VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES ---------- BÙI THỊ THANH LAN DESIGNING AN ESP READING SYLLABUS FOR STUDENTS OF ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATION AT THE PEOPLE’S POLICE UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY AND LOGISTICS Thiết kế chương trình đọc hiểu Tiếng Anh Chuyên ngành cho sinh viên khoa Điện tử - Viễn thông tại trường Đại học Kỹ thuật - Hậu cần Công an Nhân dân M. MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60140111 Supervisor: Prof. Hoàng Văn Vân HANOI - 2016 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com DECLARATION I declare that this thesis is the result of my own research. The study was done under the guidance of Prof.
Hoang Van Van at Vietnam National University, Ha Noi. Hanoi, 2016 Bùi Thị Thanh Lan i LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS On the completion of this thesis, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor, Prof. Hoang Van Van, who has offered me precious support, guidance, suggestions and encouragement throughout the research. My special thanks go to the lecturers of the Post-graduate cohort 22 at Vietnam National University - Hanoi, University of Languages and International Studies for their inspiring lectures.
I would like to express my deep gratitude to all the teachers, colleagues and students at People‟s Police University of Technology and Logistics for their willing participation in answering questionnaires and sharing ideas on relevant issues. Last but not least, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to my family who gave me supports during the study. ii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com ABSTRACT A great emphasis has been placed on English as a foreign language learning at People‟s Police University of Technology and Logistics. However, the current syllabus for students of Electronics and Telecommunication has proved inadequate in addressing the students‟ needs.
Besides, this study is carried out in order to propose a new ESP syllabus which can fit the new time allowance of the credit training program at UTL. This study, therefore, aims to investigate the needs of ET students in their own perception and in the viewpoints of ESP and ET teachers, which serve as the basis for designing a new ESP reading syllabus. An analysis of needs was carried out based on Hutchinson & Water‟s (1987) framework, by the means of questionnaires and interviews to gather information from four sources: ET teachers, teachers of ESP, and ET students at UTL. The findings such as students‟ expectations, preferences and English competence, ESP teachers‟ expectations and suggestions, were taken into account in constructing the syllabus.
Based on the literature review and the survey findings, an ESP reading syllabus is proposed. This syllabus can expectedly improve the ESP reading learning and teaching situation at UTL as it makes the course more responsive to the students‟ needs and harmonizes with the training goals of the university. iii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION .iii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS. vii PART A: INTRODUCTION.
Aim and objectives. Scope of the study. Methods of the study. Significance of the study.
Design of the study .5 CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW. An overview of ESP. What is ESP?. Types of ESP.
Overview of reading in ESP. Definition of reading. ESP reading instruction. Reading sub-skills.
An overview of syllabus design. Definition of syllabus. Approaches to syllabus design. Types of syllabuses.
Steps to design a syllabus. Needs analysis in syllabus design. Selecting and grading contents. Selecting and grading learning tasks.
Summary of the chapter. 21 CHAPTER 2: AN INVESTIGATION ON THE NEEDS OF STUDENTS TOWARDS AN ESP COURSE. Teaching and learning ESP and ESP situation at UTL. 22 iv LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.
A survey of students‟ needs. The research questions. Data collection instruments. Subjects of the study.
Data collection procedures. Findings and discussion. Students‟ problems in ESP reading. Oppinions on the goal of the ESP reading course.
Opinions on the needed grammar topics. Opinions on the needed reading skills. Opinions on the needed exercises. Selections of reading topics.
Summary of the chapter…………………………………………………………32 CHAPTER 3: A PROPOSED ESP READING SYLLABUS. 33 FOR THIRD-YEAR ET STUDENTS AT UTL. Setting goal for the course. Selecting the type of ESP syllabus.
Selection of syllabus contents. Topics in the syllabus. Reading sub-skills in the syllabus. Reading exercises in the syllabus.
Grammar and structures in the syllabus. Organization and duration of the syllabus. The proposed syllabus. Suggestions for using the syllabus.
Suggestions for teaching methodology. Suggestions for assessment strategies. Suggestions for material selection. Summary of the chapter………………………………………………………….
Limitations and suggestions for further study .………………………………………………………………I v LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.XII APPENDIX 9 ………………………………………………………………………XIII APPENDIX 10. ……………………………………………………………………XVI vi LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS EGP: English for General Purposes ESP: English for Specific Purposes ET: Electronics and Telecommunication UTL: University of Technology and Logistics vii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com PART A: INTRODUCTION I. Rationale As can be seen from books on the history of ESP, since the end of World War II business, science and technology has been unprecedentedly blooming. English has become the key to world‟s science, technology and commerce.
