renata ourednikova teaching esp at secondary textile school
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MASARYK UNIVERSITY BRNO
FACULTY OF EDUCATION
Department of English Language and Literature
TEACHING ESP AT SECONDARY TEXTILE
SCHOOLDiploma Work
Brno 2008
Author: Bc. Renata Ouednkov Supervisor: Mgr. Nad
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Declaration
Hereby I state that I have worked on this diploma work by myself and that all the sources ofinformation I have used are listed in the references.
I agree to have the work put in the library of the Pedagogical Faculty of the Masaryk
University, Brno and to have it accessible for further study purposes.
In Liberec, 20th April, 2008 Bc. Renata Ouednkov
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I would like to express my gratitude to Mgr. Nadda Vojtkov for her practical and
encouraging guidance, support and comments on my work.
Contents
1. Introduction .............................................................................................................................5i. THEORETICAL PART...................................................................................................6
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2. Teaching Vocabulary .............................................................................................................62.1. What is a word .................................................................................................................62.2. Knowing a word ...............................................................................................................72.3. How are words learnt and retained ..................................................................................82.4. Sources of words ...........................................................................................................11
3. Methods of presenting vocabulary ........................................................................................143.1. Grammar translation method ........................................................................................153.2. Direct method ................................................................................................................163.3. Total physical response ..................................................................................................163.4. Audiolingual method .....................................................................................................173.5. Suggestopedia ...............................................................................................................183.6. Silent way .......................................................................................................................193.7. Communicative language teaching ...............................................................................193.8. PPP approach ................................................................................................................203.9. Task-based approach ......................................................................................................213.10. Lexical approach ..........................................................................................................22
3.11. Conclusions about vocabulary presentation ................................................................254. Approaching course design ...................................................................................................26
4.1. Needs analysis ...............................................................................................................274.2. Approaches to course design .........................................................................................304.3. The syllabus ...................................................................................................................314.4. Course content ................................................................................................................32
5. Conclusion ............................................................................................................................33ii. PRACTICAL PART ....................................................................................................33
6. Situation Analysis ................................................................................................................336.1. Why and what ...............................................................................................................346.2. Who for .........................................................................................................................406.3. Where .............................................................................................................................416.4. When ..............................................................................................................................416.5. How ................................................................................................................................41
7. Lesson Plans and Evaluation ................................................................................................427.1. Lesson 1 .........................................................................................................................427.2. Feedback ........................................................................................................................477.3. Lesson 2 .........................................................................................................................48Glossary ...............................................................................................................................487.4. Feedback ........................................................................................................................517.5. Lesson 3 .........................................................................................................................52
7.6. Feedback .......................................................................................................................537.7. Lesson 4 .........................................................................................................................547.8. Feedback ........................................................................................................................567.9. Lesson 5 .........................................................................................................................577.10. Feedback ....................................................................................................................59
8. Conclusions ..........................................................................................................................59Appendix 1..... 62Appendix 2..63Appendix 3..64Appendix 4..65Appendix 5..66
Bibliography ..69
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1.Introduction
The intention behind writing this work on the above mentioned topic is twofold. The
first is to provide the students at Secondary textile school in Liberec, and possibly
others, with learning material suitable to their needs, which would allow them to
extend their English vocabulary beyond general English into their field of
specialization and thus would enable them to be better prepared for their professional
usage of English.
The second reason is the preparation of the textile school (where I have been teaching
for 3 years) for the implementation of the Framework Education Programme (Rmcov
vzdlvac program). This programme implies acquiring language competence not only
in general English, but also in specialized English. Students are expected to acquire at
least 2300 lexical units over the course of their secondary studies, 20% of which
(approximately 460 units) shall be specialized terminology.
This work is divided into two parts. The first part is theoretical and summarises the
current knowledge of how new words are learnt and retained, the different approaches
and methods of vocabulary presentation and successful techniques for vocabulary
integration. Since the aim of the practical part is to create a course where lessons are
built one on the other the theoretical part also examines the necessary prerequisites for
developing an English course, with the focus on English for specific purposes. The
main texts that will be used and analysed are by Scott Thornbury, Tom Hutchinson and
Alan Waters.
I will approach the task by doing a research into the specific needs of the graduates,analyse the situation at the secondary textile school and design ten 45 lesson plans.
All of these lesson plans will be tested in class and evaluated for future use,
recommending possible adjustments. The thesis will conclude with a summary and
evaluation of the practical part.
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i. THEORETICAL PART
2.Teaching Vocabulary
Words can be like x-rays, if you use them properly theyll go through anything.
Aldous Huxley
Language learning comprises of as many aspects as the language itself. When
contemplating the approach to studying a language it is crucial to consider the
elements that make up a language and their interrelation the lexis and the grammar,
the pronunciation and the spelling, listening, speaking and writing, formal and
colloquial language to name but a few. For the purpose of this work the dilemma of
what to focus on is resolved in the words of the linguist David Wilkins: Without
grammar very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed..
2.1.What is a word
A synonym is a word you use when you cant spell the word you first thought of.
Burt Bacharach
But what is this vocabulary, or lexis, that Wilkins refers to? Two basic word groups
are single words and multi-word units, known also as lexical chunks. Single words
may be a sun, tight, to wear; while multi-word units may be further subdivided into
collocations such as to do the laundry, to go shopping, to make a promise ; phrasal
verbs such as put on, take off, wear out; binomials such as step by step, black and
blue, wear and tear; idioms such as wolf in sheeps clothing, below the belt, fit like a
glove; similes such as like father like son, sleep as a log; connectives such as firstly,
last but not least; and institutionalized utterances such as Guess what! You bet!
Apart from the above classification words have different functions, some having
primarily grammatical meaning (function words) such as have in I have had a cold
for a week, while others carry lexical meaning (content words) such as a coldin the
sentence above.
We can further group words according to their meaning (synonyms, antonyms,
homonyms, polysemes), their sound (homophones), their spelling (homographs),
their subordination (hyponymy, meronymy). All these divisions and groupings can be
made use of during vocabulary acquisition.
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2.2.Knowing a word
I dont give a damn for a man that can only spell a word one way.
Mark Twain
When we elaborate on Wilkinss words further we can say that by acquiring new
vocabulary ones capacity to express himself increases more significantly than by
acquiring new grammar. During a secondary student exchange programme (see
Appendix 1) all the involved students reported that they experienced greatest
difficulties due to their insufficient vocabulary and lacked the ability to express
themselves adequately. On the other hand the grammatical accuracy did not cause a
significant problem and did not present a hindrance in communication. Therefore the
importance of acquiring an extensive vocabulary cannot be overemphasised.
Thornbury argues (2002: 15) that knowing a word involves knowing both its form and
its meaning. One without the other cannot be considered as valid acquisition of the
word. For example the simple knowledge that the word button exists in English in the
singular and plural forms does not mean the learner can use it meaningfully. He must
be familiar with all its prefixes and suffixes, as well as other grammar forms. It is
equally important for the learner to know that button is not only a round plastic or
metal object that is used to fasten clothing, but also a small part of a machine, such as
radio or television, which is pressed for operating it. No acquisition of button would be
complete without its collocative meanings in belly button, belly mushroom, its phrasal
verb form to button up, etc.
