The data from the interview with ESP teachers were classified into three parts as below.
Pat A: Teachers’ opinions about how to teach and learn ESP
To find out the current picture in teaching ESP at HCMC. CC., two questions were used.
(i) English skills
Question 1. During ESP lesson, what skill(s) did you focus on? With the focus on English skill(s) mentioned above, do you think it’s enough? Should we add anything else?
From the results presented in Chart 4.1 below, reading skill was the first answer of 4/4 teachers when asked. They explained that they had to equip this skill to help students read majored documents in English to help students study by themselves. 3/4 respondents also focused on Grammar, vocabulary to teach ESP at
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this school. They said that the General English knowledge of students could not meet the requirements of ESP course. Besides, they had to translate the reading texts into Vietnamese for students’ reference.
All of the respondents (4/4) confirmed that the ESP course was not effective if they focused on only reading skill or teaching grammar or vocabulary. They agreed that ESP course designers at this school should add listening and speaking skills into the syllabus.
4/4 ESP teachers desired to add tasks of other skills into the textbook if the textbook was rewritten.
Chart 4.1 Teachers’ opinions about language skills focus
(ii) Teaching methodology
Question 2. 2.1. During ESP lesson, what teaching method did you use? 2.2. During ESP lesson, what teaching aids did you usually use? 2.3. When teaching ESP, did you just stick to the textbook or also provide some hand-outs to expand content knowledge for students? 2.4. After each ESP lesson, did you give any homework for students? 2.5. During ESP lesson, did you require your students to work in pairs, in groups and give the presentation?
The results of Chart 4.2 presented current ESP teaching methodology at HCMC. CC. Teaching methods in class is crucial to enhance students’ motivation.
This question was used to interview teachers about their teaching methods.
2.1. 3/4 teachers used Grammar Translation method to teach ESP. There was only one teacher who used task-based method to teach ESP. According to this teacher, he gave one unit for each group from 4-6members and asked them to
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prepare it at home. Next time, each group would present what they prepared and other group would give comments. He was the final person to give comments on their work.
2.2. 4/4 respondents used E-lesson plans to teach ESP as well as blackboards
and chalks.
2.3. 3/4 teachers stated that they only used current textbook without any other documents during their teaching.
2.4. 4/4 teachers admitted they asked their students to do homework and the
results were not as their hope. The students rarely finished their homework.
2.5. 3/4 teachers usually required their students to work in pairs, in groups and give presentations. 1/4 teacher seldom asked her students because of their ability.
Chart 4. 2 Teachers’ answers about teaching methodology
Part B: Teachers’ opinions about problems arising from teachers
The results from the three following questions showed the problems ESP teachers face when teaching ESP.
(i) Teachers’ opinions about the effectiveness of ESP courses and a guide in teaching ESP
Question 3. From the assessing results of ESP courses in recent years: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 (see page 32 Chapter 3) and from the feedback of recruiters during the seminar entitled “Foreign languages and work opportunities under the recruiters’ viewpoints” at HCMC. CC., what do you
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think about ESP courses at this school? Are you satisfied with these results? Before teaching ESP, did you receive any guides on how to conduct this course?
The data of the answers gave a dark picture of teaching ESP at this school.
Three out of four teachers confirmed that these results made them feel sad and it showed ESP courses were not effective. One out of four teachers said that the results reflected truly the abilities of students in learning. The responses also showed the lack of supplying a guide on how to conduct the course to ESP teachers. Because of this, ESP teachers did not know how to conduct a good course. The summary of the results can be seen from Chart 4.3 below
Chart 4.3 Effectiveness of ESP courses and ESP teaching guidelines
(ii) Teachers’ problems when teaching a new field: ESP
Question 4. Were you trained content knowledge about architecture and construction before, during and after ESP course? If not, what problems do you have in teaching ESP? How can you overcome them?
