Problems

1. Domain Knowledge and English Capability: A Balancing ActMark R. FreiermuthGunma Prefectural Women’s UniversityTeaching ESP in EFL SettingsTESOL Annual Convention Tampa, Florida

2. Problems Content Specialists Cooperation ESP Teacher English Needs of Students

3. Problems Uncooperative Content Specialists ESP Teacher Uninterested in English Marginalization of English

4. Problems: Teachers • ESL Setting Overgeneralizations • ESP Teachers likely to find some cooperative content-area experts • Content-area experts teach or communicate in English (many value English, especially NNSs) • EFL Setting • There is a real possibility of receiving no help from content-area experts • Content classes likely to be taught in NL • Content-area experts may not use English • Marginalization of English based upon individual perceptions

5. Problems Students ESP Teacher Domain Specific Tasks

6. Problems Uncooperative Students ESP Teacher Lack of Domain Knowledge English Unimportant

7. Problems: Students • ESL Setting Overgeneralizations • Have knowledge of specialty • Understand a need for learning English • Naturally motivated (Gardner) • Tend to have a narrower focus (career goals) • EFL Setting • Content-area knowledge varies dramatically • Naïve concerning English uses • Motivation varies considerably • May be influenced by unenthusiastic content-area teachers • Priorities are content-area classes • English is viewed as an obstacle that must be hurdled • Career goals may be multi-focused or even unfocused

8. Problems Students ESP Teacher Desire Good Instruction

9. Problems Students ESP Teacher Poor Instruction

10. Problems: Professionalism • ESP Professionalism • Untrained teachers • Unaware of ESP • “Fell into” position • No veteran guidance • Unmotivated teachers • Many of the previous points factors • Uninterested teachers • ESP unappealing • Uncooperative teachers

11. Classroom Conundrums • Content-area-based lessons • Conceptual content-area aspects not understood • Goals of the tasks not understood • Usually both are not understood • EFL lessons • Lack any ESP aspect • Lack any realistic ESP aspect

12. Needs • Content-area-based lessons • Conceptual knowledge enhancement • Lexical knowledge enhancement • Long and short term goals • Realism (stakeholders)

13. Materials: An Example • Simulation (long term) • Introduced a somewhat realistic court case involving two software corporations • Students acted as engineers in a position to offer their suggestions to their supervisors • The case involved software “theft” or “borrowing” by way of a process called “reverse engineering”

14. Materials: An Example • Lexical/Conceptual problems • Students had to write definitions in English • Best ones were posted on the Web for all students to view and access (model) • Students needed to show a clear understanding • Document design problems • Simulation made explanation of problem-solution document easy • Students acted as employees—vested interest in success

15. Materials: An Example • Benefits • Students used information from their definitions to write about the case • Students understood and discussed domain specific concepts in English • Students were naturally motivated due to a vested interest in the case • Students searched for information in English • Students experienced a pseudo working environment where decisions were made • Students were able to produce a relatively sound problem-solution document (reasoned)

16. Thanks!