Current English for Specific Purposes & English for Academic Purposes: Mainstream Current or Peripheral Flow?

Implications for Tertiary Institutions in South Africa

University of Limpopo

April 2014

Mark Krzanowski

Dept of English and Linguistics

University of Westminster London

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Organisation of the talk • Introduction

Developments and Innovations in General English

ESP and the world of ESP acronyms and abbreviations

Developments and Innovations in English for Academic and Specific

Purposes (EAP and ESP)

EAP and ESP challenges and response of publishers

CPD: Into ESP and EAP: ‘adding value’

Words of advice from international ESP or/and EAP practitioners

ESP & EAP – challenges of different genres

• Conclusions

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Developments and Innovations

in General English

• clearer identification of a language learner (learner type and where they study)

• EFL student (characteristics) – cf classic EFL books (often considered Euro/Western-centric)

• ESOL student (characteristics) – cf classic ESOL books

• student studying general English in their home country (characteristics) [e.g. in a developing country or an emerging-economy country] – cf books adapted to suit local / geographical / cultural needs

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Developments and Innovations

in General English- cntnd

• concept of a ‘spiky profile’: challenge to

teachers and exam providers

• ability of language teachers to handle

different learner types (qualifications, level of

training and experience)

• Changes in the demography of an English

learner: relatively few beginners to cater for

• current teaching methodologies:

‘enlightened eclecticism’ 5

Types of GE (UK ‘terminology’)

• EFL vs ESOL

• Types of ESP

“Decipher” the following ESP acronyms and

abbreviations ESP EAP ESAP EOP EPP

ESL EAL E3L ELF EIC

E4W ALOS E4D EAS EMI

MLE TT (ESP) TT (ESP) TE (ESP) SS

Acronyms and abbreviations

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Q: ELT, ESP & EAP in RSA

• Which ELT learner type is a SA student in

Higher Education or in the private sector?

Who teaches English in RSA? What quals do

they hold? Which methods do they use? Are

all English language students homogenous

or heterogeneous? Do they all have

reasonably high academic literacy skills

when they enter university or are they any

divides (e.g. urban-rural; rich-poor) Any need

for change?

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Developments and Innovations in English for

Academic and Specific Purposes (EAP and ESP)

Clarification of concepts with some examples

• traditionally EAP and ESP - separated

• new trend: ESAP – English for Specific

Academic Purposes (examples)

• traditional debates:

(a) how to teach EAP / ESAP: combined-skills

or separated-skills approach?

(b) ‘Paradigm wars’ and their impact on

ELT/ESP/EAP in the 21st century

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Developments and Innovations in English for

Academic and Specific Purposes (EAP and ESP) -

cntnd

(c) looking for the best model for EAP courses – Foundation, Bridging, presessional or insessional models?

(d) EAP in the university sector – a mainstream current or peripheral flow? Terms and conditions in HE (classic academic departments vs language centres: compare UK and RSA)

(e) who teaches EAP & what are their qualifications and background?

(f) promotion of learner autonomy, learner independence and self-directed learning

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Developments and Innovations in English for

Academic and Specific Purposes (EAP and ESP) -

continued

(g) materials design – EAP practitioner expected to go beyond commercially available mats and resources? what is generally the availability of commercially produced ESP and EAP mats in RSA? Are there many locally conceived books / resources

(g) curriculum/syllabus design – concept of process syllabus

(h) lack of EAP materials for students representing non-text based disciplines (esp. Art and Design)

(i) lack of EAP resources in poor low-tech countries (teaching ‘on a shoe-string’)

(j) difficulty in promoting or teaching certain concepts in certain cultures, e.g. critical thinking or avoiding plagiarism

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Developments and Innovations in English for

Academic and Specific Purposes (EAP and

ESP) - continued

• implications for RSA: where does RSA Higher

Education, as well as its ELT teachers, stand in

relation to these points? [what is taught: GE or

EAP? Or both?] Do SA English language teachers

have enough experience or expertise to teach EAP

or ESAP? Are there specialist quals or do teachers

gain the skills on the job?

• How well do they manage to cope with the

demands of syllabus design, materials design and

preparation of schemes of work for diverse learner

types?

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ALOS (Academic Literacy and Oracy

Skills)

• Teaching academic language and relevant skills to

students for whom English is the first or second

language or who use English as a lingua franca

• UK/’home’ students vs Indian students and Nigerian

students

• No need to teach listening skills

• UK students: relatively low level of awareness of the high

academic register

• Nigerian students: no problems with grammar (Igbo,

Hausa and Yoruba – SVO languages); accent – an issue

• Indian students – grammar can be a problem (Indian

languages – diverse, not always SVO)

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ALOS (Academic Literacy and Oracy

Skills) - continued

• “Language typologists classify English as an SVO

language and Hindi as an SOV language. [….] On the

other hand, Hindi is a relatively free word order

language”: http://ltrc.iiit.ac.in/~anusaaraka/PUBLICATIONS/lsi1.pdf

• What is the influence of key RSA languages (e.g. isi-

Zulu, Xhosa or Tshivenda) on English (grammar &

vocabulary) – which aspects of (academic) English need

to be taught or dealt with at university level?

