 students filled in the questionnaires The interviews with four teachers of English and the Dean of the IT Department also provided important data for the current IT English course

The findings of the study are that there are many problems arising in the current IT English course and possible changes should be made to improve the teaching and learning of IT English at HVCT

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY i

RETENTION AND USE OF THE THESIS ii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iii

ABSTRACT iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS v

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ix

LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES x

LIST OF CHARTS xi

Chapter I: INTRODUCTION 1

I.1 Background to the study 1

I.1.1 Description of the IT English course at HVCT 2

I.1.2 Description of the current teaching and learning IT English at HVCT 4

I.2 Rationale 6

I.3 Statement of purpose 7

I.4 Research questions 7

I.5 Significance of the study 7

I.6 Limitations and Delimitations 7

I.7 Organization of the study 8

Chapter II: LITERATURE REVIEW 9

2.1 Overview of ESP 9

2.1.1 The origins of ESP 9

2.1.2 Definition of ESP 9

2.1.3 Classification of ESP 11

2.2 Some factors affecting ESP course design 12

2.2.1 Needs analysis 13

2.2.2 Syllabus 15

2.2.2.1 Definition of Syllabus 15

2.2.2.2 Reasons for having a syllabus 15

2.2.2.3 Approaches to syllabus design 16

2.2.3 Materials 16

2.2.3.1 Procedures for evaluating materials 17

2.2.3.2 Principles for writing materials .18

2.2.3.3 A materials design model 18

2.2.4 ESP methodology 19

2.2.5 Assessment 21

2.2.6 The roles of ESP learners and teachers 21

2.3 Some problems with ESP teachers in ESP teaching 22

2.3.1 The lack of an orthodoxy to provide a ready-made guide……… 23

2.3.2 The new realms of knowledge the ESP teacher has to cope with 23

2.3.3 The change in the status of English Language Teaching 24

2.4 Some problems with ESP students in ESP learning 26

2.5.1 Students’ experience in specialism 26

2.5.2 Specific lexis .26

2.5.3 Reading skill 26

2.5 Related studies 27

2.6 Summary 29

Chapter III: DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY .30

3.1 Research questions 30

3.2 Research design 30

3.2.1 Research setting 30

3.2.2 Subjects 31

3.2.3 Instruments 33

3.2.3.1 Observations 33

3.2.3.2 Questionnaires 34

3.2.3.3 Interviews 36

3.2.4 Data collection procedures 37

3.2.4.1 Data collection procedures of observations 37

3.2.4.2 Data collection procedures of questionnaires 38

3.2.4.3 Data collection procedures of interviews 38

3.3 Summary 38

Chapter IV: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION .39

4.1 Results from observations 39

4.1.1 Observation setting 39

4.1.2Problems noticed and suggestions 40

4.2 Results from questionnaires 47

4.2.1 Students’ responses 47

4.2.2 Analysis of students’ responses 47

4.3 Results from interviews 68

4.3.1 The schedule of the interviews 68

4.3.2 English teachers’ opinions 69

4.3.2.1 The current IT English syllabus 69

4.3.2.1.1 In terms of the technical terms and concepts 69

4.3.2.1.2 In terms of English skills 69

4.3.2.1.3 In terms of the learning time 69

4.3.2.2 The Coursebook 69

4.3.2.2.1 In terms of the technical terms 69

4.3.2.2.2 In terms of the grammatical structures 69

4.3.2.2.3 In terms of the layout 70

4.3.2.2.4 In terms of the reading texts 70

4.3.2.2.5 In terms of the visual texts 70

4.3.2.2.6 In terms of the exercises 70

4.3.2.3 The methodology 70

4.3.2.3.1 In terms of the concept of IT English teaching 70

4.3.2.3.2 In terms of the teaching method 70

4.3.2.3.3 In terms of the English skills 71

4.3.2.3.4 In terms of the teaching activities 71

4.3.2.3.5 In terms of the teaching techniques 71

4.3.2.3.6 In terms of the teaching aids 71

4.3.2.4 In terms of the assessment 72

4.3.2.5 Suggestions for better IT English teaching 72

4.3.3 The opinions of the Dean of the IT department 73

4.3.3.1 In terms of the technical terms and basic concepts in IT 73

4.3.3.2 In terms of the English skills 73

4.3.3.3 In terms of the time allocation for the IT English course 74

4.4 Findings 74

4.5 Summary 78

Chapter V: RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION .79

5.1 Recommendations 79

5.2 Conclusion 89

BIBLIOGRAPHY 92

APPENDIX 1A: Questionnaire for students in English 97

APPENDIX 1B: Questionnaire for students in Vietnamese 102

APPENDIX 2A: Interview questions for English teachers in English 107

APPENDIX 2B: Interview questions for English teachers in Vietnamese 109

APPENDIX 3A: Interview questions for the Dean of IT department in English 111

APPENDIX 3B: Interview questions for the Dean of IT department in Vietnamese 112

APPENDIX 4: Class observation 1 113

APPENDIX 5: Class observation 2 116

APPENDIX 6: Class observation 3 119

APPENDIX 7: Class observation 4 121

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

EAP: English for Academic purposes EBE: English for Business and Economics EIT: English for Information Technology ELP: English for Legal Purposes

ELT: English Language Teaching EMP: English for Medical Purposes EOP: English for Occupational purposes ESP: English for specific purposes

ESS: English for the Social Sciences EST: English for Science and Technology EVP: English for Vocational Purposes GE: General English

HVCT: Ho Chi Minh city Vocational College of Technology IT: Information Technology

TEFL: Teaching English as a foreign language TESOL: Teaching English to Speaker of Other Languages

VESL: Vocational English as a Second language

LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES

Figure 2.1: English for specific purposes Figure 2.2: Factors affecting ESP course design