In order to have full receptive knowledge of the word we must also know its spoken
form, i.e. pronunciation. Commonly the receptive knowledge is established before the
productive knowledge, since for the latter we must also have certain level ofexperience with its repeated use.
In the practical part of this work the level of knowing new words will be ascertained
by giving the students home projects in the form of essays or process descriptions,
thereby the students not only revise newly acquired vocabulary, but the teacher can
also ascertain if the students know and are able to use correctly both the meaning and
the form of the words.
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2.3.How are words learnt and retained
I hear, I forget. I see, I remember. I do, I understand.
Chinese proverb
In order for the learner to know both the form and meaning of new words it is above
all else a question of involving his memory, since to learn words one must remember
them. The research shows that the process of learning consists of three stages: the
short-term memory, working memory and long-term memory.
Short-term memory is the capacity of the brain to hold a small amount of information
for about ten to thirty seconds. This typically involves remembering names of people
we have just met, numbers or addresses we need to remember for long enough to write
them down. This is of course inadequate for successful vocabulary learning.
Working memory is closely connected with short-term memory and it allows us to
work and manipulate with new information, think and make choices about it. Working
memory also stores the outcomes of our mental process ideas, conclusions, etc. In
language learning this involves for example repeating a new word several times in the
attempt to retrieve related information from long-term memory.
Unlike the short-term and working memory, which are both limited in their capacity,
the long-term memory has immense capacity, can last up to decades and its contents
is stored in a systematic way. Thornbury (2002: 24) makes a further division between
the quickly forgotten and the never forgotten, the former lasting the length of a
lesson and the latter being the ultimate goal of each language learner. He also compiles
a brief summary of research relating to vocabulary learning.
Repetition: Probably one of the oldest ways of learning new words consisting
of simply repeating them over and over again. This method has proven not to be
efficient in transferring data from short-term into long-term memory. However, one
way of repetition which is crucial is the repetition of the encounters with a new
word, if possible in different modes.
Retrieval: This form of repetition, that is repeated retrieval of newly acquired
word from memory, makes it more likely that the learner will be able to retain theword for longer.
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Affective depth: Related to the preceding point, affective (i.e. emotional)
information is stored along with cognitive (i.e. intellectual) data, and may play an
equally important role on how words are stored and recalled. Just as it is important
for learners to make intellectual judgements about words it may also be important
to make emotional judgements.
Based on the above mentioned findings the implications for vocabulary teaching are
the following.
- Learners needs to be helped with strategies for organising their
vocabulary, the more varied the better.
- Learners need to be exposed to authentic texts and materials.
- More important than motivated learner is an actively involved learner.
This, however, in the context of secondary education is easier to achieve when
the learner is intrinsically motivated.
- Learners should be guided to build a threshold vocabulary as quickly as
possible.
- Learners should be allowed individual pace in personalising the
organisation of their vocabulary.
- Teacher must ensure sufficient repetition of encounters with words and
exposure of learners to variety of spoken and written utterances.
- Learners need to make multiple decisions about words, whenever
possible in personalised context. The more decisions they make, the deeper
impression is created.
- Learners need to be asked to make emotional judgements about words.
Based on the theories of learning and the principles of how the human mind observes,organises and stores information Hutchinson and Waters (1987: 49-50) present a model
of the learning process relevant for the ESP teacher and course designer. They portray
the mind as a network of connections with individual items of knowledge (in our
case the words) either being or not being connected to the main network by roads. For
the word is only useful when it is part of the network. Therefore the aim of the learner
is to establish communication links.
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and exploited successfully provided the learner is motivated to learn and takes
ownership of the learning process. Within the context of secondary state education the
weight is more on the classroom environment to provide majority of words, with only
less than a half of the students making use of the outside sources such as English
magazines, radio and TV stations, web pages, native speakers or other English
speakers, etc. For the purpose of this work I will focus in more detail on the classroom
sources.
Inside the classroom the major source of words is a course book, which contains the
core vocabulary (Thornbury 2002: 34), which are the most useful words with the
highest frequency in both spoken and written English. According to Ur (2002: 184)
among the advantages of a course book rank a clear framework, often consistent with
the syllabus, providing ready-made texts and tasks on the level appropriate for the
learner. With a course book a learner has a higher level of autonomy over the learning
process than with photocopied papers or supplementary materials. On the other hand
the disadvantages of a course book (Ur 2002:185) are its limited adequacy to the
specific learner, irrelevance of topics to the interest of a class and the danger of too
much teachers dependency on the materials as opposed to own teaching initiative.
Apart from course books the teacher can use supplementary materials such as
vocabulary books, ready-made lesson plans from the web pages1, own worksheets and
word cards, learners magazines2, etc. Under certain conditions the teacher may decide
to use supplementary materials as the core of a course instead of the course book,
which is then more demanding on the teacher in devising appropriate syllabus. The
teacher himself can be a valuable source of words, provided he uses English in class
to give instructions, explain vocabulary rather than translate it directly, ask questionsand react to students responses.
Other students in the class are also a valuable source of new words. As one of the
conditions for remembering words is personal interest and emotional involvement of
the learner, when students ask about a word they need for expressing their opinions
and believes, they are more likely to remember that word than if it was presented to
1 for example www.onestopenglish.com, www.insideout.net/e-lessons.htm,www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/, elt-marketing.oup.com/oup_elt/wordlink/wordlink_archive.htm 2 for example Bridge, Friendship
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them from outside. One way of sharing the pool of knowledge in a classroom as
suggested by Thornbury (2002:49) is make use ofbrainstorming activities, for
example by providing prompts such as pictures, topics, quotes, even letters of the
alphabet to generate vocabulary from among the students. The more closely linked the
topic is to the students interests, the more efficient the learning becomes.
A feature of texts contained in course books is that more often than not they are
specially written or adjusted for the language classroom. On the other hand authentic
texts provide the learner with real language as it is used by native speakers. Authentic
text is also more likely to contain cohesive devices such as lexical chains (Thornbury
2002: 53), which help the learner to deduce the meaning of individual words relating
to the same topic from the context. Texts (authentic or not) can be further divided into
short and long. The advantages of using short texts in language learning are lesser
demand on the learners concentration and gradual development of skills that the
learner will utilize with longer texts in the future. With shorter texts the teacher has
ample opportunities to draw learners attention to different lexical features contained
in the text, i.e. summarise the text in own words, look up phrasal verbs, synonyms,
antonyms, words that collocate, etc.
