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Demystifying ESP at the Tertiary Level: A Review and Critique of Past and Present Views and a Proposal for the Future. Laurence ANTHONY Center for English Language Education in Science and Engineering (CELESE) Waseda University ( 早稲田大学) anthony@waseda.jp.
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Demystifying ESP at the Tertiary Level:A Review and Critique of Past and Present Views and a Proposal for the Future Laurence ANTHONY Center for English Language Education in Science and Engineering (CELESE) Waseda University (早稲田大学) anthony@waseda.jp 5th Annual Conference of China’s Educational Linguistics Association
Outline • New conditions for English in Asian industry and academia • Understanding problems and solutions at the tertiary level (GTM, CLT, CBI, EMI) • Demystifying ESP: Past and present descriptions of ESP and a definition for the 21st Century • A working ESP model for a university English program (in science and engineering) • The future of ESP
New conditions for English in Asian industry and academia China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) "CNPC is Immediately Looking to Fill Key Roles with Top Level Global Talent to Support its Continued Growth" http://www.cnpc.com.cn/en/humanresources/training/Top-Level-Global-Talent.shtml
New conditions for English in Asian industry and academia Haier (Qingdao Haier Co., Haier Electrics Group Co.)
New conditions for English in Asian industry and academia Haier (Qingdao Haier Co., Haier Electrics Group Co.) Zhang RuiminHaier CEO (2013) "In the next 10 years, a major part of our development strategy will be the globalization of our brands and the integration of global resources" http://www.zerohedge.com/contributed/2013-08-03/even-ceo-china%E2%80%99s-largest-appliance-manufacturer-gets-cold-feet
New conditions for English in Asian industry and academia Samsung (Korea) Q. Do I need to be fluent in Korean(to work at Samsung)? A. English is the only required languageto work for Samsung.
Hiroshi Mikitani, Rakuten (2010年6月30日) http://news.livedoor.com/topics/detail/3578234/ http://mainichi.jp/photo/archive/news/2010/06/30/20100701k0000m020087000c.html New conditions for English in Asian industry and academia 「2年後に英語ができない執行役員はみんなクビです」 http://www.toyokeizai.net/business/interview/detail/AC/810ee47297d49033c2a4b43a0a5216e0/page/2/ 「Any executives who cannot speak English in two years time will be fired」 http://www.toyokeizai.net/business/interview/detail/AC/810ee47297d49033c2a4b43a0a5216e0/page/2/
New conditions for English in Asian industry and academia International students by % in 2000 and 2009
New conditions for English in Asian industry and academia International students in US, UK, AUS, and CAN (2000-2011) Sources: CIC, DEEWR/AEI, HEISA, IIE http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20121123064223433
New conditions for English in Asian industry and academia International students in China (2004-2010) Sources: International Institute of Education http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/29/world/asia/china-soft-power-foreign-students/index.html
New conditions for English in Asian industry and academia International students in Korea (2000-2010) Sources: Korea Institute of Industrial Technology http://www.hancinema.net/foreigners-seek-local-jobs-despite-culture-gap-30593.html
New conditions for English in Asian industry and academia International students in Japan (1983-2012) Sources: Japanese Student Services Organization http://www.jasso.go.jp/statistics/intl_student/data12_e.html
New conditions for English in Asian industry and academia Shanghai Uni. (China) Fudan Univ. (China)
New conditions for English in Asian industry and academia A Framework of Reference for EFL Teaching at Tertiary Level in Shanghai For Non-English Major Undergraduates The Shanghai Advisory Committee on EFL at Tertiary Level(March 1, 2013) JigangCai
New conditions for English in Asian industry and academia Global 30 Program http://www.uni.international.mext.go.jp/global30/
Faculty of Science and Engineering, WasedaUniversity 早稲田大学理工学術院国際コース New conditions for English in Asian industry and academia
New conditions for English in Asian industry and academia http://asiancorrespondent.com/56363/english-lectures-at-korean-universities-are-on-the-rise/
New conditions for English in Asian industry and academia "all classes will be conducted in English by 2010" KAIST President SuhNam Pyo http://alum.mit.edu/news/AlumniProfiles/Archive/suh?destination=node/17877
Understanding the problems and solutionsat the tertiary level
Understanding the problems and solutionsat the tertiary level • Main Problem 1: • Students are not proficient enough in English(to survive in a global world) • Solution 1: • Teach students core English grammar and vocabulary skills • Problems: • Students lack motivation to study grammar and vocabulary • Language learning is a skill that requires practice in context
Understanding the problems and solutionsat the tertiary level • Main Problem 1: • Students are not proficient enough in English(to survive in a global world) • Solution 2: • Adopt a Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach • Problems: • CLT contexts are generally daily routines or holidays that do not match the present or future needs • Non-native English instructors often lack confidence (or interest) to teach daily routines or holiday English