Figure 2.3: A materials design model

Table 3.1 Teacher’s background information Table 3.2 Students’ background information Table 4.1 : The Purpose of learning IT English Table 4.2: Students' need for technical terms

Table 4.3: Students' need for English skills from the course

Table 4.4: The effect of technical terms in the coursebook

Table 4.5: The quantity of grammatical structures in the coursebook

Table 4.6: The degree of grammatical structures in the coursebook

Table 4.7: The quantity of visual texts in the coursebook Table 4.8: The effect of the visual texts in the coursebook Table 4.9: The use of teaching activities in class

Table 4.10: The use of teaching techniques in IT English teaching Table 4.11: The use of teaching aids in IT English teaching

Table 4.12: Teacher's technical vocabulary explanation Table 4.13: Teacher's provision of relevant IT knowledge outside the coursebook

Chart 4.6: The information of the reading texts in the course book

Chart 4.7: The exercises in the course book

Chart 4.8: Use of Vietnamese in class

Chart 4.9: Teacher’s provision of translation skill

Chart 4.10: Students’ evaluation of the level of the midterm test and the final test

I.1 Background to the study

ESP teaching has now become a popular trend in English language teaching in Vietnam since ESP tends to be more effective than other types of English language and has attracted more and more attention of linguists and language teachers Being taught at many universities and colleges throughout Vietnam, ESP has partly met students’ needs and interests A great number of seminars and workshops about ESP teaching have emerged to innovate the syllabus design and to provide the pre- and in-service teacher training focusing on ESP However, there still remain a number of problems in ESP teaching That ESP teaching has not achieved much anticipated success is evident in many ways First is the large classes of poorly-motivated students by inexperienced teachers with very limited resources Second is the often heard complaints of employers about the lack of competence of their employees in communicating in English at work Graduate students are often retrained on work-related English skills which they are supposed to have acquired through ESP courses

at universities or colleges It is obvious that students can pass ESP courses but the specialized knowledge and the English communicative skills they get from universities or colleges cannot be fully applied in practice Many surveys of ESP teaching at universities in Ho Chi Minh City recently have proved that most of the ESP courses are ineffective Among many types of ESP in terms of science and technology, IT English plays an important part Therefore, like many other ESP courses, IT English course is not as successful as it is expected In reality, there exists

a close relationship between English and IT as English is one of the most difficult problems to learners in the process of learning IT, and IT, for its part, can help learners improve the effectiveness of English learning Most research materials, interface and software in IT are written or expressed in English In addition, IT is a fast-developing field of study in which Vietnamese specialists frequently communicate with foreign partners to update new technology A good knowledge of

IT English and communicative skills in the context of IT are therefore the prerequisite

or the key to the world of IT and related jobs Furthermore, taking into account the need of improving the increasing manpower in IT for the labor market and the reality

of IT English teaching and learning at HCMC Vocational College of Technology (HVCT), the ideas of this research were generated

I.1.1 The description of the IT English course at HVCT

At HVCT, after finishing 120 periods of the General English course for elementary learners, IT second-year students will attend the course in IT English

The IT English course is designed to help IT second-year students at HVCT develop their English language skills in the context of computing and information technology This course is aimed at intermediate learners of English The objectives

of the course are to provide students with a considerable amount of technical vocabulary in computer science; to widen their concepts about computer science through many topics; to review basic grammatical points about articles, relative clauses, noun compounds and passive voice; to improve reading comprehension skill and to develop some skills of translation through which students can read IT journals

or materials written in English The textbook English for computer science by Mullen

and Brown (1987), which has been selected by English teachers since 2003, is used for sixty periods during the IT English course The original textbook consists of 23 units, covering a variety of topics from memory to computer arithmetic However, the current IT English coursebook includes only 10 units, eliminating thirteen units from the original textbook The contents of the current IT English syllabus are as follows:

Learning Time Units

Names

Topics

Teaching Tests

Unit 2 History of computers Introduction 5

Unit 4 Computer capabilities and

limitations

6 Unit 5 Hardware and software

Description

6

Unit 7 The control unit and the

arithmetic logical unit

Memory

5 Unit 10 Cards and punched cards Input devices 6

TOTAL 60 periods

According to Mullen and Brown (1987), the textbook is written with the assumption that many readers have little or no previous knowledge of computer science; it follows that the teacher need not have much technical background in the field It is advisable that teacher understand the concepts and terminology introduced

in each unit in order to be as much a resource person as possible, to answer queries that may arise in class or at least to direct the students to the appropriate place to find

an answer The teacher does not have to know everything about computer science but can guide them in finding answers to their questions

The structure of each unit in this textbook is rather simple, including two main parts: reading text and exercises Students will read a reading text which contains a number of new words and the explanation of these words in English at the end of the text Following the text are the two types of exercises: comprehension exercises and vocabulary exercises In general, these two tasks are aimed at improving reading skill while other tasks for speaking, listening, and writing skills are not included

The assessment of students’ performance is based on the results of the mid-term test taken during the course and the final test at the end of the course Though class attendance is not a criterion included in the assessment of students’ performance, it is one of the conditions which determine whether students take the final exam or not besides the mid-term exam

The assessment of students’ performance

Percent Items

50% Mid-term exam

50% Final exam

100% Total

I.1.2 The description of current IT English teaching and learning at HVCT

As regards how the syllabus is carried out, it is recognized that the contents of the IT English syllabus at this college are mainly based on the contents of the

textbook provided – English for computer science by Mullen and Brown (1987),

Oxford University Press Extra materials for reference and stimulation are rarely used

in class This textbook is intended for students at intermediate level of English while the majority of students at HVCT are at lower level of English than that In general, the syllabus cannot meet the need of highly-motivated students who want to get a wide knowledge of information technology

