VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HA NOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST - GRADUATE STUDIES ********* NGUYỄN THỊ THÚY HẰNG TEACHING ESP VOCABULARY TO STUDENTS MAJORING IN HEAT AND REFRIGERATION ENGINEERING AT INDUSTRY UNIVERSITY OF HO CHI MINH CITY: DIFFICULTIES AND SOLUTIONS (NHỮNG KHÓ KHĂN VÀ GIẢI PHÁP TRONG VIỆC DẠY TỪ VỰNG CHO SINH VIÊN CHUYÊN NGÀNH NHIỆT LẠNH TẠI TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC CÔNG NGHIỆP THÀNH PHỐ HỒ CHÍ MINH) M. MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Language Teaching Methodology Code: 60 14 10 Hanoi – 2013 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HA NOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST - GRADUATE STUDIES ********* NGUYỄN THỊ THÚY HẰNG TEACHING ESP VOCABULARY TO STUDENTS MAJORING IN HEAT AND REFRIGERATION ENGINEERING AT INDUSTRY UNIVERSITY OF HO CHI MINH CITY: DIFFICULTIES AND SOLUTIONS (NHỮNG KHÓ KHĂN VÀ GIẢI PHÁP TRONG VIỆC DẠY TỪ VỰNG CHO SINH VIÊN CHUYÊN NGÀNH NHIỆT LẠNH TẠI TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC CÔNG NGHIỆP THÀNH PHỐ HỒ CHÍ MINH) M. MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Language Teaching Methodology Code: 60 14 10 Supervisor: MA. Phan Thị Vân Quyên Hanoi – 2013 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ESP: English for Specific Purposes HRE: Heat and Refrigeration Engineer HREE: Heat and Refrigeration Engineering English IUH: Industry University of Ho Chi Minh City L2: Second language GE: General English T: Teacher T1: Teacher 1 T2: Teacher 2 T3: Teacher 3 iv LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com LIST OF CHARTS & TABLES Chart 1: Teachers’ opinion about teaching ESP vocabulary Chart 2: Teachers’ evaluation about students’ learning ESP vocabulary Table 1: Teachers’ comment on the course-book Chart 3: Teachers’ difficulties in teaching ESP vocabulary Chart 4: Teachers’ techniques in presenting new words Table 2: Teachers’ ways to ask students to practice vocabulary Chart 5: Teachers’ recommendations to overcome difficulties in teaching ESP vocabulary Chart 6: Students’ difficulties in learning ESP vocabulary Chart 7: Problems influenced on students’ motivation and interest Chart 8: Students’ solutions to a new word Chart 9: Ways of presenting vocabulary students are interested in Table 3: Ways of learning English vocabulary of HRE v LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com TABLE OF CONTENT Declaration……………………………………………………………………… i Acknowledgement……………………………………………………………….
iii List of abbreviations……………………………………………………………. iv List of figures and tables………………………………………………………. v Table of content………………………………………………………………… vi PART A: INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………. Aims of the study………………………………………………….
Scope of the study……………………………………………………………. Method of the study…………………………………………………………. Design of the study…………………………………………………………. 4 Chapter 1: The Theoretical Background…………………………………….
English for Specific Purposes……………………………………………… 4 1. Definition of ESP…………………………………………………………. Classification of ESP…………………………………………………… 5 1. Teachers‟ roles and challenges in teaching ESP ……………………….
The roles of ESP teachers……………………………………………… 6 1. Challenges for the ESP Teacher………………………………………. What is ESP vocabulary?. Definition of terminology……………………………………………… 8 1.
Characteristics of terminology…………………………………………. General vocabulary and ESP vocabulary teaching and learning………… 8 vi LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail. Vocabulary and its role in language teaching and learning…………. What need to be taught?.
Techniques in presenting new vocabulary……………………………… 10 10 1. ESP vocabulary teaching………………………………………………. Heat and Refrigeration Engineering English (HREE)……………………. Vocabulary in Heat and Refrigeration Engineering English …………….
HREE vocabulary teaching and learning ………………………………… 12 1. Previous Research on teaching ESP vocabulary…………………………… 13 1. Context of the study………………………………………………………. Students and their background…………………………………………….
Teaching staff and teaching methods……………………………………. Method of study……………………………………………………………. Data collection instruments…………………………………………………… 18 19 2. Data collection procedure…………………………………………………….
20 Chapter 3: Findings and discussion………………………………………………. 21 vii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail. Questionnaire for teachers……………………………………………… 21 3. Questionnaire for students……………………………………………….
Discussion of findings…………………………………………………………. Chapter 4: Suggested Solutions…………………………………………………… 37 4. Towards contextual problems………………………………………………. Towards the students……………………………………………………….
Towards the teachers………………………………………………………. Improve teachers‟ ESP knowledge …………………………………………… 38 4. Making use of visual aids ……………………………………………… 39 4. Improving teacher's activities in teaching vocabulary…………………… 39 Part C: Conclusion…………………………………………………………….
Limitations of the study……………………………………………………. Suggestions for further research ……………………………………………. ii viii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com Part A: Introduction 1. Rationale Nowadays English has become an international language of various industrial and trade fields.
Therefore, there are more opportunities for our students to make use of not just their ´general´ English knowledge but they also can study their specialized subjects in English or to perform qualified work abroad. Obviously, the students should also have certain knowledge of specialized English (ESP) vocabulary related to their field. Their knowledge of ESP vocabulary will help them to adapt easily to changing working environment and meet the requirements of the present day world. “ESP must be seen as an approach not as a product.