Understanding the problems and solutionsat the tertiary level • Main Problem 1: • Students are not proficient enough in English(to survive in a global world) • Solution 3: • Adopt an Content-Based Instruction (CBI) approach(British council, 2014) • Teach English using (any) content of student interest • Advantages: • derived from CLT • learner centered, interactive, project-/task -based • contextualized (any topic is fine) • specialist course topics, favorite movies, pop stars, .. • motivating (topics of interest are chosen by class) • students choose topics they are interested in
Understanding the problems and solutionsat the tertiary level • Main Problem 1: • Students are not proficient enough in English(to survive in a global world) • Solution 3: • Adopt an Content-Based Instruction (CBI) approach(British council, 2014) • Teach English using (any) content of student interest • Problems: • language is not explicitly taught • tendency to use the L1 excessively • materials are difficult to find(authentic materials may be too difficult) • CBI contexts often do not match the present or future needs of students
Understanding the problems and solutionsat the tertiary level • Main Problem 1: • Students are not proficient enough in English(to survive in a global world) • Solution 4: • Adopt an English-Mediated Instruction (EMI) approach • teach content courses using English as the language of instruction • Advantages: • L2 is the only language used • authentic materials are always used • EMI contexts match the immediate needs of students (and maybe future needs)
Understanding the problems and solutionsat the tertiary level • Main Problem 1: • Students are not proficient enough in English(to survive in a global world) • Solution 4: • Adopt an English-Mediated Instruction (EMI) approach • teach content courses using English as the language of instruction • Problems: • Students are not proficient enough in English(to survive in an EMI class!) • Content teachers are not proficient enough in English to teach EMI • English teachers are not proficient enough in content knowledge to teach EMI
Understanding the problems and solutionsat the tertiary level • Main Problem 2: • Students are increasingly required to study EMIcourses • Reasons • University administrators require increasing numbers of EMI courses (to cater for overseas students) • Subject specialists feel EMI is a quicker route for students to master English (regular English classes are not efficient) • Nobody likes English teachers
Language-Content GTM CLT CBI EMI grammar, vocabulary, ... shopping, weather, ... courses, music TV, ... maths, physics chemisty... Understanding the problems and solutionsat the tertiary level • The Language-Content Continuum • A solution to the problems of... • 1) student proficiency • 2) EMI pressure English for Specific Purposes (ESP)
Demystifying ESP:Past and present descriptions of ESPand a definition for the 21st Century
http://science.howstuffworks.com/esp1.htm What is ESP? Google Ranking: No. 1-4 Extra Sensory Perception
http://www.antlab.sci.waseda.ac.jp/abstracts/ESParticle.html What is ESP? Google Ranking: No. 5 English for Specific Purposes English for Specific Purposes: What does it mean? Why is it different? Laurence Anthony JALT CUE-Sig. On-CUE Newsletter (1997)
A brief history of ESP (1960s-1970s) • A product-based approach Barber, C.L. (1962). Some measurable characteristics of modern scientific prose. In Contributions to English Syntax and Philology Acta Universitatis Gothoburgensis, Goteburg, pp. 21-43. "It is perfectly possible to find out just what English is used in the operation of power stations in India: once this has been observed, recorded and analyzed, a teaching course to impart such language behavior can at last be devised with confidence and certainty." Halliday et. al, 1964: 190 34 http://isfc2010.ubcconferences.com/files/large_halliday.jpg
A brief history of ESP (1980s-1990s) • A learner-centered approach "... now there is a need for a wider view that focuses less on differences and more on what various specialisms have in common ..." (Hutchinson & Waters, 1987: 19) "ESP should properly be seen not as any particular language product but as an approach to language teaching and learning which is directed by specific and apparent reasons for learning." (Hutchinson & Waters, 1987: 19)
A brief history of ESP (1990s-2000s) • An approach for teaching specialist English(in highly complex genres) "ESP must involve teaching the literacy skills which are appropriate to the purposes and understandings of particular academic and professional communities." (Hyland, 2002: 385)
A brief history of ESP (today) • ESP that focuses primarily on specific language, skills, and genres of particular disciplines (Hyland, 2002; 2004; 2008) • ESP that is (should be?) closely connected to the teaching of the subject itself (Paltridge, 2009) • ESP that integrates discursive competence, disciplinary knowledge and professional practice (Bhatia, 2011)
A brief history of ESP (today) • Day by Day: English for Employment Communication • Professional English in Use Finance • International Legal English • Welcome! Student's Book: English for the Travel and Tourism Industry • International Medical Communication in English • Cambridge English for Engineering • English for Environmental Science • English for physics students (Russian?)