The value of contribution ofdictionaries has been discussed in language teaching for
a long time. We will see in the following chapter how the approach to the classroom
use of dictionaries has been evolving. Thornbury claims that nowadays the role of
dictionaries in vocabulary learning has been reassessed (2002:60) and their use in
classroom as sources of words, their spelling, pronunciation, different forms,
meanings, collocations, irregularities, and even frequency. The learners benefit the
most when using a dictionary for specific dictionary-based activities, rather than formere translations. Examples of dictionary-based activities may be searching for word
derivations (find the noun form of the given verbs), what part or parts of speech a
word is, what prepositions usually follow a word, and many others. The extent to
which a dictionary is a useful tool depends on the choice we make from the broad
selection of publications. Bilingual dictionaries are generally more useful for
production (Thornbury 2002:61), but their pocket versions are often misleading,
especially before the learners develop a certain feeling for the language. Monolingualdictionaries, especially those designed for learners of English, provide more accurate
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information on the use and frequency of words. One handicap of monolingual
dictionaries is learners anxiety of not having a direct translation into their mother
tongue, especially if they are not accustomed to thinking in English and rely overly on
translation.
The advancement in computer technology has allowed us to make use of yet another
source of data about words, their frequency and collocations a corpus (plural
corpora). A corpus is a set of written texts and spoken utterances of native speakers,
electronically stored and used for examining and analysing words and their patterns in
context. One benefit of an electronic corpus is the possibility to create concordance
lines that facilitate the process of analysis. The use of corpora is recommended
especially in the lexical approach to language learning.
The above overview of sources of words provide sufficient pool for any teacher and
learner to choose from. Probably the most helpful key in determining the usefulness
for the learner is appropriateness of the source and authenticity of the text providing
contextualised vocabulary input.
3.Methods of presenting vocabulary
Although capacities are not the same, every member of the human race is capable of
education.
Abdul-Bah
In the previous chapter we examined possible sources of words for the language
learner. The extent to which each of them is used depends largely on the motivation
and independence of the learner. A highly motivated learner will explore vocabulary
sources outside the classroom on his own initiative. On the other hand a less motivatedlearner, which is often the case of secondary students, expect to be presented with
vocabulary within the classroom. Then it is the responsibility of the teacher to provide
the learners with vocabulary in a way that is the most suitable to their needs.
First the teacher has to consider the conditions of the class the age of the learners,
the level of the learners (e.g. beginners, intermediate, advanced), their needs (e.g.
graduation, professional interest), their passive knowledge of the words (e.g. fromreading or hearing them only), the difficulty or complexity of the vocabulary (e.g. can
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be presented with pictures, abstract words, technical terminology) and the amount of
lexical units that can be presented in each lesson. In case a series of lessons on related
topics is to be designed, the sequence in which the vocabulary will be presented is
important.
Let us now examine the methods that have been used in language teaching for more
than a century. Some of them may seem to have become obsolete, each of them
nevertheless contains elements that can be exploited and used successfully in
contemporary vocabulary teaching.
3.1.Grammar translation method
Traditionally the most commonly used method of presenting a language is the classical
method (orgrammartranslationmethod)3, which dominated the language teaching
up to the 1950s. It consists of studying a language through the analysis of grammar
rules and their application in translation of passages from one language to another,
therefore it can be used solely in monolingual classes. Its major focus is on reading
and writing, with little listening and speaking practice. Vocabulary is taught through
bilingual word lists, dictionary study and memorization. The learners are encouraged
to find a native language equivalent of all the words presented. The teacher is the
authority in the classroom and the learners do not have a choice of what they will be
taught. There is limited student-to-student interaction. The classes are taught in the
mother tongue and the teacher is not a source of words. If the learner makes a mistake
the teacher corrects him and provides the right answer in the mother tongue. The
means of evaluation are written tests.
The biggest disadvantage of direct translation is the lack of learners emotionalinvolvement and little decision-making included in the learning process. An element of
this method that we can find useful in the classroom today is translation of fixed
expressions, idioms and phrases that cannot be translated word for word. Other skills
than only reading and writing should and can be incorporated into translation practice,
for example speaking. Strict translation method is useful and will be practiced by
students training to become professional translators.
3http://www.englishraven.com/method_gramtrans.html
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3.2.Direct method
In the first quarter of the 20th century and as a reaction to the grammar translation
method a direct method4was developed in order to integrate more of the target
language in the learning process. It was supported by the German Charles Berlitz and
widely promoted through his schools using Berlitz method all over the world. Its
overall aim is to communicate confidently in the target language without too much
emphasis on grammar accuracy. Although all four skills are practiced, oral
communication and correct pronunciation are in the focus. The main principle used in
the classroom is no translation into first language, higher importance is given to
vocabulary over grammar, which together with cultural studies is taught inductively.
Vocabulary is taught with the use of pictures, objects and association of ideas, mainly
in full sentences. Preferred types of exercises are question-and-answer exchanges
between the student and the teacher, less frequently also between students themselves.
The direct method is most useful for highly motivated learners whose primary target is
to communicate in the language. Its drawback is that it requires small classrooms and
is demanding on the skills of the teacher. Although the students are competent
communicators, they may lack grammatical accuracy and good reading skills. The use
of this method is therefore limited and by the late 1920s it started to decline.
Among the valuable elements of the direct method that are exploited in present-day
classroom are the emphasis on using target language in giving classroom instructions;
using objects or pictures for teaching easily demonstrated vocabulary; using
explanations, descriptions, synonyms or antonyms for explaining new vocabulary,
preferably in contextualised form; and paying due attention to communicative skills ofthe learners.
3.3.Total physical response
Already in late 1800s a French teacher Francois Gouin was intrigued by the way
children naturally learn their mother tongue and tried to develop direct conceptual
teaching using the language directly related to what the learner is doing at the
immediate time of utterance. In the 1960s Gouins ideas were used by an American4http://www.englishraven.com/method_direct.html
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James Asher to develop a method known as the total physical response5. It is based
on the principle that a child needs a long period of listening and absorbing a language,
reinforced by physical responses (smiling, moving, touching, etc.), before beginning to
produce the language independently. Asher himself stressed that TPR can be applied
only to some extent and is to be used in combination with other methods. Its main
objective is enjoyable, stress-free environment where learners are encouraged to
respond primarily with motor activity, which is only later followed by oral production.
Among its key features belong total control of the learning process by the teacher, who
gives commands through the use of imperatives similar to those that a parent gives to a
child, and the learner immediately responds motorically. The learner speaks only when
he feels confident enough, listening and oral production are emphasized over writing
skills. Written forms of words are presented only later in the teaching process.
TPR has its greatest use at the beginners level where the teacher introduces a large
amount of vocabulary which can be easily visualized, as well as basic movements. It
plays special significance in teaching pre-school learners and kinesthetic learners. I ts
disadvantage is in spending too much time and energy on eliciting physical response
on abstract subjects at the advanced level. Yet even for beginners, especially visual
learners, it may be difficult to remember audio input without seeing the visual form of
the word itself.
