VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES ********************* Lê Thị Hồng Hƣơng DESIGNING AN ESP READING SYLLABUS FOR THIRD-YEAR STUDENTS OF GEOGRAPHY AT THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION THIẾT KẾ ĐỀ CƢƠNG ĐỌC HIỂU TIẾNG ANH CHUYÊN NGÀNH CHO SINH VIÊN NĂM THỨ BA KHOA ĐỊA LÍ TRƢỜNG ĐẠI HỌC SƢ PHẠM THÁI NGUYÊN M.A MINOR THESIS FIELD: ENGLISH TEACHING METHODOLOGY CODE: 601410 Hanoi, 2012 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS iv LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS vii LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES viii PART I: INTRODUCTION Rationale Aims and objectives Scope of the study Significance of the study Methods of the study Design of the study PART II: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER I: LITERATURE REVIEW 1.1 An overview of ESP 1.1.1 Definition of ESP 1.1.2 Types of ESP 1.1.3 GE and ESP 8 1.2 An overview of syllabus design 1.2.1 Definition of syllabus 1.2.2 The importance of syllabus design 1.2.3 Types of syllabus 10 1.2.3.1 Content – based syllabus 10 Structural/ Grammar syllabus 10 Notional/ Functional syllabus 10 Situational syllabus 11 Topic-based syllabus 11 1.2.3.2 Skill – based syllabus 12 1.2.3.3 Method – based syllabus 12 iv Task – based syllabus 12 Process syllabus 13 1.2.4 Approaches to ESP syllabus design 13 1.2.4.1 Language – centered approach 13 1.2.4.2 Skill – centered approach 15 1.2.4.3 Learning – centered approach 16 1.2.5 Steps to design a syllabus 18 1.3 An overview of need analysis 18 1.3.1 Needs analysis in syllabus design 18 1.3.2 Types of needs 18 Target needs 18 Learning needs 19 1.4 An overview of reading 20 1.4.1 Definition of reading in ESP 20 1.4.2 Reading skills in ESP 21 1.4.3 Reading exercises 21 1.5 Summary 22 CHAPTER II: THE STUDY 23 2.1 The teaching and learning situation at TUE 23 2.2 The methodology 24 2.2.1 The research questions 24 2.2.2 Data collection instruments 25 2.2.3 Subjects of the study 27 2.2.4 Data collection procedures 27 2.2.5 Data analysis 27 2.2.6 Steps to design a syllabus 27 2.3 Findings and discussion 28 2.3.1 The needs for an ESP syllabus as expressed by the ESP teachers of FLF at TUE v 28 2.3.2 The needs perceived by the third year-students of Geography at TUE 30 2.4 Summary 33 CHAPTER III: AN ESP READING SYLLABUS FOR THIRD-YEAR 34 STUDENTS OF GEORAPHY AT TUE 3.1 Aims and objectives of the syllabus 34 3.2 Selecting the type of ESP syllabus 34 3.3 Syllabus content 35 3.3.1 Topics in the syllabus 35 3.3.2 Reading skills in the syllabus 35 3.3.3 Reading exercises in the syllabus 35 3.3.4 Grammar and structures in the syllabus 36 3.3.5 Organization and duration of the syllabus 36 3.3.6 A proposed syllabus 36 PART III: CONCLUSION 37 Main findings 37 Suggestions for applying the syllabus 37 2.1 Suggestions for teaching methodology 37 2.2 Suggestions for assessment procedures 38 2.3 Suggestions for material selection 38 39 REFERENCES APPENDICES I APPENDIX QUESTIONS FOR THE INTERVIEW WITH THE ESP TEACHERS I APPENDIX QUESTIONAIRES FOR THE THIRD-YEAR STUDENTS APPENDIX 3-7: TABLE – TABLE II VI APPENDIX 8: A PROPOSED SYLLABUS FOR THIRD – YEAR STUDENTS OF GEOGRAPHY AT TUE vi XII LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ESP: English for Specific Purposes TUE: Thai Nguyen University of Education GE: General English FLF: Foreign Languages Faculty EOP: English for Occupational Purposes EEP: English for Educational Purposes EAP: English for Academic Purposes EPP: English for Professional Purposes EVP: English for Vocational Purposes EAST: English for (Academic) Science and Technology EAMP: English for (Academic) Medical Purposes EALP: English for (Academic) Legal Purposes EMFE: English for Management, Finance and Economics EMP: English for Medical Purposes EBP: English for Business Purposes Pre-VE: Pre-Vocational English VE: Vocational English vii LIST OF FIGURES, CHARTS, AND TABLES Figure 1.1: ESP Classification by experience……………………………… Figure 1.2: ESP classification by professional area……………………… Figure 2.1 A language-centered approach to course design……………… 14 Figure 2.2 A skills-centered approach to course design………………… 15 Figure 2.3 A learning-centered approach to course design……………… 17 Chart 1: Students‟ ideas on the current textbook………………………… 30 Chart 2: Students‟ opinions on designing new ESP reading syllabus…… 30 Table 1: Students‟ problems in reading ESP……………………………… 31 Table 2: Students‟ ideas about the needed topics………………………… VI Table 3: Students‟ attitudes to the reading skills………………………… VII Table 4: Students‟ opinions about grammar and structures in syllabus…… VIII Table 5: Students‟ attitudes to the different reading exercises…………… IX Table 6: Students‟ opinion about the evaluation………………………… X Table 7: Students‟ ranking their objectives after taking ESP course……… XI viii PART I: INTRODUCTION Rationale for the study English language has been considered the most widely - used means of communication and a compulsory subject in Vietnam education system at all levels for the last few decades In teaching and learning English as a foreign language in Vietnam, the English for Specific Purposes (ESP) area proves to be in great demand People with good English proficiency are highly needed in many areas, such as business, banking, tourism, etc Students learning ESP in Vietnam mainly have access to popular documents written in English through reading Hence, the skills reading English texts are naturally of special importance in teaching and learning ESP Reading has always received a lot of attention because it is not only an important means to get knowledge but also a means of further study Reading also plays an important role in teaching ESP at Thai Nguyen University of Education (TUE) At TUE, in General English (GE) courses, the teachers of English at Foreign