VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRAFUAT STUDIES ----------------------- NGUYỄN THỊ HƯỜNG DESIGNING ESP SYLLABUS FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY STUDENTS AT A COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY AND ECONOMICS IN HANOI THIẾT KẾ CHƯƠNG TRÌNH TIẾNG ANH CHUYÊN NGÀNH CHO SINH VIÊN NGÀNH CÔNG NGHỆ THÔNG TIN TẠI MỘT TRƯỜNG CAO ĐẲNG CÔNG NGHỆ VÀ KINH TẾ Ở HÀ NỘI M. MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60140111 HANOI – 2017 z VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRAFUAT STUDIES ----------------------- NGUYỄN THỊ HƯỜNG DESIGNING ESP SYLLABUS FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY STUDENTS AT A COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY AND ECONOMICS IN HANOI THIẾT KẾ CHƯƠNG TRÌNH TIẾNG ANH CHUYÊN NGÀNH CHO SINH VIÊN NGÀNH CÔNG NGHỆ THÔNG TIN TẠI MỘT TRƯỜNG CAO ĐẲNG CÔNG NGHỆ VÀ KINH TẾ Ở HÀ NỘI M. MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60140111 Supervisor: Prof.Hoàng Văn Vân HANOI - 2017 z DECLARATION I hereby declare that this thesis is my own work and has not been submitted anywhere for any award. Where other sources of information have been used, they have been acknowledged.
Hanoi, September 2017 Nguyễn Thị Hường i z ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This study would not exist without the support and encouragement from many people whom I wish to thank here. First and foremost, I would like to send a stunning bunch of flowers to my supervisor, Prof.Hoang Van Van, who gave me valuable suggestions, considerate guidance and encouragements in the development and completion of this study. I would be grateful to all of my lecturers in the post-graduate department of VNU University of Languages and International Studies. I should also record a debt to my students who helped me to complete the survey questionnaires and ESP teachers of Hanoi College of Technology and Economics who were so enthusiastic with me in answering interview questions and gave constructive suggestions to my study.
Last but not least, I would like to thank my family for their understanding, love and supports during the time I worked on this study. ii z ABSTRACT This study aims at designing a task-based ESP syllabus for intermediate vocational students of information technology at Hanoi College of Technology and Economics. The proposed syllabus was produced on the basis of learners‟ needs and target needs analysis. Data was collected from interviews with ESP teachers and two questionnaires for 50 undergraduate students of information technology and 30 ex- students of Hanoi College of Technology and Economics.
The results of data analysis along with the theoretical views of syllabus design are the foundation for designing a syllabus for intermediate vocational students of information technology at Hanoi College of Technology and Economics. This study is hoped to make some contributions to the improvement of teaching and learning ESP at Hanoi College of Technology and Economics. iii z LIST OF ABBREVIATION EAP : English for Academic Purposes EOP : English for Occupational Purposes ESP : English for Specific Purposes EFL : English as a Foreign Language GE : General English HNCTE : Hanoi College of Technology and Economics IT : Information Technology TBLT : Task-based Language Teaching iv z LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES Figure 1.1: ESP classification by experience (Source: Robinson, 1991:3-4) .Bases for language syllabus design (White, 1988: 46). Students‟ reasons for learning English.
Students‟ opinions on prospective job. Students‟ anticipated possibilities to use English at work in the future. Ex-student‟s situations of using English at work. Student‟s opinions on tasks should be included in the course book.
Ex-students‟ opinions on tasks which should be included in the course book. Students‟ evaluation on the current ESP course book .31 v z TABLE OF CONTENT DECLARATION. ii LIST OF ABBREVIATION. iv LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES .v TABLE OF CONTENT.
vi PART A: INTRODUCTION. Aims and objectives of the study. Scope of the study. Method of the study.
Structure of the study .4 CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW. Definitions of ESP. Types of ESP. Definitions of syllabus.
Approaches to ESP Syllabus Design. Types of syllabus. Task-based syllabus. Rationale for choosing Task-based syllabus.
Steps to design a syllabus .18 CHAPTER 2: NEEDS ANALYSIS OF INTERMEDIATE VOCATIONAL STUDENTS OF HANOI COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY AND ECONOMICS. The teaching and learning ESP at HNCTE. The target students. The teaching staff.
Instruments for collecting data. Data analysis and major findings .35 CHAPTER 3: THE PROPOSED SYLLABUS CONTENT FOR INTERMEDIATE VOCATIONAL STUDENTS OF INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGY AT HNCTE. Aims and objectives of the syllabus. Types of the syllabus.
Tasks in the syllabus. The proposed syllabus. The organization of the syllabus. Suggested teaching and assessment methodology.
Limitations and suggestions for further studies. I vii z PART A: INTRODUCTION 1. Rationale In the globalization era that is filled by super tight challenges and competitions, every individual is required not only a high level of education but also a store of skills. One of the skills that most needed today is English proficiency due to its importance in almost every corner of our life.