ESP Learner Age ESP Learner Knowledge High School Beginner Profession University Advanced Intermediate (Junior/Senior High) (nuclear physicist) (undergraduate, graduate) Creating a definition of ESPfor the 21st Century • The ESP Specificity Continuum • See Dudley Evans & St. John (1998)
ESP Methodology ESP Content Teacher Centered General ESP 'Wide Angle' ESP Learner Centered 'Narrow Angle' ESP (academic listening, note-taking, logical structures, visualizing data) classroom organizer: Initiation: teacher Response: student Follow-up: teacher (research article writing,presentations) (nuclear physics terminology, reactor safety manuals) classroom consultant: Initiation: student Response: teacher Follow-up: student Creating a definition of ESPfor the 21st Century • The ESP Specificity Continuum • See Dudley Evans & St. John (1998)
Creating a definition of ESPfor the 21st Century WHAT? HOW? WHO? WHERE? WHEN? WHY? Language Descriptions Learning Theories Syllabus Methodology ESPCOURSE Needs Analysis Nature of particular target and language situation Hutchinson & Waters (1987)
Creating a definition of ESPfor the 21st Century • Absolute Characteristics • ESP is defined to meet specific needs of the learner; • ESP makes use of the underlying methodology and activities of the discipline it serves; • ESP is centered on the language (grammar, lexis, register), skills, discourse, and genres appropriate to these activities. Dudley-Evans, T. & St. John, M. J., 1998: 4-5
Creating a definition of ESPfor the 21st Century • Variable Characteristics • ESP may berelated to or designed for specific disciplines; • ESP may use, in specific teaching situations, a different methodologyfrom that of general English; • ESP is likely to bedesigned for adult learners, either at a tertiary level institution or in a professionalwork situation. It could, however, be for learners at secondaryschool level; • ESP is generallydesigned for intermediate or advanced students. Most ESP courses assumesomebasic knowledge of the language systems, but it can be used with beginners. Dudley-Evans, T. & St. John, M. J., 1998: 4-5
A definition of ESP for the 21st Century English for Specific Purposes (ESP) is an approach to language teaching that targets the current and/or future needs of learners, focuses on the necessary language, skills, discourse, and genres to address these needs, and assists learners in achieving their goals through general and/or discipline-specific learning methodologies. L. Anthony (2014)
Testing the definition of ESP • Is a course on English grammar an example of ESP? • Generally no. It is difficult to establish why a learner needs to improve their grammar. • Is a general proficiency test preparation course (e.g. TOEIC, TOEFL) an example of ESP? • Generally yes. Students usually need to achieve a certain score for graduation or employment. If the purpose is to improve general English, no. • Is English for Academic Purposes (EAP) an example of ESP • Generally yes. Students usually need to graduate. • Is a CBI/EMI course an example of ESP? • Definitely no. The goal of CBI and EMI courses is not language focused.
A working ESP model for a university English programFaculty of Science and Engineering,Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
The CELESE Program at Waseda University • Schools/Departments: • 3 schools; 17 departments • ≈10,000 students (6,000 undergrad; 4000 grad) • ≈75% of students proceed to graduate school • English Faculty: • 9 full-time faculty, 65 part-time faculty • English Courses: • 17 courses • 500 sections • (22 sections of Technical Writing) • (12 sections of Technical Presentation)
Needs analysis at CELESE • Student Needs • English to study, research, discuss, and present content of special area of study • English to discuss and resolveglobalissues as citizens of Japan as well as of the world • English for the workplace (Ministry of Education Advisor, 2009)