• Do Afrikaans speakers have problems with (academic)

English, and using it?

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http://www.baleap.org.uk/teap/teap-competency-

framework.pdf

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Developments in English for

Work (E4W) • explosion of interest in E4W

• curricula/syllabi at English-speaking and international universities: how well are graduates prepared for the World of Work on exit?

• concept of ‘soft’ skills

• mission of higher education: idealistic – pursuit of knowledge? or: strongly embedded employability agenda and employability skills?

• importance of language competence for professional career (esp. in international contexts)

• existence (or absence) of English language or communication skills modules in undergraduate or postgraduate modules

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Developments in English for

Work (E4W) - continued

• implications for RSA:

Do ALL young SA university graduates possess a high level of English competence suitable for their professional careers?

Do such employees get better jobs or earn more money?

Is English for Professional Purposes an issue at RSA universities? If so, it is taught appropriately?

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EAP and ESP challenges and response of

publishers (e.g. Garnet Education)

a. Brief discussion of major developments as

exemplified by recent publications

- Teaching EAP – the semi-discrete approach

still very much the case, but the level of

integration – higher than in the past

- Teaching ESP and ESAP: a surprising U-

turn – the integrated skills approach returns

- Even ESP & EAP: learning a language

seems both holistic and atomistic, not just

one of the two

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EAP and ESP challenges and response of publishers -

continued

• Interesting feature: Teachers’ Books twice as ‘thick’

as Students’ Books (a high level of methodological

guidance)

• Emergence of teacher training and teacher

education books, e.g.:

• EAP Essentials: A teacher's guide to principles and

practice by Olwyn Alexander, Sue Argent and Jenifer

Spencer:

• http://www.garneteducation.com/en/Book/61/EAP_Es

sentials:_A_teacher's_guide_to_principles_and_prac

tice.html

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• Emergence of teacher training and teacher

education books [continued], e.g.:

• Current Developments in English for Academic and

Specific Purposes in Developing, Emerging and Least-

Developed Countries Edited by Mark Krzanowski • http://www.garneteducation.com/en/Book/227/Current_Developments_in_Engli

sh_for_Academic_and_Specific_Purposes_in_Developing,_Emerging_and_Lea

st-Developed_Countries.html

• Current Developments in English for Academic, Specific

and Occupational Purposes Edited by Mark Krzanowski • http://www.garneteducation.com/en/Book/224/Current_Developments_in_Engli

sh_for_Academic,_Specific_and_Occupational_Purposes.html

• Ongoing development of specialist periodicals, e.g. the IATEFL ESP

SIG Journal (sponsored by Garnet Education):

• http://espsig.iatefl.org/resources/espsigJournalIssue34summer

_autumn09.pdf

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CPD: Into ESP and EAP: ‘adding value’

• Examining ESP or EAP resources and writing book reviews (see a

separate sample) √

• Joining relevant ESP or EAP online discussion groups √

• Networking with fellow professionals in one’s job locally, e.g. with

other ESP and EAP lecturers in your own country √

• (in not in existence) setting up a national teaching association; if

there is one, setting up a national ESP/EAP SIG √

• Acting as external examiner in ESP or EAP to calibrate good

practice √

• Acting as consultant to ELT publishers √

• Successful completion of terminal ELT qualification (PhD or EdD)

√

• Writing one’s own ESP or EAP book (opus magnum) √

• International travel for benchmarking √

• Quality circle meetings with colleagues √

• Involvement in Learning and Teaching initiatives √ 20

Words of advice from international ESP or/and

EAP practitioners • Juan Carlos, Medical School, University of Santiago de Cuba:

• Quote “Teaching ESP; to any specialty is a very difficult task for teachers of English

and teaching it to doctors and nurses I think is a bit more demanding because you

need to be very careful in preparing your lessons which brings about looking for

specific medical information and studying and understanding in your native language

first what you going to teach which does not only mean the teaching of medical terms

but, medical procedures; the specific piece of language to be used in the different

steps such as the Medical Interview, the language needed for the Physical

Examination, Laboratory Exams, Studies or Investigations, for the Case

Discussions and Case Presentations in order to establish the correct Diagnosis which

will be later express in Medical Case Reports as they do in their daily life but in their

native language. Language for medical research is also part of that content which will

prepare them to be independent in understanding more complicated texts on the

specific subjects. It is said that in ESP, the teacher teaches English and the learners

know the subjects and because of this, we are not obliged of course to learn medicine

as such but with a wide background on the field, the lessons turn more interesting

and motivating since the students know what you can do with the science and then

they feel compromised with what they can do with the Language because my

principle is that Science development is not possible without the language use since

everything is developed and expressed through language. ”

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Words of advice from international ESP or/and

EAP practitioners • Ana Margarita Fuertez (Havana Medical School, Cuba):

“It has become increasingly important for any country to graduate professionals that really give an answer to the needs of the country, Cuba is not an exception.