The demand for English in general and English for Specific Purpose (ESP) in particular therefore becomes rising to meet up with the increasingly interconnected and globalized world. At Hanoi College of Technology and Economics, English is a mandatory subject for all students coming from different departments and majors. The training curriculum is divided into two parts: General English (GE) delivered at the first semester and English for Specific Purposes (ESP) followed afterwards. However, teaching ESP has confronted a number of issues including content overload, inappropriate materials and lack of experienced ESP teachers.
Among these problems, the course book is of the most concern for the ESP department. The current ESP book for Intermediate Vocational students of Information Technology is compiled by Thac Binh Cuong – an experienced teacher in the field of information technology. However, after a few years of implementation, it has revealed lots of limitations in terms of methodology and content. The fact shows that most students face difficulty in speaking and listening despite their well-grasping English grammar.
They also shoulder a heavy program that goes beyond their capacity to fulfill. This gives rise to the need of creating a new syllabus which puts learners in the central role and is tasks-surrounded. Under such circumstance was this study given birth. Hopefully, it will make a contribution for the improvement of English teaching at Hanoi College of Technology and Economics.
Aims and objectives of the study The overarching target of the study is to design a task-based English syllabus for the intermediate vocational students of information technology at Hanoi 1 z College of Technology and Economics. In order to achieve this planned aim, the following objectives are set: - Identifying the learning needs and target needs of the intermediate vocational students of information technology through conducting a needs analysis. - Building up a task-based ESP syllabus based on learners‟ needs for students of information technology at Hanoi College of Technology and Economics. Research questions To fulfill the aim and the objectives as set above, the following questions are raised for exploration: 1.
What are the students‟ perceived needs of ESP? 2. How are the needs of all stakeholders transferred into tasks that will be designed in an ESP syllabus? 4. Scope of the study The area for this thesis is for the intermediate vocational students majoring in information technology at HNCTE. Method of the study In order to meet up the aim mentioned above, two surveys questionnaires for undergraduate students and ex-students of HNCTE were conducted to find out students‟ needs and to identify tasks that should be selected in the syllabus for the intermediate vocational students of information technology.
Additionally, informal interview with three ESP teachers was carried out to collect their opinions of which tasks should not be missed in the syllabus. The author aims at getting detailed answers to the questions raised in Section3; therefore, both quantitative and qualitative methods are employed in this study. Structure of the study The study is made up of three parts: 2 z Part A is the introduction where the rationale, the aims and objectives, the research questions, the scope, the method and the structure of the study will be presented. Part B is the development comprising three chapters: - Chapter 1 covers literature review of ESP and syllabus design.
- Chapter 2 presents some situational analysis of ESP teaching and learning at HNCTE and gives descriptions of subjects of the study, instruments for data collection and analysis of the results drawn from two questionnaires and interviews. - Chapter 3 comprises ESP task-based syllabus for the intermediate vocational students of information technology at HNCTE, methodology of teaching, assessment and syllabus evaluation. Part C summarizes the main contents of the study points out limitations and makes suggestions for further study. 3 z PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW 1.
Definitions of ESP ESP (English for Specific Purposes) is one branch of the EFL (English as a Foreign Language). There is a series of definitions based on researcher‟s standpoints and approaches to the target issue or their distinctive emphases on the variety of elements that characterize ESP. Hutchinson and Waters (1987:21) see ESP as an approach rather that product, which based on learners‟ needs: “ESP is an approach to language teaching which aims to meet the needs of particular learners”. The crucial point of all ESP is to answer the simple question: Why does this learner need to learn a foreign language? Sharing the same point of view, Robinson (1991) also approves with the primary of need analysis in figuring out ESP.
She asserts that ESP course is based on a need analysis that “aims to specify as closely as possible what exactly is it that students have to do through the medium of English” (Robinsion, 1991:3). In a closer approach to characteristics, Strevens (1988) describes ESP by making a distinction between its absolute and variable characteristics: - Absolute characteristics are the ESP consisting of English language teaching, which is: (i) Designed to respond to particular needs of the learner; (ii) Related in content (i.in its themes and topics) to specific disciplines, occupation and activities; (iii) Centred on the language appropriate to those activities in terms of syntax, lexis, discourse, semantics, etc. (iv) In contrast with General English. - Variable characteristics are the ESP which may be, but is not necessarily: (i) Restricted as to the language skills to be learned (e.
reading only); (ii) Not taught according to any pre-ordained methodology. Dudley-Evans and St John (1998: 4-5) believe that adult learners are more likely to use ESP, whether in a professional work situation or at tertiary level context. Moreover, ESP is normally designed for intermediate or advanced students and 4 z generally offers some basic knowledge of the language system but can be utilized by beginners. In short, although opinions on what ESP is differ, most of the definitions above share a common view; that is,an ESP course must be made up based on the learners‟ needs; in other words, an ESP syllabus should be designed to meet the learner‟s demand to inspire their learning.
Types of ESP ESP has traditionally been divided into two main branches namely English for Academic Purposes (EAP) and English for occupational Purposes (EOP) (Munby, 1978; Hutchinson & Waters, 1987; Dudley-Evans & St John, 1998; Robinson, 1991). However, Hutchinson & Waters do emphasize that there is no clear distinction between EAP and EOP because: “people can work and study simultaneously; it is likely that in many cases the language learnt for immediate use in a study environment will be used later when the students take up, or return to, a job”.