With reference to the methodology, one of the most common features possessed by all English teachers at this college is to use the Grammar-Translation

method in IT English teaching Reading seems to be the only skill that is improved in all of the IT English classes Therefore, students cannot improve four English integrated skills or communicative skills in the context of IT In IT English classes, students are supposed to work in pairs or in small groups to deal with the translation

of each paragraph in the text Teachers explain some important grammar points and provide the equivalent meaning of new words in Vietnamese Then they call one or two representatives of each group to translate the paragraphs of the text into Vietnamese Extra communication activities are rarely used because students cannot express their opinions in English Vietnamese language is used most of the time by both teachers and students for easier understanding

Regarding teaching facilities, few classrooms are equipped with modern teaching aids such as overhead projectors, videos, loudspeakers and teachers have to equip themselves with laptops, microphones and so on Chalk and blackboard are common teaching aids which are not in good condition in some classrooms There is not a multimedia approach to learning

Apart from the unsuitable syllabus, limited materials, obsolete methodology and poor learning facilities, the students’ awareness in learning is also of importance.Students at vocational schools tend to have a negative attitude towards learning English They often attend English classes with the fear that they cannot follow what the teachers say in English since their background knowledge of English in the high school is so poor However, even worse, they look down on English as a subsidiary subject Many of them often cut classes or participate in ESP classes in order to copy technical vocabulary and the complete translation given by the teacher The teacher is always the authority in class and students are very passive In addition, there is an English speaking club for students to practice spoken English and develop communicative skills in real-life situations but few students join this club

The background to the study gives an overview of ESP teaching at universities

in Vietnam and the current teaching and learning of IT English at HVCT which shows that there are a lot of problems arising in the IT English course A research of the

problems in the IT English course in terms of the syllabus, the course book, the methodology, and the assessment is vital for both teachers and students at HVCT

I.2 The rationale

This study focuses on the problems facing English teachers and IT second-year students in doing the IT English course at HVCT in terms of the syllabus, the course book, the methodology and the assessment The rationale for choosing the IT department to do research is that the IT department is the first one which applied ESP teaching to the curriculum at this college and occupies the most periods of English language of all departments In other words, IT is a top priority in the field of science and technology at this college and IT English is prerequisite for success in the field of

IT The IT English syllabus has been in use since 2005 whereas other departments have just applied ESP teaching at the beginning of the year 2008 In reality, IT students have more opportunities to update the knowledge of IT and improve their knowledge of English via the Internet or other media than those of other majors Nevertheless, they often find it difficult to understand specialized books written in English and tend to read materials written in Vietnamese Their knowledge of IT English is therefore limited due to the poor reading ability in English They often get stuck when facing an English command on computer since they fail to understand what the command means Furthermore, after graduation they do not have English communicative competence in the context of IT, so they cannot communicate with foreign partners in English effectively In reference to the English teachers, it is really hard for them to have a good knowledge of IT since this field is fast-changing and covers a wide range of branches With little or no experience in the IT English teaching, teachers cannot meet students’ needs for acquiring good knowledge of the field To tackle the problems facing teachers and students in the IT English teaching and learning, a research in this field is essential in order to find some solutions to these problems for better ESP learning and teaching at this college in general and in the IT department in particular

I.3 Statement of purpose

From the above background and rationale, the purpose of the study is to find out the problems facing teachers and students in doing the IT English course at HVCT and then suggest some possible solutions Therefore, the main focus of the study is to investigate what prevents teachers and students at this college from effective IT English teaching and learning It is hoped that with the recommendations drawn out from this study teachers and students will soon overcome their problems and the IT English course at HVCT will be more effective

I.4 Research questions

The study aims at seeking the problems facing teachers and students in the current IT English course and finding solutions to these problems for better IT English teaching and learning at HVCT The research questions discussed in the study are as follows:

1 What are the problems facing teachers and students in the IT English course in terms of the syllabus, the textbook, the methodology and the assessment?

2 What are the solutions to these problems?

I.5 Significance of the study

The study is significant in many ways Firstly, the study helps not only the IT students but also the students of other majors at HVCT overcome the difficulties in learning ESP and find ways to learn ESP more effectively Secondly, the study encourages ESP teachers to find appropriate teaching methods and select good ESP materials to improve the effectiveness of the ESP course Thirdly, the study provides the administrators with necessary information to design a suitable IT English course that best suits the IT students at HVCT

I.6 Limitations and Delimitations

The study results may be solely suitable for ESP teaching and learning at HVCT and other vocational schools but may not be applied to the teaching and learning of ESP at other universities and colleges Furthermore, there is the limitation

of generalization when the study focuses on only the IT department In addition, due

to the time limit, the study may discover some problems that teachers and students have encountered in the IT English course but may not find out some problems in other ESP courses at this college The problems are investigated from a preliminary perspective The feasible solutions to the problems in the IT English course may not

be very persuasive to all ESP courses but they can, to some extent, contribute to the improvement of the teaching and learning of ESP in general and IT English in particular at HVCT

I.7 Organization of the study

The thesis is composed of five chapters as follows:

Chapter one presents the introduction including the background to the study, the rationale, the statement of purpose, the significance, the limitations, the delimitations and the organization of the study

Chapter two reviews the previous researches related to ESP and some problems with ESP teachers and learners in ESP teaching and learning

Chapter three describes the methodology and the research design comprising three methods of data collection such as observations, questionnaires and interviews