ESP, then, is an approach to language teaching in which all decisions as to content and method are based on the learner‟s reason for learning”(Hutchinson and Waters 1987:19). However, teaching and learning vocabulary in general, ESP (English for specific purposes) vocabulary in particular is a difficult task for the teachers and students. Besides vocational knowledge, teachers need to carry out researches in teaching vocabulary so as to open their views and instruct students later. In my opinion, ESP vocabulary in Heat and Refrigeration Engineering (HRE) is very interesting but teaching and learning it successfully are extremely hard.
Factually, both teachers and learners have faced many difficulties in teaching and learning ESP vocabulary. Facing such problems, the teachers of English of Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City (IUH) want to do something to change the ways of teaching and learning vocabulary in order to improve the students' learning effectiveness to help them succeed in their future job. Therefore, I have conducted a research to find out the main difficulties in teaching HRE vocabulary at IUH and then to offer some solutions to these problems. Aims of the study The study aims at: - Finding out difficulties that ESP teachers and learners at IUH are facing in teaching and learning English for HRE vocabulary 1 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com - Suggesting some solutions to teaching HREE vocabulary effectively 3.
Research questions The research is carried out with an attempt to find out the answer to the following research questions: 1. What are the difficulties experienced by English teachers in their teaching HREE vocabulary at IUH? 2. What major problems are HRE students facing in learning ESP vocabulary at IUH? 3. What are solutions to improving HRE vocabulary teaching at IUH? 4.
Scope of the study The study limited itself to the investigation of difficulties in teaching and learning ESP vocabulary to students of HRE at IUH. The solutions are also provided to help to improve teaching and learning English in general, teaching and learning HREE vocabulary in particular at IUH. Methods of the study The research is carried out using both qualitative and quantitative methods. The main data collection instruments are survey questionnaires and informal interviews.
The informants are students at HRE Department and English teachers at IUH. The questionnaire was designed in such a way that both closed and open- ended questions to ensure deep data. One questionnaire is designed for the students and the other is designed for the teachers. The informal interview to teachers is to get more information to support the study.
Design of the study This study is organized into 3 main parts: Part A: Introduction: in this part the rationale, the aims, the research questions, the scope, the method, and the design of the study is presented. Part B: Development: It consists of four chapters. Chapter 1 provides the theoretical background, which is relevant to the purposes of the study. 2 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com Chapter 2 presents an introduction on the context of learning and teaching vocabulary of HRE at IUH, the context of the study, the subjects, and the data collection methods and data collection procedure Chapter 3 is the main part of the study.
In this chapter, the data will be analyzed and the finding will reveal teachers' difficulties in teaching vocabulary to students of HRE at IUH. Chapter 4 includes some solutions in teaching and learning based on the findings Part C: Conclusion: This part offers conclusions, limitations of the study and some suggestions for further study. 3 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com Part B: Development Chapter 1: Theoretical Background In this chapter, the author addresses some theoretical angles from which she views her ideas. Firstly, definition of ESP, classification of ESP, teachers‟ roles and challenges in teaching ESP are given in English for Specific Purposes.
Secondly, in ESP vocabulary, it includes definition and characteristic of terminology, general vocabulary and ESP vocabulary teaching and learning. Thirdly, to regard with Heat and Refrigeration Engineering English (HREE), introduction, vocabulary in HREE and HRE vocabulary teaching are presented in turn. Finally, some research of abroad and domestic researchers is mentioned in brief. English for Specific Purposes 1.
Definition of ESP To understand the term ESP correctly, we will ponder on certain following clarifications. The first one is that of Hutchinson and Waters (1987: 19). They define ESP as „an approach to language teaching in which all decisions as to content and method are based on the learners‟ reason for learning‟. This elucidation emphasizes that ESP should pay suitable attention to the learners and their motions for studying it.
In an understandable way, Martin (1992: 16-23) has explained the E, S and P elements of ESP. The „S‟ element is inclined to mean „specifiable‟. For the „E‟ of ESP, there is a general field of „languages for specific purposes‟ (LSP). The „P‟ in ESP refers to the learner‟s purpose, which was defined as „a combination of pre-determined or pre- selected goal and ongoing intentionality and motivation‟.
This definition of ESP shows us a simple segregation of the three elements and explanation of each one. We can see that the learner‟s purposes on learning specific English have been mentioned clearly. As a teacher of ESP, the author shares the opinions that ESP serves the learner‟s needs. This determines the learner‟s motivation, attitude and effort in learning ESP.
For vocational learning purposes, ESP may be a particular English language environment in which learners study both the specific knowledge represented in this foreign language and the communicative language skills needed for each specific field. 4 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail. Classification of ESP It can be seen that, language varies according to the context of use. Thus, there are many types of ESP.
Traditionally; ESP has been divided into two main areas. Kennedy and Bolitho (1984: 4) defined the types of ESP: "English for Occupational Purpose (EOP) is taught in a situation in which learners need to use English as a part of their work or profession". Meanwhile, “English for Academic Purpose (EAP) is taught generally within educational institutions to students needing English in their studies". This division of ESP plays a very important role in affecting the degree of specificity that is appropriate to the course.
However, according to Hutchinson (1987: 16) " This is not a clear- cut distinction: people can work and study simultaneously, it is also likely that in many cases the language learnt for immediate use in a study environment will be used later when the student takes up, or returns a job". According to Hutchinson, there are three categories basing on nature of the learners' specialism. English for Science and Technology (EST), English for Business and Economic (EBE) and English for the Social Science (ESS). Whereas, English for Heat and Refrigeration Engineering belongs to English for Technician.
Teachers’ roles and challenges in teaching ESP 1. The roles of ESP teachers Whether the ESP teacher should master the materials or content of the subject matter seems a debating issue. Two points of view will be introduced in this part for typical consideration. Hutchinson and Waters (1987: 157) think that „ESP teachers do not need to learn specialist subject knowledge‟.