3.4. Audiolingual method
Another method focusing on communicative production of the language developed in
the USA during World War II for the purpose of soldiers learning languages for
military operations is the audiolingual method6, sometimes known as the army
method. It is similar to the direct method and consists primarily of pattern drills andconversational practices, with the added aim of habit-forming. Its goal is to create
communicative competences in learners by instilling in them a set of good language
habits. Its main features include presenting new language in dialogue form with
overdependence on mimicry, memorization of set phrases and overlearning in
repetitive drills. Vocabulary is strictly limited and learnt in context. Grammar rules are
not taught and grammar is presented inductively. Importance is attached to
5http://www.englishraven.com/method_TPR.html6http://www.englishraven.com/method_audioling.html
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pronunciation and there is great effort to get the students to produce error free
utterances. Listening and speaking skills take precedence over reading and writing
skills and the written text is withheld from the learners for as long as possible. The use
of mother tongue is discouraged.
The highly controlled practice of the audiolingual method is discouraging to some
learners, however, on the other hand it can be useful for low motivated students who
need the teacher to help them drill in what they should learn by repeating the
required language patterns over and over again. Some effective strategies that this
method uses are for example repetition drills for pronunciation practice (e.g. short
poems or nursery rhymes), transformation drills for grammar practice (e.g. turn
positive statements into negative ones or questions), and dictations.
3.5.Suggestopedia
In the 1970s a Bulgarian psychologist and educator Georgi Lozanov introduced his
theory that learners have natural psychological barriers to learning arising from their
fear of failure and ridicule. Lozanov claimed that these barriers can be overcome by
providing the learners with a relaxed, stress free environment where they can
desuggest from memory the negative experiences and limitations that they think they
have about language learning. Instead the brain is loaded with desired memories, thus
the name suggestopedia7. One of the most important elements in suggestopedia is the
classroom environment. Lozanov believed that the use of softly played Baroque music
creates relaxed concentration that enables the intake and retention of large amounts of
information. Other elements of the classroom are dim lights, comfortable chairs,
posters and visual aids to make use of the peripheral learning, and the use of various
other arts. The teacher is in total control and is advised to act authoritatively, in a wayparents approach a child. The learner often takes on a new identity including a new
name and profession, he is encouraged to be child-like by taking part in role playing,
games, songs etc. Vocabulary and grammar are presented by the teacher but not dwelt
on and neither is homework. Typically the students are asked to re-read a dialogue or
paragraph from the lesson once in the evening and once in the morning. Mother
tongue is used for translating a new piece of text to make the meaning clear and the
learners may use their mother tongue during lessons. Mistakes are not corrected7http://www.englishraven.com/method_suggest.html
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directly, but the teacher uses the correct form later in the class. Assessment is not done
by written tests but it is based on classroom performance.
The biggest advantage of suggestopedia is the accelerated memorization in learning
and the students feeling comfortable about language learning. Probably the most
important, yet challenging prerequisite for successful learning is the teachers absolute
belief in this method, and similarly the learners trust in the teacher knowing what he
is doing. Elements of suggestopedia that can be incorporated into modern language
teaching are learner friendly classroom set up with pictures, posters and visual aids on
the walls; learners reading texts and dialogues playfully and with emotion; learners
engaging in various creative arts that create relaxed atmosphere conducive to learning.
3.6.Silent way
Another change into language learning brought with the educational trend known as
discovery learning was the silent way8method. It was founded by an Italian Caleb
Gattegno in the early 1970s. Its underlining principle is that of independent
exploration and discovery, much similar to the way children discover their native
language. The emphasis is on an autonomous learner who focuses on the target
language through problem solving activities either individually or in groups, and the
role of the teacher is to be a silent facilitator most of the time (hence the name).
This method puts great emphasis on the inner motivation and self-discipline of the
learner who takes most of the initiative for language discovery learning on himself.
3.7.Communicative language teaching
Communicative language teaching9 is the first approach that combines features frommost of the above mentioned methods and its broadness allows to take into
consideration various aspects of language learning such as the motivation of the
learners, the classroom environment, the principles of language learning, types of
teachers, learners needs, etc. It is not easy to define exactly what CLT is, as it is used
as an umbrella term covering several methods. We can however safely say that its aim
is to equip the learner with communicative competence and that teaching the learner
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how to use the language is considered at least as important as the knowledge of the
language itself. In the attempt to achieve this aim it uses authentic materials and real-
life situations and issues in the classroom. The role of the teacher is to help the
learners in any way that will stimulate work with the language. Mother tongue can be
used for translation when learners benefit from it. Reading and writing can be
incorporated into the lessons from the very beginning. The primary goal is
communication and fluency, pronunciation and grammar variations are not discouraged
if desired meaning is created. Language is created by learners through the process of
trial and error.
Its key characteristics as listed by David Nunan (1991:279)10 are the emphasis on
learning to communicate through interaction in the target language, the introduction of
authentic texts into the learning situation, providing opportunities for learners to focus
also on the learning process itself, an enhancement of the learners own personal
experiences as important contributing elements to classroom learning and the attempt
to link classroom language learning with language activation outside the classroom.
An example of an outcome of the communicative approach may be travel guides and
phrasebooks for tourists visiting foreign countries, whose need to communicate is
much stronger than the desire to be grammatically accurate.
Thornbury claims that only the coming of communicative approach set the stage for a
major re-think of the role of vocabulary (2002:14) and since the 1970s course books
began to include activities that specifically targeted vocabulary (2002:14). It is also
interesting to note that since late 1960s and early 1970s the concept of specialized
language started to take shape (Hutchinson and Waters 1987:9). Research showed that
the English of say Biology or Economy differs from for example the English ofElectrical Engineering, but the differences are not so significant in the principles of
grammar, but rather in the lexis used.
3.8.PPP approach
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The three Ps stand forpresentation, practice and production11 a three step
approach to communicative language teaching. The first stage presentation is the
beginning of the lesson and the introduction of a realistic situation of the language to
be learnt. The teacher then uses small chunks of language that the learners already
know and to explain a new language item in a clear context. Having understood the
model language, the students then engage in a controlled practice of its different
forms. This stage is teacher oriented and error correction is important. It may also
include drills.
Practice is divided into two parts mechanical and communicative. The first is
controlled pair work and precedes communicative practice, which involves activities
designed to recycle new items and create familiarity and confidence with the new
language. The teacher is still rather involved at this stage, but the classroom is
beginning to become more learner-centered.
Production is the most important stage in the learning process where the learners are
beginning to act as independent users of the target language. The teachers role is to
facilitate realistic situations in which the learners are practising the use of the newly
acquired language items and he should avoid interfering or correcting mistakes unless
specifically asked by the learners.
The PPP approach illustrates a certain level of flexibility (especially in the production
stage) towards the learners and their interests and needs, although the initial stage is
still very much teacher controlled. This approach may be used successfully in
introducing both new grammar and new lexis.
3.9.Task-based approach
Task-based approach is based on the belief that a meaning is encoded primarily in
words (Thornbury 2002:112) and it spread largely in the mid-1980s. Its famous
advocates Dave and Jane Willis believed that a syllabus based around the most
frequent words in the language would cover the most frequent meanings in the
language (Thornbury 2002:112) and based on this belief they wrote a course book
following a lexical syllabus.11http://www.englishraven.com/method_PPP.html
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The task-based approach focuses on the process rather than the product. It uses
purposeful activities and tasks that emphasize communication and meaning and help
the learners to communicate purposefully, often trying to achieve solutions to real life
situations. The lesson is divided into several stages pre-task, task, planning, report,
analysis and practice. The teacher introduces each stage and is in control during the
beginning and end of each stage with little control in between. The outcomes of the
lessons are unpredictable, which on one hand puts higher demand on the teachers
skills, but on the other hand represents a more realistic outside class environment.