Chapter four analyzes the research results and discusses the main problems identified

in the findings

Chapter five provides a summary of the problems of IT English teaching and learning

at HVCT and suggests some possible solutions

Chapter II: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Overview of ESP

2.1.1 The origins of ESP

According to Hutchinson and Waters (1987: 6-8), there are three reasons common to the emergence of all ESP: the demands of a Brave New World, a revolution in linguistics, and focus on the learner In the first place, the end of World War Two started an era of expansion of scientific, technical and economic activities

on an international scale which demanded a common language in order to export and import knowledge and technology Therefore, English became a working tool that would meet these particular and specific needs Secondly, revolutionary pioneers in linguistics began to focus on the ways in which language is used in real communication If language in different situations varies, tailoring language instruction to meet the needs of learners in specific context is also possible In the late 1960s and the early 1970s there were many attempts to describe English for Sciences and Technology (EST) and for a time EST and ESP were regarded as almost synonymous Finally, rather than focusing on the method of language delivery, more attention was given to the ways in which learners acquired language and the differences in the way language was acquired Therefore, the focus on the learners’ needs became important All three factors seemed to point towards the need for increased specialization in language learning

2.1.2 Definition of ESP

English for specific purposes, which corresponds to the abbreviation of ESP, is

a relatively new discipline within Applied Linguistics In spite of many theoretical and practical investigations carried out over the past few years, ESP has not been thoroughly explored in all its dimensions There are a variety of definitions of ESP in the literature

According to Kennedy and Bolitho (1984:3), ESP is based on “an investigation

of the purposes of the learner and the set of communicative needs arising from these

purposes” In the same way, Hutchinson and Waters (1987:19) define ESP as “an approach to language learning which is based on learner need” and then “an approach

to the language teaching in which all decisions as to content and method are based on the learner’s reason for learning”

To make the definition of ESP more specific, Strevens (1988, cited in Evans and St John, 1998:3) gives four absolute characteristics and two variable characteristics The four absolute characteristics are that “ESP consists of English language teaching which is designed to meet specified needs of the learner; related in content (that is in its themes and topics) to particular disciplines, occupations and activities; centered on language appropriate to those activities in syntax, lexis, discourse, semantics and so on, and analysis of the discourse; in contrast with General English” Two variable characteristics of ESP are that “ESP may be, but is not necessarily restricted as to the learning skills to be learned (for example reading only) and not taught according to any pre-ordained methodology”

Furthermore, Strevens (1988, cited in Flowerdew and Peacock, 2001:13) suggests the rationale for ESP based upon four claims: “being focused on the learner’s need, it wastes no time; it is relevant to the leaner; it is successful in imparting learning; it is more cost effective than General English”

Being different from Strevens, Robinson (1991, cited in Dudley-Evans and St John, 1998:3) gives a definition based on two key defining criteria and a number of characteristics Her key criteria are that ESP is “normally goal-directed, and that ESP courses develop from a needs analysis, which “aims to specify as closely as possible what exactly it is that students have to do through the medium of English” Her characteristics are that “ESP courses are constrained by a limited time period and are taught to adults in homogeneous classes”

Like Strevens, Dudley-Evans and St John (1998: 4-5) use absolute and variable characteristics to define ESP The definition that Dudley-Evans and St John (1998: 4-5) offer is clearly influenced by that of Strevens (1988), although they have improved it substantially by removing the absolute characteristic that ESP is “in

contrast with “General English” and have revised and increased the number of variable characteristics The variable characteristics in their definition are that “ESP may be related to or designed for specific disciplines; ESP may use, in specific teaching situations, a different methodology from that of General English; ESP is likely to be designed for adult learners, either at a tertiary level institution or in a professional work situation It could, however, be used for learners at secondary school level; ESP is generally designed for intermediate or advanced students Most ESP courses assume basic knowledge of the language system, but it can be used with beginners” The division of ESP into absolute and variable characteristics, in particular, is very helpful in resolving arguments about what is and is not ESP

From the above definitions, it can be seen that ESP is not necessarily concerned with a specific discipline, nor does it have to be aimed at a certain age group or ability range ESP can be described as an approach to language learning/ teaching which is based on the learner’s need ESP is also affected by some factors such as “authentic texts, communicative task-based approach, custom-made materials, adults learners and purposeful courses” (Flowerdew and Peacock, 2001:13)

2.1.3 Classification of ESP

In the general world of ELT with some common divisions, Hutchinson and Waters (1987:16) divide ESP into two main types differentiated according to whether the learner requires English for academic study (EAP: English for Academic Purposes) or for work / training (EOP/EVP/VESL: English for Occupational Purposes/ English for Vocational Purposes/ Vocational English as a Second language) In terms of the general nature of the learners’ specialism, ESP is then categorized into EST (English for Science and Technology), EBE (English for

Business and Economics) and ESS (English for the Social Sciences)

Likewise, Dudley-Evans and St John (1998:6) classify ESP into EAP and EOP according to discipline or professional area Among many divisions of EAP, EST is of importance as Flowerdew and Peacock (2001:73) say: “Within the framework of EAP, English for Science and Technology has long been one of the standard

divisions” EST is also one of the divisions of ESP which Harmer (1991: 2) describes

in the following tree:

Figure 2.1: English for specific purposes

EST is sub-divided into many disciplines and IT English is considered as one

of the sub-divisions of EST

An overview of ESP provides a basis for studying its subdivision that is English for Information Technology which belongs to English for science and Technology (EST) The definition and characteristics of ESP are necessary for teachers and students to learn about the characteristics of EST and especially the sub-division of EST – that is English for Information technology which is related to the research. 2.2 Some factors affecting ESP course design

Hutchinson and Waters (1987: 65) define course design as “the process by which the raw data about a learning need is interpreted in order to produce an integrated series of teaching-learning experiences, whose ultimate aim is to lead the learners to a particular state of knowledge” In practice, course design involves the processes of syllabus design, material writing, classroom teaching and evaluation Talking about course design, we need to know the basic questions about “Why does the student need to learn? Who is going to be involved in the process? Where is the learning take place? When is the learning to take place? What does the learner need to learn? and How will the learning be achieved?” (Hutchinson and Waters, 1987: 65)