One of the most important aspects to take into consideration to accomplish this task is to teach English in a way that students feel as close as possible to the reality they will face in their upcoming jobs. In Cuba, the syllabus is designed in a way that after 3 years of teaching General English, students are ready to complete 2 years of Medical English. This process includes learning how to make case discussions, doctor-patient interviews, writing medical reports and referral letters, reading and writing leaflets and discussing treatments among other activities.

It has proven favorable to take students to real scenarios, namely clinics or hospitals to perform ward rounds in order to apply what they have learned in class, this activity is supervised by the teacher of English and an expert doctor with evident proficiency in the English language.”

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Gradual mastery of ESP/EAP discipline-

specific genres (what & how)

• Teaching in the disciplines: Engineering [text based discipline]

• Understanding of the subject area and understanding of what Eng. Students will be assessed in.

• Typical/main assessment tools (mostly written):

• Unseen written examinations

• Laboratory or field trip reports

• Analytical calculations

• Project reports

• Dissertations

• Portfolios and personal development plans

• Poster presentations

• Oral presentations

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Gradual mastery of ESP/EAP discipline-

specific genres (what & how)

• Teaching in the disciplines: Nursing [practice-based discipline]

• Understanding of the subject area and understanding of what Nursing Students will be assessed in.

• Typical/main assessment tools (mostly written ‘BUT’):

• Portfolios (some element of reflection)

• Essays, learning journals, project reports, practice-based assessments, OSCEs (objectively structured clinical examinations), posters, presentations

• (a lot of) Emphasis on reflective writing

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Gradual mastery of ESP/EAP discipline-specific genres

(what & how)

• Teaching in the disciplines: Psychology [text-based

discipline]

• Understanding of the subject area and understanding of

what Psych. Students will be assessed in.

• Typical/main assessment tools (mostly written):

• “Assessment begins in the form of multiple choice exams, short

reports and essays, and progresses onto more substantive

pieces of work, such as larger research reports,

examinations, presentations and research protocols.

Students can discuss their grades and overall performance every

semester by meeting with their personal tutor.” (source:

http://www.psyc.leeds.ac.uk/10/ugrads/prospective/)

• Also, UG dissertations

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Gradual mastery of ESP/EAP discipline-

specific genres (what & how)

• Teaching in the disciplines: Law [text- based discipline] (p. 363)

• Understanding of the subject area and understanding of what Law Students will be assessed in.

• Typical/main assessment tools (mostly written):

• ‘porosity’ of the discipline (drawing on ‘philosophy, politics, sociology and economics’); “elitist” or widening access?

• Traditional coursework and examination essay

• “mooting tasks”; oral presentations (group or individual); client interview, negotiation or advocacy skills exercises; reflective journals; portfolios; projects (mostly in written form); dissertations; “reflective narrative”; conventional vs ‘newer’ assessment types;

• The ‘minutiae’ and idiosyncrasies of the written legal register (syntax and vocabulary)

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Gradual mastery of ESP/EAP discipline-

specific genres (what & how)

• Teaching in the disciplines: Art and Design (Visual Arts) [practice-based discipline] Understanding of the subject area and understanding of what A&D Students will be assessed in.

• Typical/main assessment tools (mostly ORAL ‘BUT’):

• Crits (critiques) & presentations

• Many teachers and students have SpLDs (Specific Learning Difficulties/Dyslexia); almost all A&S prefer visual communication

• Efforts to support (academic) literacy in the visual arts (important esp. for employability); reflective writing (learning journals); sketchbooks (combining visual and written communication)

• Marginalisation of written communication

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Writing in higher education – students with

dyslexia (going beyond a genre)

• Dyslexia (definition):

Dyslexia /dɪsˈlɛksɪə/ noun

1.

a general term for disorders that involve difficulty in learning to

read or interpret words, letters, and other symbols, but that do

not affect general intelligence.

• http://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/about-dyslexia/further-

information/dyslexia-research-information-.html

The Guardian (14 Oct 2013): “Dyslexic students like me need

more support at university. Some universities are better at

supporting dyslexic students than others, writes a student

blogger”:

http://www.theguardian.com/education/mortarboard/2013/oct/14/

more-support-for-dyslexic-students 28

Conclusions • ESP & EAP – no longer a peripheral

flow, but a mainstream current

• CPD in ELT – a condition sine qua non

• ESP & EAP continuum: from initiation

via experience to expertise

• ESP and EAP in RSA - Implications:

need for formulation of national HE

strategy: what, why, who, when?

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Mark Krzanowski

Dept of English and Linguistics

University of Westminster London

Email: markkski2@gmail.com

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