3.10. Lexical approach
Similar to the task-based learning in primary belief but different in practical
application is the lexical approach formulated by Michael Lewis in the 1990s. Since
this work is concerned primarily with vocabulary teaching, I will dwell on the lexical
approach in more detail than on the previous methods. Lewis argues that language
consists of grammaticalised lexis, not lexicalised grammar and that the building
blocks of language learning and communication are words and word combinations
(chunks). The teacher creates an environment in which learners can operate effectively
as discoverers of the language. The learner takes on an active role of an observer who
notices similarities, differences, restrictions and examples of lexis in a text. Noticing
lexical chunks, however, is not sufficient condition for the input to become an
intake (Rogers and Richards 1986:134). Lewis insists (1997:51) that for the above
reason class time would be best spent helping learners develop strategies for dealing
with unknown items they meet, the ability to guess on the basis of context, situation
or lexical clues, raising awareness and encouraging effective recording of patterns
as opposed to overly concentration on individual items. In other words the role ofthe teacher is to help learners to manage their own learning. Many researches have
shown that in order for a word to be truly acquired the learner must come across it at
least seven times (Lewis 1997:51). According to some linguists this does not explicitly
mean that the word must be taught at least seven times, it seems just as important and
sufficient to meet the word in context and understand it. There is no reason not to
believe that the same applies to lexical chunks as well. Repetition, revision and
recycling of lexical items seem a logical outcome to be followed in the classroom, andindeed in curriculum development.
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One of the reasons why the learner within the lexical approach must take on own
initiative for his learning is that acquisition is based on accumulation of a large
number of examples from which learners make provisional generalisations. Both the
quantity and quality of input are valuable and the input takes precedence over output.
This represents a significant shift in methodology from the communicative approach
and requires of the teacher a heightened awareness of the fact that learners output
constitutes not only of speaking, but also of listening, noticing and reflecting (Lewis
1997:49). This reinstates teachers talk as valuable source of language input in the
class.
The lexical approach also helps to reinstate the role of translation in language learning.
Lewis claims that it is unhelpful and sometimes even confusing to attempt to translate
L1 word into L2 word. Instead the learner should attempt to identify and translate
whole chunks, which very often have relevant equivalents in other languages
(1997:64). He also challenges the teacher to guide the learners into keeping vocabulary
lists in the form of L1 lexical item = L2 lexical item. It is also helpful for the learners
to realize that although some structures look frightening or even formidable in English,
they have the equivalent in their mother tongue. And since the learners have mastered
these expressions already, they can build on their previous knowledge from L1.
A simple way of modifying classroom procedures in order to incorporate increased
language input can be the following (Lewis 1997:56): 1.Any dialogue from course
book should be heard at least once to draw attention to some feature of how it is said,
i.e. chunked. It may be either played from a recording or read aloud by the teacher. 2.
Even a prose text is more likely to become intake if it is heard. As teacher reads italoud he should ask learners to notice some feature of the chunking. 3. Ask learners to
chunka printed copy of what they are going to hear, then compare it with a version
the teacher has done and then compare it with what they actually hear. By this simple
activity learners potential acquisition value increases with minimum effort. 4. Ask
learners to identify different kinds of chunks in a printed text (e.g. collocations, set
expressions, phrases with prepositions, etc.) and compare them in class.
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The following types of exercises reflect the above mentioned principles (Lewis 1997:
89):
1. Identifying chunks
This is the most fundamental strategy and the basis of lexical teaching. Learners are
encouraged to avoid making L1 word = L2 word assumption and rather focus on chunk
equivalents. This allows them better use of monolingual dictionaries, avoids certain
kind of mistakes, encourages accurate recording in lexical notebooks and better
storage of lexis in chunks in the mental lexicon.
2. Matching
This exercise type is known from grammar practice, but now it is given lexical focus.
The learners are asked to match collocations, expressions, lines of stereotypical
dialogue, etc.
3. Completing
Also the familiar exercise type of gap-fill is given a lexical focus by ensuring that the
gaps to be filled consist of collocations or fixed expressions.
4. Categorising
A lot of lexis forms patterns and it is helpful to the memory to ask learners to sort
words or expressions according to some guidelines, for example adjectives and nouns
that collocate, expressions belonging to two different types of dialogues, expressions
which have positive or negative connotations, etc. (Lewis 1997:90)
5. Sequencing
Sequencing takes advantages of the human minds inclination to order. Learners aretypically given words or expressions and are asked to put them in the most likely
order.
6. Deleting
Deleting is a way of providing learners with negative evidence. They are given a list of
words that collocate with a specific word and among them there is an extra word that
does not. The learners are asked to identify and delete the odd one out (Lewis1997:91).
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The teacher may decide based on the above mentioned types of exercises to adapt or
design own activities providing lexical focus. Some of the simplest tasks consist of
searching for collocations and fixed expressions in a given text, examining words and
their use in dictionaries or corpus (see also chapter 2.4.) data, searching for pronouns
and the antecedent nouns they refer to, using fixed expressions in discussions on a
given topic, or simple lexical chants and revision drills.
Implementing the lexical approach does not mean that teachers should throw away
course books that they have been using before, but rather based on their insights into
the way learning takes place they should strive to incorporate the methodology
principles underlying the lexical approach into the language classroom.
3.11. Conclusions about vocabulary presentation
We have seen that the approach to language teaching in general and vocabulary
presentation in particular has been evolving rather dramatically over the last century
and no doubt this trend will continue into the future. At the moment we can safely say
that the latest findings regarding vocabulary demonstrate the following:
- It is no longer sufficient for the learner to be able to understand and
produce written texts alone, without the oral production receiving its due
consideration.
- Translation into L1 has its rightful place in language learning, especially
for translating fixed expressions and collocations. Word for word translation should
nevertheless be abolished.
- The teacher is a valuable source of spoken language in giving
instructions to learners, sharing stories, engaging in realistic dialogues, helpinglearners hear language in chunks, etc.
- Learners should be acquainted with both the audio and written forms of
new lexis in close proximity and the written forms should not be withheld from
them.
- Learners should be exposed to as much vocabulary as possible, both in
quantity and quality. Of special value are authentic texts, which should take
precedence over classroom-tailored course book texts.
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- Language should be presented in the context of real-life situations and
problems to be solved.
- The more personally interested and involved learners will be in the
learning and the more decisions about the language they make, the more the intake
of the newly introduced language increases.
- Lexis does not consist of single words but more often than not of lexical
items that should be presented and practiced as chunks.
- The more times the learner encounters with new lexis (at least seven) the
higher retention will be ensured.
- The whole process of language acquisition should be a pleasant one,
therefore the teacher should provide friendly classroom environment where any
progress will be encouraged and valued.