ESP

EOP

EAP EST

Three factors – language descriptions, learning theory and need analysis – affecting course design are represented in the following figure:

needs to do in order to learn) “Target needs” is composed of necessities – that is what the learner has to know in order to function effectively, lacks and wants Hutchinson

and Waters (1987:63) emphasize that both target situation needs and learning needs must be taken into account Analysis of target situation needs is concerned with language use while analysis of learning needs is involved in language learning

Analysis of the target situation can tell us what people do with language whereas analysis of learning needs tells us how people learn to do what they do with language Similarly, Flowerdew and Peacock (2001:178) state that needs analysis should be more than just a specification of learners’ target uses of the language It should also

consider learners’ lack – that is, what they actually require, taking into account what they already know – and their wants – what they themselves wish to learn In the

same way, Dudley-Evans and St John (1998:122) also state that needs analysis is unique to ESP It is the corner stone of ESP and leads to a very focused course In addition, Dudley-Evans and St John (1998:122) give a current concept of needs analysis involved in many aspects such as target situation analysis – what learners will have to do in English and the skills and language needed and objective needs, wants, means, subjective needs, present situation analysis – the investigation of learners’ weaknesses or lacks, lacks, learning needs, linguistic analysis, discourse analysis, genre analysis and means analysis – analysis of the learning situation within the teaching institution or company Dudley-Evans (2001:131) continues to state that the key defining feature of ESP is that its teaching and materials are founded on the results of needs analysis The first questions when starting preparation for teaching an ESP course are almost always: What do students need to do with English? Which of the skills do they need to master and how well? Which genres do they need to master, either for comprehension or production purposes?

In short, “needs analysis is the necessary point of departure for designing a syllabus, tasks and materials” (Flowerdew and Peacock, 2001:178) Needs analysis is the first step in designing an ESP course Whatever approach to defining learner needs, students need to be part of the planning process and teachers should ensure that they have an overview of the goals of the course, and of each lesson “In a General English class, as a general rule, four English skills are stressed equally but in ESP, it

is needs analysis that determines which language skills are most needed by the students, and the syllabus is designed accordingly” (Far, 2008: 6)

2.2.2 Syllabus

2.2.2.1 Definition of syllabus

As Hutchinson and Waters (1987:80) say, “a syllabus is a document which says what will (or at least what should) be learned” In fact, there are several different ways in which a syllabus can be defined At its simplest level a syllabus can be described as a statement of what is to be learned It states what the successful learner will know by the end of the course In this case, it is referred to an evaluation syllabus In addition, a syllabus can also state the order in which it is to be learnt This might be called the organizational syllabus The organizational syllabus carries assumptions about the nature of learning as well as language whereas the evaluation syllabus reflects the assumptions about the nature of language and linguistic performance On its route to the learner the organizational syllabus goes through a series of interpretations The first person to interpret the syllabus is usually the material writer, so the materials syllabus is formed The second stage of interpretation usually comes through the teacher, so the teacher syllabus is created The classroom is

an environment which affects the nature both of what is taught and what is learnt Then the classroom syllabus is generated The last type of syllabus is the learner syllabus It is the network of knowledge that develops in the learner’s brain and which enables that learner to understand and store the later knowledge

2.2.2.2 Reasons for having a syllabus

A number of reasons for having a syllabus are stated by Hutchinson and Waters (1987: 83-84) as follows: (1) a syllabus provides a practical basis for the division of assessment, textbooks and learning time; (2) a syllabus makes the language learning task appear manageable; (3) a syllabus has a cosmetic role; (4) a syllabus can be seen as a statement of projected routes; (5) a syllabus is an implicit statement of views on the nature of language and learning; (6) a syllabus provides a set of criteria for materials selection and/ or writing; (7) a syllabus is one way in which standardization is achieved; (8) a syllabus provides a visible basis for testing It

is obvious that a syllabus is a document which is of the utmost importance in the teaching and learning process

2.2.2.3 Approaches to syllabus design

Hall and Crabbe (1994, cited in Flowerdew and Peacock, 2001:180) list a range of approaches to ESP syllabus design First is the lexicogrammar-based approach, mostly focused on the teaching of structure and vocabulary Second is the function-notional-based approach developed partly as a reaction to against form-focused approach Next comes the discourse-based approaches with an emphasis on cohesion and coherence at the level of the text A further development is Hutchinson and Water’s learning-centred approach, which concentrates not only on the language items and skills students need but also on what they have to do in class to learn these processes and on communication within the classroom Last but not least, the genre-based approach uses materials and tasks based on authentic linguistic data Another important approach which is not mentioned by Hall and Crabbe (1994) is the skill-based approach

In short, according to Harmer (1991:27), “the final shape of a syllabus may depend, to a large extent, on the needs of the students who are going to be taught The level of the students will be vital since a beginners’ syllabus is very different from the one for advanced students The age of the students may have to do with it as well – especially where the selection of themes and topics is concerned Other factors will also play a part How often do students study? What is the cultural and educational background of the students? What kind of institutions are they studying in? How many of them are there likely to be in the classroom?”