“I did not receive any training courses about architecture and construction knowledge before, during and after ESP course” was the first answer from 4 teachers for this question. In their opinions, the lack of content knowledge made them feel unconfident when teaching. All of them said that they faced difficulties when students asked them to explain more clearly about technical terms in Vietnamese. Their knowledge of construction and architecture were limited, so they could not explain technical terms satisfactorily or provide more knowledge outside the textbook during the lesson. To overcome this situation, two out of four teachers chose the solutions: self-studying by borrowing documents from the library or from the Internet. Two out of four teachers took notes what students
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asked him and her and promised to answer after getting the consultancy from content teachers. Although they knew the roles of training content knowledge courses, they did not suggest the administrators organize them. The results of this section are summarized in Chart 4.4 below
Chart 4.4 Teachers’ problems when teaching ESP
(iii) Teachers’ feelings when they change from teaching EGP into ESP
Question 5. How do you feel when changing from teaching EGP into ESP? At this school, do you usually receive the consultancy from content teachers about content knowledge when teaching ESP? Are they happy and willing to help you?
Teachers’ feelings when shifting from teaching GE into ESP can be seen from Chart 4.5. The oldest teacher said that on the first days changing from teaching EGP into ESP made her worried because everything was new and she did not imagine how she could teach. Gradually, she could adapt herself to circumstances. Sometimes, she also asked content teachers for help and she admitted that although they were willing to help, she felt uncomfortable. Two out of four teachers stated that they really felt nervous because they were new English teachers without a lot of teaching experience. Besides asking for help from content teachers, they looked for documents to upgrade their content knowledge. Another teacher said when she was transferred to teach English from English centers to this school, she felt a little disappointed. The reasons were that she felt she did not keep an important role as she used to be at English centers. She felt passive and upset when students and administrator thought ESP was not very important to
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study. She hardly ever asked for help from content teachers although she thought that they were to help when required.
0 1 2 3 4
Feel worried and nervous Feel disappointed, passive and upset Usually ask for content teachers' … Think that content teachers are willing … Total of respondents
Teachers
Chart 4. 5 Teachers’ feelings when shifting from teaching GE into ESP
Part C: Teachers’ opinions about problems arising from students (i) Teachers’ opinions about students’ motivation in learning
Question 6. During an ESP course, were your students interested in learning and did they try their best to study ESP for their future work?
About students’ motivation in learning, the results from Chart 4.6 can be seen. Three out of four teachers confirmed that most of students had negative attitudes about this subject. Some students explained that they just worked for Vietnamese companies so they did not need to equip ESP knowledge. This subject only took them a lot of time. They were not interested in learning this subject. One teacher said that most of his students were interesting in ESP but not for the future job, only for the final exam. All of the teachers admitted their students seldom did homework if they required. Students only finished homework or presentation when teachers said that these exercises were given marks for tests during the course or these exercises would appear in the final exams.
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0 1 2 3 4
See that students interested in learning
See that students not interested in learning Total of respondents
Teachers
Chart 4. 6 Teachers’ opinions about motivation in learning
(ii) Teachers’ opinions about students’ lexical knowledge
Question 7. Did your students have enough lexical knowledge to approach ESP reading texts?
Students’ lexical knowledge levels are discussed in Chart 4.7. All teachers admitted that students’ English level was very low. They did not have good background both in English as well as content knowledge. During the lessons, teachers had to extensively explain in Vietnamese some knowledge about grammar or vocabulary. Besides, students’ lack of subject content knowledge was also another obstacle for students. They were not familiar with some basic concepts of construction and architecture, so the teachers had to use more Vietnamese to explain these concepts.
0 1 2 3 4
Students did not have enough lexical knowledge
Students did not have good background in English and specialized knowledge
Total of respondents
Teachers
Chart 4. 7 Teachers’ opinions about students’ lexical knowledge
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(iii) Teachers’ opinions about students’ content knowledge
Question 8. Did teaching ESP course in the first semester face any difficulties when the students only studied three special subjects such as art drawing, construction drawing and geodetics?
The results of teachers’ opinions about students’ content knowledge are showed in Chart 4.8 below. All teachers had the same viewpoints that like ESP teachers, their students faced many difficulties because they lacked subject content knowledge. Consequently, they did not understand the contents of reading texts.
They did not feel interested in learning. Clearly, teaching ESP in the first semester was not suitable .
Chart 4. 8 Teachers’ opinions about students’ content knowledge
Part D: Teachers’ opinions about problems arising from ESP textbook
Questions 9, 10, 11, 12 were used to ask teachers for their thoughts about the ESP current textbook at HCMC. CC.
(i) Teachers’ responses about ESP textbook’s level
Question 9. In your opinion, is the current ESP textbook suitable for students’ needs and English levels?
