Міхненко Г.Е.

Національний технічний університет України

„Київський політехнічний інститут”

The impact of learners' knowledge on ESP classroom practice

English for Specific Purposes (ESP) is different from teaching English as a Foreign Language and has its own methodology, the aspects of which are as follows: all ESP teaching should reflect the methodology of the disciplines and professions it serves; and in more specific ESP teaching the nature of the interaction between the teacher and learner may be very different from that in a general English class. In the definition of ESP the researchers [1; 4] use absolute and variable characteristics, namely:

1. Absolute characteristics: ESP is designed to meet specific needs of the learner; ESP makes use of the underlying methodology and activities of the disciplines it serves; ESP is centered on the language (grammar, lexis, and register), skills, discourse and genres appropriate to these activities.

2. Variable characteristics: ESP may be related to or designed for specific purposes; 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; 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).

ESP learners bring to their language learning some knowledge of their specialist field and the communication within it. Those who are still students or apprentices to the specialist field bring less than those who are already experienced specialists. Some of this knowledge, such as content knowledge, will be conscious; some knowledge will only be latent and learners will not have the ability to control the use of that knowledge. The ESP teachers generally do not have knowledge that learners need to use. This can seem threatening until we realize that our learners do not expect us to have such knowledge. Engineers do not expect a Technical English teacher to know how to operate the machines; they expect knowledge of how language is used in engineering - which involves some understanding of industrial environment and the engineer-worker interactions.

An ESP teacher has to play the role of a 'consultant' not a 'teller’. The ESP teacher must acknowledge and use the learners' greater knowledge of the carrier content. Exactly how this role is developed depends on the learners' experience, cultural expectations and what status a teacher has and how status is awarded.

Learner’s knowledge influences the kind of teaching materials used. Both authentic material from the learners' job or studies and framework materials which use learners' experience are good examples. Framework materials take the concept of visual, diagrammatic representations but use them for the production of language. Framework materials supplement rather than replace more traditional materials. Some frameworks are designed to be completed by an individual while others require two or more people. Learners, who have only experienced traditional, teacher-centered education, may need help and time to get accustomed to the concept of framework materials.

As for methodological approaches the researchers state that “…the deep-end strategy, certainly for intermediate plus students is often more appropriate than the PPP (present, practise, perform) tradition of EFL. PPP can work effectively for beginners to intermediates or when both the language and the communicative event are new to the learner… The extreme of the deep-end strategy is to set a task and ask students to perform. In practice the deep-end strategy involves providing preparation time before performance. The strength of the deep-end strategy is that the approach to the task is the students' and is likely to reflect their personal and professional world.” [1; 190]

We must not forget that there are visually, aurally or kinesthetically oriented learners. Following a text while it is read aloud is helpful for visually oriented learners, while watching TV can suit auditory learners. So, learning strategies chosen must be linked to the individual's learning style.

In the ESP situation it is necessary to activate and build on the learning styles and strategies which have been developed through the specialist field. For example, extracting information into tables, flowcharts and other diagrammatic formats is often more natural for English for Science and Technology (EST) learners than for their teachers.

Case studies and project work are particular examples of subject learning approaches that have been adopted in ESP situations. Case studies are a feature of many professional courses such as business, law, engineering and medicine. Their purpose is to present students with some aspect of a real-life scenario, through which they can apply and integrate knowledge, skills, theory and any experience.

An issue with case studies is the degree of subject expertise required by the ESP teacher. Experienced professionals do not require specialist guidance from the ESP teacher but they will have more confidence in, and respect for, a teacher who has a grasp of the relevant concepts. Students on or preparing for a subject course may benefit from some guidance as to the approach they should adopt and the issues they should take into consideration. As always, the carrier content needs to be within the realms of their experience.

If in a case study, the resource materials which generate the language and skills development are given to students, then in project work the students find and assimilate information for a brief that, preferably, they have generated for themselves. The degree of involvement and ownership is thus much higher. Project work can be very rewarding but it is also a high-risk activity. Students have to search out information for themselves, so there is a good deal of out-of-class activity.

ESP teachers have to devise project situations. Mini-research projects for individuals or pairs can be formulated around interviews or questionnaires. More often projects are based on library research, engaging individuals in extensive purposeful reading followed by a written report and oral presentation. Which of these three approaches is most suitable depends on students' goals, the circumstances of the course and cultural considerations.

In many situations in life we collect information from more than one source, collate it, select from it and then transform it into spoken or written format to transmit to someone else. In ESP the researchers advise to provide opportunities for this, for example by giving several texts for reading or listening and setting a task that exploits them jointly. The gathering and then transmitting process involves a minimum of two skills and probably all four, thus it is also often appropriate to use an integrated skills approach. These are features common to both project work and case studies.

Thus, a distinguishable ESP methodology originates mainly from two factors associated with the learners: the specialist knowledge that they bring - both conscious and latent; and the cognitive and learning processes that they bring with them from their experience of learning and working within their specialist field. These two factors concerns the kind of activities through which learning takes place: in addition to language-learning activities, the ESP classroom uses tasks and activities that reflect the learners' specialist world.

In considering which approach to take, it is necessary to remember that there is no best way; all techniques and methods are a response to a particular situation. One of the skills ESP teachers need is the ability to assess a situation impartially and then to select and adapt their methodology to match the learners' requirements.

References:

1. Dudley-Evans T., St John M. Developments in English for Specific Purposes. - Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003. – 301p.

2. Richards J., Renandya W. Methodology language teaching. - Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005. – 422p.

3. Senior R, The experience of language teaching. – Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006. – 301 p.