2.2.3 Materials

Materials are used for all teaching In ESP teaching, learners must know how

to use materials effectively and teachers must know how to evaluate existing materials and write new ones that best suit learners’ needs

Dudley-Evans and St John (1998:170-172) state four reasons for using materials which seem significant in the ESP context: as a source of language, as a

learning support, for motivation and stimulation and for reference As a source of language, materials play a crucial role in exposing learners to the language As a learning support, materials need to be reliable, that is, to work, to be consistent and to have some recognizable patterns To enhance learning, materials must involve learners in thinking and using the language In order to stimulate and motivate, materials need to be challenging yet achievable, to offer new ideas and information whilst being grounded in the learners’ experience and knowledge, to encourage fun and creativity For self-study or reference purposes, materials need to be complete, well laid out and self explanatory

In particular, talking about EST materials, Moordin and Samad (2005) state that EST materials are more prone to visuals and illustrations to help explain processes and relationships Therefore, EST materials should have a prominent visual bias instead of being completely language-based Materials for IT English share some characteristics of EST materials and therefore ESP teachers must take visuals and illustrations into consideration when selecting IT English materials

2.2.3.1 Procedures for evaluating materials

According to Hutchinson and Waters (1987:97-98), “evaluation is basically a matching process which concerns matching learners’ needs to available solutions” Analysis of the course in terms of subjective needs (material requirements) and analysis of objective solution (materials) are both required to find out how far the material matches the needs Thus, four major steps can be taken in the evaluation process, as opposed to the former division: (1) Defining criteria – On what bases will you judge materials (2) Subjective analysis – What realizations of the criteria do you want in your course? (e.g who are your learners; what language points should be covered?) (3) Objective analysis – How does the material being evaluated realize the criteria (e.g who is the material intended for; how is the content organized within the units?) (4) Matching – How far does the material match your needs?

2.2.3.2 Principles for writing materials

Besides some procedures for evaluating materials, Hutchinson and Waters

(1987:107-108) state some principles for writing materials Firstly, materials must

“provide a stimulus to learning” which means that materials will contain interesting

texts, enjoyable activities, opportunities for learners to use their existing knowledge

and skills, and content which both learner and teacher can cope with Secondly,

materials help to organize the teaching-learning process, by providing “a path through

the complex mass of the language to be learnt Good materials must be clear and

systematic, but flexible enough to allow for creativity and variety In the third place,

materials embody a view of the nature of language and learning by truly reflecting

what you think and feel about the learning process In the fourth place, materials

reflect the nature of the learning task by creating a balanced outlook which both

reflects the complexity of the task and makes it appear manageable In the fifth place,

materials can have a very useful function in broadening the basis of teacher training

by introducing teachers to new techniques Finally, materials provide model of correct

and appropriate language use

2.2.3.3 A materials design model

Hutchinson and Waters (1987:108-109) also present a material design model

which includes four elements as follows:

Figure 2.3: A materials design model

The model consists of four elements: input, content, language, and task The input may be a text, dialogue, video-recording, diagram or any piece of information data which provides a stimulus material for activities, new language items, correct models of language use, a topic for communication, and opportunities for learners to use their information processing skills, their existing knowledge both of the language and the subject matter The content generates meaningful communication in the classroom The language is aimed at enabling learners to take the language to pieces, study how it works and practice putting it back together again Materials should lead towards a communicative task in which learners use the content and language knowledge they have built up through the unit The primary focus of the unit is the task The language and content are drawn from the input and selected according to what the learners will need in order to do the task A materials design model provides

some criteria for teachers to design a good textbook for students

The importance of the textbook is undeniable for it determines the major part

of classroom teaching and student learning To make the most effective use of textbooks, it is necessary to carefully examine all aspects of the text No single ESP textbook covers all the language aspects of a certain field What is more, ESP is not only “a list of special words added to a general vocabulary but also a series of specialized communication skills” (Gulyamova, 2000) Therefore, it is really hard for ESP teachers to design a textbook which includes both language aspects and communication skills of the field while their specialized knowledge is so limited

2.2.4 ESP methodology

According to Hutchinson and Waters (1987:142), there is nothing specific about ESP methodology The principles which underline good ESP methodology are the same as those that underlie sound ELT methodology in general The basic difference affecting the ESP methodology is that the teacher is not in the position of being the “primary knower” of the carrier content of the material and the students may, in some cases, know more about the content than the teacher Classroom skills and techniques acquired in GE teaching can be usefully employed in the ESP

classroom However, many of ESP courses today focus more on language than on communication skills, a practice akin to the Grammar-Translation methodology of the 1950s In many cases, courses are planned without adequate analysis of the learners’ needs, while in some others, own perceptions and views on the reality of the context

in which teachers teach are imposed Furthermore, the concept of ESP teaching is of great importance to teachers of ESP Nguyễn Hoàng Tuấn (2007:29) mentions the concept of ESP teaching: “ESP teaching is not a process of conveying the specialized knowledge to students in English instead of in Vietnamese” Therefore, ESP teachers must focus on both subject knowledge and linguistic knowledge when teaching ESP

In addition, Nguyễn Thị Kiều Thu (2007:46) insists on the fact that “the teaching of English communication skills is different from the teaching of four English skills –listening, speaking, reading and writing ESP teachers should not separate four language skills when teaching ESP” They must create an environment in which students have a need to communicate in English Apart from English communication skills, ESP teachers should teach other skills such as the ways how to exchange and express their ideas in English Far (2008:6) also states that the focus of ESP teaching

is on the context which means that English is not taught as a subject separated from the student’s real world

Though the principles in GE teaching are the same as those in ESP teaching, there are a variety of methodologies that are appropriate to ESP teaching Varzgar (1990:77) strongly advises using translation in ESP She upholds that “as translation should be a subsidiary activity in TEFL, it should be an essential activity in ESP” In the same way, Laviosa and Cleverton (2006) suggest a translation-based methodology for learning ESP vocabulary and grammar through real life mediating communicative activities With this methodology, ESP students are provided with a methodology for guiding them in producing, to the best of their abilities, a target text which meets the quality criteria of terminological accuracy and stylistic fluency, and is also effective

in terms of the communicative situation it is intended for

2.2.5 Assessment

Dudley-Evans and St John (1998:210) state that “assessment is a process of measuring, and one formal method of measuring is to test The reasons for assessment can be grouped under two main headings: for feedback to aid learning and for a comparable measure of competence” According to Hutchinson and Waters (1987), there is a general lack of discussion or guidance in ESP testing This lack, however, does not imply that there are no tests available in ESP What is lacking is any sound theoretical or empirical basis for ESP testing In ESP, there are three basic types of assessment: (1) the placement test which normally comes at the beginning of the course to place the learner in the ESP course most suited to their needs, (2) the achievement test which can be administered any time during the course to test how well the learner is keeping up with the syllabus, and (3) the proficiency test which assesses whether or not the student can cope with the demands of a particular situation These tests do not necessarily vary in terms of content; they differ in terms