The results of teachers’ responses about ESP textbook’s level can be summarized in Chart 4.9. One out of four ESP teachers thought that the current ESP textbook was suitable for students’ needs and their English levels but not very interesting. Three other teachers admitted that the current ESP textbook was too difficult for their students to learn.
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Chart 4. 9 Teachers’ responses about ESP textbook’s level
(ii) Teachers’ responses about ESP textbook’s construction and architecture knowledge and vocabulary
Question 10. In your opinion, are the contents of the texts and the number of ESP vocabularies in the textbook suitable for students to study? Are they interesting for students to study? Are the contents of the texts up-to-date or out-of-date? Are they practical or not?
Chart 4.10 showed the results of teachers’ responses about ESP textbook’s construction and architecture knowledge and vocabulary. Three out of four teachers agreed that ESP textbook’s construction and architecture knowledge was too difficult to understand. The number of ESP vocabularies in the textbook was too large and difficult for students to study. This idea concurred with the students’
ideas about the contents of the texts as shown above. One out of four teachers thought that the construction and architecture knowledge and vocabulary in the ESP textbook were suitable for their students. All of the teachers admitted that the contents in the textbook were simple, and out - of – date. Some texts were not very practical. The youngest teacher said that the reading texts’ contents were about construction and architecture; therefore, they were rather suitable for the course.
However, vocabulary was numerous and difficult to remember. It did not not attract students to learn. The contents were suitable but still simple and not updated.
Some information in some texts was not practical.
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Chart 4. 10 Teachers’ responses about ESP textbook’s construction and architecture knowledge and vocabulary
(iii) Teachers’ responses about ESP textbook’s grammar structures Question 11. What do you think about the grammatical structures in the textbook?
Chart 4.11 indicated teachers’ responses about ESP textbook’s grammar lessons. All the teachers admitted the sentence structures in the textbook were very difficult for students because in General English course their students only studied simple structures without complex structures like in ESP course. This result was the same as some students’ responses from the questionnaire. Other teacher said that sentences in ESP reading text were too long and complicated to understand but not very practical. She said that workers working in foreign companies never used these long sentences in communicating for their work except checking major documents in English. Alumni also admitted that.
Chart 4. 11 Teachers’ responses about ESP textbook’s grammar structures
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(iv) Teachers’ responses about ESP textbook’s exercises
Question 12. Do the exercises in the textbook help students to improve their understanding the reading texts? Does the current ESP textbook equip self-study exercises to students?
The results of teachers’ responses about ESP textbook’s exercises are discussed in Chart 4.12. All the teachers agreed that the exercises in the textbook helped students to improve only their understanding the reading texts and they were very simple. The exercises did not help students improve other skills. All tasks in each text only served reading skill. Teaching ESP is for students to work in their future so ESP had to help them improve all English skills. Therefore, all of them (4/4) suggested that exercises for other skill like speaking, listening and some exercises for real situation had to be added in the textbook. About self-study exercises to students, all of respondents agreed that the current ESP textbook did not equip enough self-study exercises to students. All of them thought that self- study exercises should be designed for students to help them practice necessary English skills.
Chart 4. 12 Teachers’ responses about ESP textbook’s exercises
(v) Teachers’ recommendations to improve the teaching and learning ESP at HCMC. CC.
Question 13. What recommendations do you suggest to improve the teaching and learning ESP at HCMC. CC.?
Chart 4.13 supplied the teachers’ recommendations. The first recommendation that 4/4 ESP teachers suggested was training content knowledge for ESP teachers. The second point was 4/4 teachers asked to edit textbook by adding some more exercises for other skills, update contents of the texts in construction and architecture fields. 3/4 teachers required to teach ESP in the
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second semester when students finished some special subjects. 1/ 4 teachers wanted to increase the number of ESP periods into 90 instead of 45 as present. 3/4 teachers talked to enhance students’ motivation by changing methodology, organizing some meetings, some seminars between the school, alumni and recruiters to share some experience in working and salary for students.
0 1 2 3 4 5
Train specialized knowledge for…
Revise textbook by adding…
Teach ESP in the socond semester Increase the number of ESP…
Enhance student's motivation by…
Total of respondents
Teachers
Chart 4. 13 Teachers’ recommendations