Being aware of this fact, Vietnamese educators have been paying great attention and investment on developing English training programs. In this trend, administration board of the University of Technology and Logistics (UTL) once confirmed that English is among the most important skills that students of technology should improve while training at UTL. The university, however, has been founded for only five years; curriculums, syllabuses, textbooks, therefore, are still in the process of experiment and adaptation. At the time this study began, only four batches of students had been recruited: D1, D2, D3 and D4.
D1 and D2 are following five year training program, meanwhile D3 and afterwards are following the new credit based program. D1 are now at their fifth year and they have completed both EGP and ESP courses. From the experience of teaching D1 and D2 students and discussions with colleagues, the author, at a first glance, finds that the current ESP syllabuses do not meet the students‟ needs. Topics of the lessons are not attractive and some are not practical to students‟ profession.
On the other hand, these topics are not properly sequenced as commented by some teachers of Electronics and Telecommunication. The exercises are rather monotonous, which can easily lead to boredom for both teachers and students. These reasons can be traced back to the process of conducting these syllabuses, in which needs analysis had not been carried out. Another reason for the author to start the study is that the new batches of students - D3, D4 and afterward will shift to follow the new training program, namely credit-based program.
This new program lasts only four years, one year shorter compared with the normal school-year program. As a matter of fact, curriculums and syllabuses for these students have to be remade or modified. ESP syllabuses are also 1 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com to be redesigned so that the time for the course will be shortened from 75 forty-five- minute periods in two terms into 45 fifty-minute periods in one term. If the syllabus proposed in this study is approved for the new program, it would be a great honor to the author.
For the reasons above, this study is carried out in order to propose a new ESP syllabus which can fit the new time allowance and the goal of the new training program. More importantly, it is hoped that the new syllabus can be a positive response to the needs of students of Electronics and Telecommunication at UTL. Aim and objectives The study aims at designing a new ESP reading syllabus which can meet both the learners‟ needs and the objectives of the training program. To achieve this aim, these objectives are set as follows: - investigating the current situation of teaching and learning English, especially English for Specific Purposes at UTL; - identifying the needs of the target students; - proposing an ESP reading syllabus for students of Electronics and Telecommunication students at UTL.
Scope of the study The study is carried out to formulate an ESP reading syllabus for students of Electronics and Telecommunication at UTL. These target students have completed 210 forty-five minute periods of General English, which can help reach B1 level in CEFR scale. The study limits itself to these target students. Presumed time allotment for the course is 45 fifty-minute periods.
Within the given time, all the four language skills should not be equally focused in the syllabus. Reading is then chosen as the backbone of the course, as also suggested by the administration board of the university. Biases on other aspects of language are beyond the scope of this study. 2 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.
Methods of the study After critically reviewing literature on ESP reading syllabus design (see chapter 1, pages 5 - 21), the author finds out two points: (1) needs analysis is the basis to design a syllabus, and (2) to carry a successful needs analysis, survey method has been by far the most popularly used by researchers as it can help collect a large amount of data in a short time. Therefore, survey method is employed when analyzing the needs of target students. Data are collected from different relevant parties: ET students, ET teachers and ESP teachers. Data are collected by the means of questionnaires and interviews.
Basing on theory review (chapter 1) and need analysis (chapter 2.), together with the objectives set up by the training board as well as a qualitative assessment on the current situation of ESP teaching and learning at UTL (chapter 2.), a syllabus is constructed. Significance of the study The study is initially considered a progression of the author‟s ESP teaching practice. Besides, the study might be useful for course designers in general and especially ESP course designers at UTL in the way that it revises the theory of ESP and syllabus design. Thirdly, ESP teachers at UTL may find it beneficial as it suggests teaching methods and helps teachers understand their students‟ needs better.
Design of the study The study consists of three parts: Part A: Introduction. This part gives brief information on the rationale, aims and objectives, scope of the study and the methods of the study. This part consists of three chapters. Chapter 1 presents the theoretical background on which the study is based.
In this chapter, definitions and relevant features of syllabus, syllabus design, needs analysis, ESP, reading skill in ESP and types of reading exercises will be reviewed. Chapter 2 consists of two parts. Part 1 is an overview of teaching and learning EGP and ESP at the university. The second part discusses the first and the most important phase of designing the syllabus: needs analysis, which is carried out through 3 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com a survey research.
The findings of needs analysis together with the assessment of ESP and ESP teaching and learning situation will be used as the basis for designing an ESP reading syllabus for the target students. Chapter 3 reports on the procedures of constructing the syllabus basing on theory reviewed in chapter 1 and needs analysis results in chapter 2, and finally proposes a complete syllabus with some suggestions to use it. This part summarizes what has been discussed in the study, points out the limitations, and makes some suggestions for further study. 4 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.