of their initial function To construct a good ESP test, Hutchinson and Waters (1987:147) suggest some basic principles First, teachers should test what they can reasonably assume the learners have learnt Second, teachers should test what they actually want it to test which means that they should not make a test of reading ability dependent on the ability to write Third, teachers should not write test items which demand specialist subject knowledge or cultural knowledge The important point is that getting the correct answer should not depend on specialist subject knowledge outside the material used in the test In addition, the value of tests depends on how they are used A grade, whether good or bad, is in itself of little significance since its real meaning lies in understanding the reasons why it was given and what it tells the students about how they might improve their future work

2.2.6 The role of ESP teachers and learners

ESP teachers and learners are two important factors which are involved in the process of designing and implementing an ESP course According to Hutchinson and Waters (1987:57), ESP teachers have to deal with needs analysis, syllabus design,

materials writing and evaluation Therefore, ESP teachers play the role of a teacher, a syllabus designer, a material writer, a researcher, a collaborator and an evaluator

ESP learners are usually adults who already “have some familiarity with English language and they are learning the language in order to communicate a set of professional skills and to perform particular job-related functions” (Far, 2008:5) Furthermore, ESP learners are likely to be homogenous in terms of their interest and motivation level toward the learning of science and technical subject matter as well as their aims in learning ESP Therefore, ESP learners intend to learn English in order to gain better understanding science and technology as well as to interact with scientific and technological texts

An overview of the key factors affecting ESP course design from the initial analysis of needs to the learner assessment has been provided These factors are considered very important for teachers to design an ESP course The effectiveness of

an ESP course depends on the successful implementation of these aspects When the ESP course is not effective, it is usual that the source of problems can be traced back

to these factors Therefore, in dealing with the problems facing teachers and students

in doing the ESP course, these factors must be taken into consideration In this study,

an evaluation of these factors in the IT English course will draw out the problems with English teachers and IT students

2.3 Some problems with ESP teachers in ESP teaching

When dealing with ESP teaching, ESP teachers are considered “new strangers” in

a land where they face a lot of problems Hutchinson and Water (1987:158) state that there are three problems arising when discussing with ESP teachers:

• The lack of an orthodoxy to provide a ready-made guide

• The new realms of knowledge the ESP teacher has to cope with

• The change in the status of English Language Teaching

2.3.1 The lack of an orthodoxy to provide a ready-made guide

Lacking a long tradition which might give some stability, ESP has frequently been a hotbed of conflict ESP teachers as new settlers in this land must often have found it difficult to find their bearings with no agreed maps to guide them They cannot turn to linguistics and psychology in the hope of finding ready-made, straightforward answers to the problems that they will meet ESP teachers often have

to orientate themselves to difficult problems with little or no guidance In the same way, Crabbe (1994:3) also mentions the lack of guidance: “the teacher of an ESP course is not provided with ready-made solutions He or she has to start by thinking more fundamentally about the problem” Tsai-Yu Chen (2000) says that the ESP profession faces twin problems, namely the lack of teacher training programs in many areas of the world and the dissatisfaction with conventional theory-into-practice training models The question of using authentic texts also illustrates the kind of problem that arises In preparing the ESP texts, teachers try to get authentic texts These texts are in general difficult not only because they do not take the degree of second language proficiency of the learners into account, but also native speaker knowledge is assumed in the discussion of the subject

2.3.2 The new realms of knowledge the ESP teacher has to cope with

ESP teachers may also have to struggle to master language and subject matter beyond the bounds of their previous experience The problems in the new realms of knowledge are expressed by three statements by Hutchinson and Waters (1987:161-163): (1) “The content of ESP materials need to be highly specialized or not; (2) So many ESP teachers find it difficult to comprehend ESP subject matter and (3) What kind of knowledge ESP teachers required for”

Regarding the content of ESP materials, if ESP teachers are unable to handle highly specialized texts effectively, they should not use these kinds of texts in their teaching ESP teachers find it difficult to comprehend the subject matter for some reasons: (1) “English teachers receive little or no education in the sciences; (2) English teachers are reluctant to the new field of science; (3) They made little effort

in learning and discovering; (4) They have a negative attitude toward the subject matter: science and technology are often seen as dull, boring, complicated, and incomprehensible They must dispel the fears that they have towards ESP subject matter”

In reference to the kind of knowledge, ESP teachers do not need to learn specialist subject knowledge They require three things only: a positive attitude towards the ESP content, a basic knowledge of fundamental principles of the subject area and an awareness of how much they probably already know In addition, teachers

of ESP often worry about their own lack of the subject knowledge Tackling the issue

of subject knowledge, Ferguson (1997) makes a distinction between the specialist knowledge, which is what ESP learners have, and specialized knowledge, which is what ESP teachers need Glending and McEwan (2006:6) suggest that ESP teachers should not be so concerned They should aim to be experts at language teaching and have an interest at a lay level in the specialism because it is not difficult these days to keep up with developments in computing Moreover, many national newspapers carry regular articles about computing and some have special supplements on a weekly basis There are TV programmes from time to time In other words, the ESP teacher should not become a teacher of subject matter, but rather an interested student of the subject matter

Apart from these problems, Strevens (1988:32) mentions the first area which causes real difficulties for teachers It relates to the different attitudes between literature and science, with “teachers of literature and language having to align themselves with a discipline which values the pragmatic, objective, analytical, and unemotional above the imaginative, the subjective and the emotional”