4.Approaching course design
Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.
Steve Jobs
Now that we have explored what words are, what it involves to know a word, how
words are learnt and retained, what can be a source of words and how words can be
presented, we will look at the elements necessary for designing a course focused on
specialised vocabulary.
Before designing a course one has to ask numerous questions. Hutchinson and Waters
(1987:21) suggest that all of these questions can be summed up into six essential areas:
Why? Who? Where? When? What? How?
Why does the student need to learn, what is his reason for needing specializedlanguage and how motivated is he? Does he have an internal or external impetus to
learn?
Who is going to be involved in the process apart from the students and how are all
these people going to influence the course design and delivery?
Where is the learning to take place? What possibilities and limitations does it impose?
What equipment will be available?
When is the learning to take place? How much time is available and with whatfrequency?
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What does the student need to learn? What aspects of the language are required and at
what level? What topic areas are to be covered?
How will the learning be achieved? What kind of methodology will be applied?
The first four questions are all focusing on the needs analysis the needs of both the
learners and their surroundings. The fifth area concerns the syllabus its content and
order designed for the purpose of learning. And the sixth area articulates the belief of
the author about the language learning theories, taking into account the specific
characteristics of the target group.
All these areas, although divided for the purpose of clarity, are interdependent and
during course designing may be approached from almost any angle, since the
participants will influence the content and the methodology chosen as well as the
content itself will influence the methodology which will be chosen. The final product
is then a result of a combination of drafts, each modifying and adjusting the others.
4.1.Needs analysis
The first area a course designer must explore is the reasons why the learners need to
learn English. And even more specifically why do the learners need to learn
specialised English rather than only general English. Hutchinson and Waters claim that
more important than the existence of a need is an awareness of the need (1987:53) on
the side of the learners, the sponsors and the teachers. Only after the analysis of
learners needs is conducted can the target situation be determined and a course
designed accordingly.
A course designer must acknowledge two types of needs: the target needs (i.e. whatthe learner needs to do in the target situation) and the learning needs(i.e. what the
learner needs to do in order to learn) (Hutchinson and Waters 1987:54).
1.1.1.Target needs
It is useful to look at the target needs in terms of three distinctive areas of necessities,
lacks and wants. Necessities are needs determined by the demands of the target
situation; that is what the learner has to know in order to function effectively in the
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target situation (Hutchinson and Waters 1987:55). This information can be gathered
by observing the situation of the learner and analysing it.
Having identified the necessities is not sufficient, since we must know what the learner
knows already, i.e. how far along the path to proficiency he has advanced and what
remains to be achieved. The gap between the previously acquired knowledge and target
proficiency can be called the learners lack(Hutchinson and Waters 1987:56).
The necessities and lacks form an objective part of the target needs. But the learners
also have an own view as to what they want, i.e. what their needs consist of,
(Hutchinson and Waters 1987:58) and although they might differ from the needs
perceived by the teachers, they nevertheless have a major impact on the motivation and
level of active participation of the learners. Therefore it is always worthwhile to pay
attention to the learners wants and views.
Gathering of information to be analysed in order to determine the target needs may
consist of questionnaires, interviews with learners, potential employers and sponsors,
observation of the workplace situation, data collection from the workplace, legal
requirements, etc. To accommodate the variety of factors influencing the needs it is
desirable to use more than one method of analysis.
The main areas to be analysed in the context of secondary textile school are the
following (Hutchinson and Waters 1987:59): Why the students need the specialised
language (for study, work, travelling, pleasure, other, combination of these)? How will
the language be used (mainly in written or oral form; face to face, via telephone or
email; in informal conversations, business environment, in the academic field, etc.)?What will the content areas be (in our specific case which elements of textile industry
clothing items, fashion designing, dressmaking, industrial production, textile
engineering, etc.)? Who will the learners use the language with (native speakers or
non-native speakers; teacher, colleague, business partner, boss, customers, etc.)?
Where will the language be used, i.e. in what setting and context (at university, during
exams, in an office, at a workshop, in a shop, etc.; alone during home study or email
communication, at meetings, during demonstrations, etc.)? When will the language be
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used (concurrently with the ESP course or subsequently; seldom or on a regular basis;
in small amounts or large chunks)?
As the information is gathered it has to be carefully considered and analysed in order
to draw correct conclusions as to what the target needs should be.
1.1.2.Learning needs
At this point we should be aware of what knowledge and skills the learners should
acquire at the end of a course or training as opposed to what knowledge and skills they
possess at its beginning. Hutchinson and Waters use an illustrative analogy of this
stage and compare what we have done up to this moment is to have identified the
starting point (lacks) and the destination (somewhere between necessities and wants)
of a language journey on a map (1987:60). What we have to consider now is the route
how we will get to the desired destination, that is the learning needs.
In designing the route for the learners we must take into consideration the human
nature of the learners and devise a route (i.e. tasks) that will be enjoyable, fulfilling,
manageable, generative etc. (Hutchinson and Waters 1987:61). In the above mentioned
analogy the conditions of the learning situation represent the vehicles that take the
learners to the target destination and in order for the journey (the learning) to be
effective the learners must take genuine interest be actively involved, basically to be
motivated to learn.
To analyse learning needs we can use a similar pattern of questions to those used for
determining the target needs (Hutchinson and Waters 1987:62): Why are the learners
taking the course (what is their inner motivation, is the course obligatory or optional,what expectations of and attitude towards ESP learning do they have)? How do the
learners learn (what is their learning background, which learning methods will appeal
to them and which will bore or de-motivate them, what learning habits do they already
posses)? What resources are available (the competence of the teacher and his teacher
attitude to the subject content, materials and aids)? Who are the learners (in terms of
age, sex, social background, level of English, interests, teaching styles they are
accustomed to, their attitude towards English and the chosen specialisation)? Wherewill the ESP course take place (what is the nature of the surroundings, one fixed
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classroom or rotation of classrooms, is it pleasant or disturbing)? When will the ESP
course take place (time of day, length, frequency, concurrent with need or pre-need)?
We can clearly see that in the ESP course design it is crucial to take into account both
the target needs and the learning needs. The target needs tell us about what language
the learners should know and the learning needs tell us about the ways how this
language knowledge is learnt.
4.2.Approaches to course design
Once research and evaluation of the needs has been conducted we have to make a
choice as to which approach to course design we are to take. This choice will influence
the drawing of syllabus, selection, adaptation or creation of materials, developing the
methodology for teaching those materials and establishing evaluation process to
measure whether the target needs were achieved (Hutchinson and Waters 1987: 65).
The language-centered course design takes into consideration only the target
situation and lacks and does not identify the learner wants. It provides a system in the
language but not necessarily in the learning, which the learner then must create for
himself. The focus is on performance, not on the underlining competence (Hutchinson
and Waters 1987: 67-68).
The skill-centered course design establishes competences that underline the
performance. It does not set a specific goal to be reached but makes learners aware of
their own potential (capacities) and motivates them to work on their own after the
course. It takes into account the learner more than the language-centered approach in
building on positive factors learners bring into class and setting open-ended objectivesthat allow learners to experience sense of achievement (Hutchinson and Waters 1987:
70).
