An approach to developing customized ESP material and courses

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An approach to developing customized ESP material
and courses

• 20th Annual BESIG Conference
• Berlin, 16 18 November 2007

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Overview

• The formula and its background
• The formula in detail
• The formula in use
• Summary

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The formula and its background
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A question from a colleague

• How do you decide which material to include
• in an ESP course?

Who
Learners
What
Genres
With whom
In what channel
Comm. partners
Medium
In which cultural conditions
Intercultural communication
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The formula

• Lasswells Formula
• Who says
• what
• to whom
• in which channel
• with what effect.

The ESP Formula Who communicates what with
whom in which channel under which cultural
conditions.
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The formula in detail
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Who (the learners and group composition)

• Determining
• CEF level
• discipline
• native language
• academic background
• age

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what (the genres and topics)

• Telephone calls? Financial reports
  Interviews Contracts?
• Giving factory tours?
• Writing lab reports?
• Following orders?
• Small talk? Instruction manuals?
• Product descriptions?

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with whom (levels of expertise)
CP
L
CP
L
L
L
CP
LP
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in what channel

• Particularities of the medium?
• medium-specific ritualised phrases
• meta-language skills

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under which cultural conditions?

• monocultural environment?
• knowledge about target culture
• skills to interact effectively in specific
  culture
• multicultural environment?
• knowledge about culture in general
• skills to interact effectively inmulticultural
  environment

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Using the formula
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A needs analysis

• Formula used for
• brainstorming for course topics
• developing or adapting material
• creating a syllabus or a languagelearning product

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Brainstorming
technical officers on container ships
multinational crew A1 high school
Genres directions written and oral
reports instructions technical processes
emails weather reports note taking
Topics Parts of the ship safety and
emergencies routines problems water and
garbage management weather situations arriving
in port shore leave and socializing
multicultural environment
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Creating and adapting new material
Who
What with whom in which medium
cultural conditions
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Creating new material

• Reporting an emergency
• restricted syntax (clarity)

• 2 officers, one on bridge, one elsewhereExpertise
  on same level
• established terminology, no jargon
  (clarity, precision)

Walkie-talkie ? repetition (ensure comprehension)
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Sample of new material

• Fire in the Engine Room
• Restricted syntax
• Established terminology
• Repetition

• imperatives Stop fuel.
• ellipsis Fire under control.

- CO2, fire watch

• Is the smoke toxic?
• No, the smoke is not toxic.

? Click me
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Samples of adapted material
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Developing curriculum
Develop new material
Who
Select What from brain- storming
Adapt fromold material
Customized ESP course
Find suitablematerial
cultural conditions
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How can trainers customize their courses?

• Bundle courses in a learning platform
• Add published content as basis
• Adapt personal content
• Create new personal content

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Cornelsen Web-based Trainings for Blended Learning

• Titles
• English for Emails, English for Telephoning,
  English for Meetings, English for Presentations
• Business English 2.1 2.2
• Grammar No problem
• Modular
• Trainers Guide for face-to-face sessions
• Ideas for forum activities

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Summary
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Summary

• Who communicates what with whom in what channel
  and under which cultural conditions?
• Simple formula which offers a detailed and
  accurate needs analysis for
• brainstorming topics for ESP courses
• creating and adapting material
• developing curricula and languagelearning
  products