2.3.3 The change in the status of English Language Teaching

According to Hutchinson and Waters (1987:164), one of the most important features of ESP in relation to GE is that the status of English changes from being a subject in its own right to a service industry for other specialisms In many cases, this leads to a lowering of status for the teacher

Firstly, the lack of professional cooperation from the subject teachers causes ESP teachers quite a lot of problems The cooperation of the teachers of other subjects determines not only the attitudes of the learner to the language but also how much of

it he/she eventually learns Although the language teacher is primarily responsible for the teaching of the subject contents of the ESP course, the job of monitoring learners’ performance and progress in the language cannot be left to the ESP teacher alone Hutchinson and Water (1987) also state that the cooperation between the ESP teachers and the subject specialist is not an easy relationship and it should be a two-way process The subject specialist can help the ESP teacher in learning more about the learner’s target situation At the same time the ESP teacher can make the subject specialist more aware of the language problems learners and ESP teachers face In this connection, another problem can be identified Many subject teachers feel that their role is to teach their own subjects, while the duty of teaching the English language belongs to the language teacher

Secondly, when doing ESP courses, ESP teachers have to struggle themselves

to overcome the problems they face due to the lack of cooperation from other English teachers They may face the problems in designing the syllabus, choosing materials, and using the methodology Without the teachers’ consolidation, the ESP course cannot be done effectively

Thirdly, ESP teachers continue to surface another problem: the mismatch between learners’ linguistic knowledge and subject specialism Fallis (1982, cited in Master,1998) states that teacher must know how to teach students whose English may

be lacking but whose technical knowledge of their field far surpasses that of their English instructor Teacher must respect both learners’ state Likewise, Hutchinson and Water (1987) say: “the learners’ knowledge of their subject specialism may be of

a very high level, while their linguistic knowledge is virtually nil” Teacher must provoke them to express their knowledge of specialism and improve their linguistic knowledge as well

Last but not least, another area of difficulty for ESP teachers which is mentioned by Strevens (1988:32) is the gap between learner’s knowledge of the special subject and the teacher’s ignorance of it Most learners get some knowledge of specialism from the study or from their experience while teachers have little or no education in the subject Some learners may get a very good of knowledge of the specialism This gap can lead to the lack of confidence on the part of the teacher and the lack of respect from students when teacher cannot meet students’ needs for the subject knowledge

The problems which consistently arise in discussions with teachers of ESP have been summarized as follows: the lack of an orthodoxy to provide a ready-made guide, the new realm of knowledge and the change in the status of language teaching These problems can be considered the obstacles which cause ESP teachers the problems in designing the syllabus, selecting materials and methodologies when doing the ESP course

2.4 Some problems with ESP students in ESP learning

2.4.1 Students’ experience in the specialism

Little experience in the specialism is a problem to ESP learners when doing the ESP course Holmes (1982, cited in Hutchinson & Water, 1987:69) states that ESP students are unable to achieve the aims of learning ESP during the course like reading

“in the literature of the specialism” due to the lack of experience and the “time available”

2.4.2 Specific lexis

According to Widdowson (1998b:9, cited in Gaviolin, 2005), specific lexis can

be a problem for ESP language learners not because they do not know the correct words, but because they lack experience of a “whole new way of conceptualizing” that is the characteristic of the discourse community using that word

2.4.3 English skills

Among four English skills, reading is probably the skill needed by the greatest number of ESP students in the world Speaking remains a relatively neglected skill in

ESP teaching In writing skill, students are unaware of the range of genres among different disciplines and also unable to reprocess information However, reading skill involves a number of specific difficulties The registers/ genres of different disciplines are different from those of “General English” Students may do well in “reading lesson” in General English, but they have difficulty in reading in their subject area The aims are also different: reading narrative in General English may be for enjoyment alone, but in subject areas students often read to perform some task- to learn about something, get information, learn how to do something or draw material for argument If authentic texts are used, students may misunderstand or misinterpret the text; but if lower level texts are used, students may be bored or feel insulted by the low level of the content (Flowerdew & Peacock, 2001:185)

In the same way, Riabtseva and Arestova’s paper (2006) on “Some problems

of teaching English for special purposes to students of technical specialities at university level” gives an overview of main problems connected with teaching

English for special purposes at university level This paper shows that the problems of ESP teaching are “first-year students’ different language background”, “teaching method”,” vocabulary from the general and professional point of view”, “the teaching material arrangement” and so on

Apart from the above-mentioned problems, Hayati journal (2008) on

“Teaching English for Special Purposes in Iran: Problems and Suggestions” throws light on some problems of teaching ESP in Iran, beginning with a discussion of some key notions about the discipline After evaluating the problems of ESP programs, some practical suggestions for improvement are made Hayati also indicates that the problems of ESP programs mainly concern three main factors, namely teacher, time schedule and textbook

Nguyễn Thị Kiều Thu’s paper (2007) on “Tình hình giảng dạy tiếng Anh

chuyên ngành tại trường ñịa học Khoa học xã hội và nhân văn – ðHQG TP Hồ Chí

Minh và một vài kiến nghị” gives an overview of some main problems of ESP teaching at HCMC University of Social Sciences and Humanities (USSH) The paper shows that the problems of ESP teaching at USSH concern some factors such as the syllabus, the course book, the methodology and the assessment The paper also presents some suggestions for these problems

Similarly, Nguyễn Hoàng Tuấn’s paper (2007) on “Một vài suy nghĩ về việc

dạy tiếng Anh chuyên ngành ở bậc ñại học” mentions some problems of teaching ESP

at universities concerning the concept of ESP teaching, the objectives and requirements of the ESP course, the learning duration, the material writing, the teaching method and the assessment Some recommendations for better teaching and learning of ESP at universities are also suggested in his paper

Besides some reports and papers at academic workshops, there have been some public newspapers raising the problems of ESP teaching and learning at universities in