The aim of the learning-centered approach is to maximise learning. It is based on the
assumption that learning is totally determined by the learner because learning is an
internal process dependent on the knowledge the learner already has and his ability
and motivation to use it (Hutchinson and Waters 1987: 72). The learners choose theroute that leads them to the target and the speed at which they progress. The target still
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plays an important role, together with the competence to perform it, but we must also
look at how that competence is acquired.
Examples of factors to consider before determining the content and methodology of the
course are the following (Hutchinson and Waters 1987: 75-76):
- An image gets into the brain through a number ofpathways, by listening
to it, seeing it, saying it, writing it. The more pathways are used the richer the
image will be, hence it increases effectivity.
- Repetition and recycling are essential to ensure retention, but we must do
that in a way that avoids boredom. In order to keep the learners minds alert and
focused on the task in hand we must employ variety.
- How will the learners react to variety ofskills and tasks when they wish
to focus on only one skill? And do the resources at hand allow the incorporation of
other skills?
- How will the learners feel about using theirfirst language in lessons
will they find it helpful or distracting?
- How much outside classroom work (independent study) will the
learners be willing to do?
Based on the above mentioned points it is probably clear that a truly learning-centered
approach would involve producing a specially tailored syllabus and methodology for
each learner or group of learners that ever occurs. And at the moment this seems an
unrealistic expectation. Hutchinson and Waters claim that the learner-centered
approach is near impossible to incorporate into institutionalised education systems and
serves more as a theoretical attack on established procedure (1987:72). On the other
hand it brings valuable insights into course designing and questions that are worthconsidering by both the ESP course designer and the teacher.
4.3.The syllabus
It is best to do things systematically, since we are only human, and disorder is our
worst enemy.
Hesiod
The main characteristic of syllabus is that it takes the form of a list specifying itemsthat are to be learnt and the order in which the learning should proceed. There are
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several valuable reasons for using a syllabus (Hutchinson and Waters 1987:83). It
breaks down the complex entity of a language into manageable units. It also
gives moral support to the learner and teacher by making the language learning task
appear manageable. It shows that some thought and planning went into designing
the course. It helps the learners to determine a position of where they are and where
they are going. A syllabus expresses the designers view of what is the most
important aspect of language learning, both in case of structural and skill based
syllabus. It provides criteria for materials selection and/or writing. It also provides
the teacher with a visible basis for testing. On the other hand what a syllabus does
not provide is a statement of what will be learnt, but rather an estimate of what will
be presented (taught).
Each syllabus is organised based on various criteria, for example topic syllabus (e.g.
fibres, fabrics, clothes, fashion, etc.), structural syllabus (e.g. choosing a fabric,
making a design, creating a pattern, etc.), skills syllabus (e.g. improving reading for
gist, reading for specific information, summarising a text, etc.), situational syllabus
(taking notes, writing a complaint, answering a phone, etc.) and skills and strategies
syllabus to name but a few. The challenge, however, is not to choose the best one, but
to integrate several syllabuses into a sensible teaching programme (Hutchinson and
Waters 1987:89).
When developing a syllabus an ESP course designer must bear in mind what has
already been mentioned about the nature and aspects of language learning. The aim
should not be merely to present and practice language items, but provide
opportunities for learners to employ and evaluate the necessary skills and strategies
using methodology that will raise and maintain interest, enjoyment and learnerinvolvement (Hutchinson and Waters 1987:91-92).
4.4.Course content
After doing the needs analysis and course design we must decide on the content of the
teaching materials. They may come from three different sources: already existing
materials that we accept, already existing materials that we modify, and new materials
that we write ourselves. In order to decide which source to use we usually search andevaluate existing materials, which is often followed by some degree ofdeveloping
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materials. The process is interrelated and the course designer benefits from exploring
both techniques, since evaluation of existing materials may provide a good source of
ideas for materials writing (Hutchinson and Waters 1987:105).
5.Conclusion
We have explored the nature and sources of words, the way words are learnt and
retained, methodology used in presenting a language with the focus on vocabulary, and
the steps necessary for designing an ESP course. It is evident that all this knowledge
needs to be incorporated purposefully and articulated into a systematic course that will
be both useful and enjoyable.
ii. PRACTICAL PART
If we examine ourselves, we see that our faculties grow in such a manner that what
goes before paves the way for what comes after.
Jan Amos Komensk
Having explored the theories of language learning, language teaching and the process
of designing a course of English for specific purposes, I will now proceed to the
practical part of this work, which is designing a series of ESP lessons to be used at the
secondary textile school in Liberec. First, an analysis will be made of the environment
and conditions in which the lessons are to be conducted. Secondly, the needs of the
learners will be generated through a questionnaire and evaluated in order to be able to
devise a syllabus. Based on the syllabus appropriate vocabulary will be chosen and
accompanying materials will be consequently adapted or developed. As the last step all
lesson plans will be tested in the classroom and evaluated accordingly. Based on the
feedback conclusions will be drawn about the whole course, including suggestions foradaptation.
6.Situation Analysis
Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause
it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom.
Bahullh
At the beginning I had to ask a series of questions as to the environment andconditions in which the lessons will be used.
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6.1. Why and what
One of the two main reasons for designing this ESP course is the Framework
Education Programme12, which is currently being developed at the Secondary textile
school in Liberec13 into the School Education Programme. It will begin to be used in
September 2009 and in September 2011 for the first time the pupils coming from
primary schools will have been accustomed to the approaches within the School
Education Programme. This document determines that all students will study two
foreign languages with the target level of the first language at level B1 according to
the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) and the second language at
level A2 of the CEFR. The level of communicative language competences
corresponds to the minimum of 2300 lexical units, 20% of which should be made up of
specialized terminology at B1 level, and 15% at A2 level (MMT 2007: 17).
At the moment the main course book used at the school is Time to Talkby Sarah Peters
and Tom Grf (Polyglot). According to the school year plan and based on the
requirements for graduation exam the students should cover the first two course books
of the series plus additional materials dealing with English speaking countries. It has,
however, been a challenge to achieve the goals of the plan due to different reasons
(motivation of students, low level of interest and involvement in the learning process,
discipline challenges, lenient and inconsistent school rules, etc.). In classes that
reached the end of the second Time to Talkcourse book the maximum intake of lexical
units is approximately 1500. To this we can add vocabulary related to learning about
English speaking countries in the amount of approximately 200-300 lexical units.
Absolute majority is general English lexis. As to specialized textile vocabulary the
first course book contains between 20-25 lexical units and the second course bookother 20-25 words and expressions connected with textile terminology. Most of the
fifty or so words (2-3% of all lexis) are names of clothes and verbs describing the
process of putting clothes on, taking them off, etc.
