Dr.

Csilla Sárdi, PPKE BTK

2016 Autumn

Teaching English for Specific Purposes 1

BMNAT01700M

Course Description:

This is the first of a set of two courses focusing on teaching English for Specific Purposes
(ESP). As such, it builds on knowledge and experience students already have in Applied
Linguistics and ELT, and investigates a specific area of Language Pedagogy providing a
comprehensive understanding of ESP which students can then use in future language
teaching. The course explores the key concepts and developments in ESP theory and practice,
and looks at the teaching of a variety of branches of ESP such as English for Academic
Purposes (EAP) and English for Occupational Purposes (EOP). Focused attention will also be
given to issues in needs analysis, course design, materials development as well as ESP
methodology and assessment. Although a variety of ESP situations will be addressed
throughout the course, specific attention will be given to business English (BE) settings.

Aims:

1. to familiarize students with concepts and developments in the field of ESP teaching,
2. to raise students’ awareness and understanding of issues relevant in ESP course design and
course management,
3. to enhance students’ critical thinking and evaluation skills in relation to the above topics,
4. to provide students with opportunities to develop design a mini ESP course based on
learner needs.

Requirements:
Students are expected to
 participate actively in discussions,
 read the assigned literature,
 give a presentation and lead a follow-up group discussion based on the selected article,
 design and carry out a needs analysis and report on the results both in writing (1000 words),
and in speech (a 10 minute presentation in class),
 design and submit a 15 hour ESP course based on the needs analysis results supplemented
with a discussion in writing (1000 words), and in speech (a 10 minute presentation in class).

Students will be assessed on the basis of class attendance and activity, fulfilment of classroom tasks
and home assignments.

Obligatory reading:
Dudley-Evans, T. and St. John, M. (1998). Developments in English for Specific Purposes: A
Multi-Disciplinary Approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (Chapters 1-4; 7-11)

Suggested reading:
Basturkmen, H. (2010). Developing Courses in English for Specific Purposes. Basingstoke:
Palgrave Macmillen.
Hyland, K. (2006). English for Academic Purposes. An Advanced Resource book. London:
Routledge.
 Dr. Csilla Sárdi, PPKE BTK
2016 Autumn

Syllabus:

Date Topics Focus on the Presentations Homework due

literature
14th Sept. Introduction. Defining
ESP
21st Sept. Language status and
language function, EIL
28th Sept. Branches of ESP Basturkmen 2006
5th Oct. Needs Analysis (NA) in Sárdi 2002 NA target group
ESP to be selected
12th Oct. English for Business Zhu & Liao 2008 NA survey
Purposes (BE) instrument and
questions to be
decided on
19th Oct. English for Academic (Spack 1988; ) Work in
Purposes (EAP) Hyland 2002 progress to be
discussed
26th Oct. Needs analysis revisited Presentations NA survey to be
on NA results completed
Autumn break
9th Nov. The ESP practitioner Sierocka 2008 Report on NA
results due
16th Nov. ESP course design Basturkmen 2010,
4.2
23rd Nov. ESP materials: evaluation Hutchinson &
and development Waters, 1987
30th Nov. Methodology in ESP Jordan, 1997 pp.
109-113
7th Dec. Needs-based course Presentations Needs-based
design on ESP course course
design supplemented
with a
discussion due
14th Dec. Assessment in ESP.
Conclusion

References:

Basturkmen, H. (2006). Ideas and options in English for specific purposes. ESL & Applied
Linguistics Professional Series. London: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. pp. 15-17.

Basturkmen, H. (2010). Developing courses in English for specific purposes. New York:
Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 59-62.

Hutchinson, T. & Waters, A. (1987). English for specific purposes. A learning-centred

approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 118-126.

Hyland, K. (2002). Specificity revisited: how far should we go now? English for specific
purposes. 21: 385-395.
 Dr. Csilla Sárdi, PPKE BTK
2016 Autumn

Jordan, R. R. (1997). English for academic purposes: A guide and resource book for
teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 109-113.

Sárdi, Cs. (2002). A needs-based course design. Székesfehérvár: Kodolányi János Főiskola.
pp. 57-65.

Sierocka, H. (2008). The role of the ESP teacher. www. teacher.pl. 2, 56: 33-37.
Spack (1988).

(Spack, R. (1988). Initiating ESL students into the academic discourse community: How far
should we go? TESOL Quarterly. 22, 1: 29-51.)

Zhu, W. & Liao, F. (2008). On the differences between General English teaching and
Business English teaching. English Language Teaching 1, 2: 90-95.