Languages Faculty (FLF) can select from a wide range of syllabuses for non English- majors They can choose one of the English textbooks available in Vietnam and employ it as a main part of the syllabus Difficulties have arisen in ESP courses where the responsibility for the syllabus design absolutely lies with the teachers What are the difficulties? The lack of a common appropriate ESP syllabus affects all teachers of English at FLF because it is obligatory that they have to design their own syllabus and introduce it to students of different specialized subjects as the chief learning material This variation of syllabus contents also has a serious influence on the quality of teaching in different classes For those reason, as a new teacher of English for geography section, the author is encouraged to choose the study “Designing a Reading Syllabus of English for Geography for third-year students of geography at Thai Nguyen University of Education” Aims and objectives of the study The study aims at designing an ESP reading syllabus for third – year students at TUE In order to achieve this aim, the following objectives are targeted: + To identify the needs of the ESP teachers, and the needs of the third-year students of Geography at TUE for an appropriate reading syllabus + To propose the concept of an ESP reading syllabus for third-year students of geography at TUE based on the relevant theories and their needs + To design the components of the syllabus, including the material selection, teaching methods as well as students assessment Scope of the study The study focuses on designing an ESP reading syllabus for students of geography at TUE who are at pre-intermediate level of English proficiency Significance of the study The study will be useful for not only language teachers but also course designers Methods of the study The quantitative method is used to collect date by means of survey questionnaires It aims at investigating the needs of students for ESP syllabus and the goals after the ESP course The qualitative method is pursued to collect in-depth data through interviews with the ESP teachers at TUE Design of the study There are three parts and a list of references and appendices in this study Part I: Introduction Part II: Development Chapter I: Literature review Chapter II: The study Chapter III: An ESP reading syllabus for third –year students of geography at TUE Part III: Conclusion PART II: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER I: LITERATURE REVIEW This chapter will present the theories concerning ESP reading syllabus design It consists of four main sections:  The first section, an overview of ESP, will review the opinions of different language researchers on the definition of ESP, its types, and the comparison between GE and ESP  The second section, an overview of syllabus design, will present the definitions of syllabus, its types, approaches to ESP syllabus design, and steps to design a syllabus This part plays an important role in producing an appropriate syllabus  The third one, an overview of needs analysis, will focus on needs analysis, types of needs and how to conduct needs analysis  The last section, an overview of reading, will provide the reading theories, reading skills, reading strategies and reading test techniques in ESP 1.1 An overview of ESP 1.1.1 Definition of ESP Different authors have defined ESP differently As Hutchinson and Waters (1987) define it, ESP is not a) a matter of teaching „specialized varieties‟ of English b) just a matter of science words and grammar for scientists, hotels and so on c) different from any other form of language teaching in that it should be based in the first instance on principles of effective and efficient learning Hutchinson and Water also state that “ESP must be seen as an approach, not as a product.” (Hutchinson & Waters, 1987, p.19) This means ESP does not involve a particular kind of language, teaching material or methodology Having the same ideas with Hutchinson and Walter, Strevens (1988) also defines the notion of ESP by describing its absolute and variable characteristics Four absolute characteristics of teaching ESP are that it 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 this discourse;  in contrast with „General English‟ Two variable characteristics of teaching ESP are that it is:  restricted as to the language skills to be learned (e.g reading only);  not taught according to any pre-ordained methodology Robinson (1991) also gives a definition based on two key criteria and a number of characteristics of ESP The two key criteria are:  ESP is „normally goal-directed‟;  ESP courses develop from the need analysis, which „aims to specify as closely as possible what exactly it is that students have to through the medium of English‟ The characteristics of ESP courses are that:  they are generally constrained by a limited period, in which their objectives have to be achieved;  they are taught to adults in homogeneous classes in terms of work or specialists studies that the students are involved in Strevens' (1988) definition had a great impact on the definition of ESP offered by Dudley-Evans and St John (1998) They substantially improved Strevens' ... for Geography for third -year students of geography at Thai Nguyen University of Education? ?? Aims and objectives of the study The study aims at designing an ESP reading syllabus for third – year students. .. the ESP teachers of FLF at TUE v 28 2.3.2 The needs perceived by the third year- students of Geography at TUE 30 2.4 Summary 33 CHAPTER III: AN ESP READING SYLLABUS FOR THIRD -YEAR 34 STUDENTS OF. .. at TUE for an appropriate reading syllabus + To propose the concept of an ESP reading syllabus for third -year students of geography at TUE based on the relevant theories and their needs + To design