The experience and evidence until now suggests that at the moment the aims of the
Framework Education Programme are not being realized at all. One of the reasons
12 A copy can be found for example at http://www.nuov.cz/public/File/RVP/CDRVP/RVP/ML/RVP%203141M01%20Textilnictvi.pdf13www.spst-liberec.cz
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contributing to this state of affairs is the general lack of potential applicants to
secondary schools and therefore there is an increased possibility that students that have
been considering secondary education a decade ago are now choosing grammar schools
instead and are being accepted there. This means that certain percentage of students
who are admitted to secondary schools were a decade ago admitted to apprenticeships.
This trend can be seen at the number of students who apply for the first round of
entrance exams at the secondary textile school in Liberec. For the last ten years there
have been ninety positions in the first year. In 2006 less than 20 students applied, in
2007 nearly 40 students applied and in 2008 49 students applied into the first round of
entrance exams, which shows a growing tendency of the textile school being the first
choice of potential students. There have always been at least 70 students admitted into
the first grades, but those applying and being accepted in the second and third round of
entrance process have usually not made the choice of textile school based on the
preferred specialisation but based on the relative certainty of being accepted. Hence
their motivation to be at this school is relatively low and even general subjects such as
foreign languages do not generate sufficient enthusiasm for learning.
Another reason for decreased interest in textile school is the general notion of the
textile industry to be in decline and not having any potential for revival. This notion is
also beginning to change as the clothing and textile industry shifts its focus from
natural fibres into non-woven fibres. This trend together with educational promotion of
the nature of textile industry and research conducted by the school itself can be
considered the main reasons why students are beginning to show an increased interest
in the secondary textile school. And observation by my colleagues and myself shows
that the interest in the specialisation correlates with the motivation and self-discipline
of the students.
Having stated the lexical aims as delineated by the Ministry of education we can
specify the necessities by looking at the specific subjects the students have. There are
two fields of study: the dressmaking and textile production. The research class (for
details see section 5.2.2.) is one of the two specialising in dressmaking and their
profile subjects are economics, materials, clothing technology, construction and
clothes modelling, fashion designing, introduction into clothing design, textile
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machinery and practice14. Another source of information for defining target needs is
the degree the graduates study at universities. Unfortunately no research has been
conducted to follow up former students and therefore this aspect cannot be taken into
consideration.
In order to determine learnerswants I have conducted two surveys: one among the
students who will be graduating in spring 2008 and one among the graduates from
spring 2007.
The students graduating in 2008 have been asked about their motivation for studying
English, their future plans for using English and their general interest in different areas
of specialised English15. The means of the survey was a questionnaire. (see
Questionnaire 1 for English translation) and it was distributed among 27 fourth year
students (there are 32 in total). The questionnaire was anonymous and voluntary and
the findings are the following:
- Most of the students are learning English because they want to graduate
from English and because they will need it at work (17 votes of each category). 7
students said they were interested in English, 6 think they will need it at university
and 3 are learning it only because they must. 5 students specified as a reason for
learning the fact that: It is useful when I want to have a chat with someone. I
will be nothing without a language. I will need it in life. English is nicer than
German. and It is an important language for the future.
- Majority (25 students each) believes that they will use English for
travelling and in work, 19 think that they will need it during further studies and 13
claim they will use it for reading.
- 5 students expect that they will need specialised textile English in thefuture, 12 claim that they will not need it and 10 do not know.
- Out of the 5 who think they will need English 4 assume they will need it
at university, 1 in work for meetings with foreigners.
- 10 students think they will need specialised non-textile English 8 noted
business, 2 economics and 1 computing English. 3 think they will never need
specialised English and 14 do not know.
14http://www.spst-liberec.cz/soubory/studium/studijni-obory/odevnictvi-ucebni-plan.pdf15 for full version of the questionnaire in Czech see Appendix 2
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- Textile-related areas which the students consider interesting are clothes
and accessories (21), fashion designing (15), fashion designers and fashion shows
(11) and textile business (11)16. The least appealing are textile fibres and fabrics (4)
and non-woven textiles (3).
Questionnaire 1. Students graduating in 2008
QUESTIONNAIRE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
4th grade students graduating from English (2007/8)
Answer the following questions, please. In case a single answer is not sufficient, choose morethan one option or answer with a full sentence.
1. Why are you learning English?
a. Because I must I wish to finish secondary school.
b. Because I want to I will be graduating from English.
c. I will need it for university studies.
d. I will need it at work.
e. Because I want to I am interested in English.
f. other _________________________________________________________
2. What do you think you will need English for?
a. travelling
b. studiesc. at work
d. for reading (internet, specialized literature, etc.)
e. other _________________________________________________________
3. Do you think you will need specialized textile English?
a. yes
b. no
c. I dont know.
4. If your answer for question 3 is yes,when ______________________________________________
where ______________________________________________
how ______________________________________________ do you think you will use it?
5. Do you think you will need a different kind of specialised English (for example business)?
a. yes Please, state which one _______________________
b. no
c. I dont know.
16 Due to ambiguous question (obchod s textilem) many students thought that it refered to a clothes shop, whilethe intended meaning was textile business. Thus the answers are inaccurate.
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6. Which area of specialised textile vocabulary would you be interested in the most (regardlessyou needing it or not)?
a. clothes and accessories
b. textile fibres and fabrics
c. non-woven textiles
d. fashion designing
e. fashion designers, fashion shows
f. textile business
g. other _____________________________________________________
Thank you.
The students who graduated in 2007 were asked about their current studies or jobpositions, whether they are using English and on what occasions, and whether they are
satisfied with the level of English they acquired at secondary school17. The means of
the survey was a questionnaire. (see Questionnaire 2 for English translation) and it was
sent via email to 30 students who were graduating in English. Email was sent in
January 2008. 13 students sent in their responses and the findings are as follows:
- Out of the 13 graduates 4 study a textile-related degree at university, 3
study a non-textile degree at university, 2 work in the Czech Republic and 2 abroad(Scotland and Italy), 1 studies another secondary school and 1 is a professional
hockey player.
- 10 graduates stated that they need English and only 3 say they do not.
- Of those who need it 7 need it for their studies, 3 in work (including one
au-pair in Scotland), 1 for travelling and 1 for reading specialised literature at
university.
- Only 4 are satisfied with the level of English reached at secondary
school and 8 feel that they need more speaking practice (3), more vocabulary (4),
specialised terminology (1).
- 10 graduates do not need specialised textile vocabulary and of the 3 who
need it 2 study at university and 1 lives abroad and goes shopping to textile and
knitting shops.
- As for needing specialised textile English each of the options (except
fashion designing) was mentioned by 1 person, plus 1 also uses vocabulary of
17 for full version of the questionaire in Czech see Apprendix 3
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technology of dressmaking, 1 needs general English and slang connected with
sport, 1 needs the science of colouring.
Questionnaire 2. Students who graduated in 2007
QUESTIONNAIRE ENGLISH LANGUAGEGraduates of Secondary textile school in Liberec (2006/7)
Answer the following questions, please. In case a single answer is not sufficient, choose more thanone option or answer with a full sentence.
1. What have you been doing since graduation?a. Im studying a textile-related degree at universityb. Im studying a non-textile degree at univers