‫الجمهوريــــــــة الجزائريــــــة الديمقراطيـــــة الشعبيـــــة‬

République Algérienne Démocratique et Populaire

Ministère de l’Enseignement Supérieur et de ‫جامعة عبد الرحمان میرة – بجایة‬
la Recherche Scientifique ‫وزارة التعلیم العالي والبحث العلمي‬
Université Abderrahmane Mira- Bejaia ‫كلیة اآلداب واللغات‬
Faculté des Lettres et des langues
‫قسم اللغة واألدب اإلنجلیزي‬
Département d’Anglais

Synthesis of the Oral and Workshop Sessions

First National Study Day on ESP in Algerian Context: Exploring the Current Pedagogical and
Communicative Practices

October 30th 2017, University of Bejaia, Auditorium of Aboudaou

CONFERENCE REPORT
Outline

1- Table of Contents
2- The Inaugural Speech
3- Plenary session one
4- Plenary session 2
5- Workshop session A
6- Workshop session B
7- Workshop session C
8- Workshop session D
9- Main Conclusions
10- Main recommendations
11- General Conclusion

1
 1- The Inaugural Speech

Ladies and gentlemen, dear guests, dear participants, dear students

Good morning!

It’s my pleasure to welcome you all, for a second time, on behalf of the organizing committee, to the
Opening of the National Study Day on English for Specific Purpose in the Algerian Context.

This is the first one of a new series of bi-annual academic events exploring how English Language
Teaching could be best developed to cope with the specific demands of the Algerian socioeconomic sector.
This demand (for English Language Learning) has been growing rapidly since the shift of Algerian economy
to market economy. Many weaknesses and difficulties related to the Teaching and Learning of English for
specific purposes have been mentioned in various individual research works, however.

Today’s event is an opportunity for us as lecturers-researchers and PhD students in the fields of
linguistics, didactics, ESP, civilization and culture, and translation studies to share and discuss our research
results and ideas, and to exchange our educational experiences related to the teaching of English to the
students of universities and vocational schools, to trainees and apprentices, and to the employees and
managers in economic companies.

For this first edition, the Study Day adopts a timely theme, Exploring the Current Pedagogical and
Communicative Practices. Its main objective is to describe the current situation of English language
teaching to the employees and managers of the socioeconomic institutions and to examine English language
use and needs in socio-professional settings. This includes the description of the nature and of the features of
communication; the exploration of foreign language learning difficulties; the analysis of communicative and
educational needs of EFL learners; the design and implementation of needs-based language courses,
materials and tasks; the suggestion and experimentation of solutions to the raised issues…etc.

If you take a look at the Study Day’s Programme, you will agree that this first edition is going to be
busy and productive. There is a lot to offer for a one-day event. I would like to take this opportunity to
thank the dean of the faculty Doctor Mourad Bektache for his valuabe support and guidance. I would also
like to thank participants, especially those of you coming from different regions of the country, for joining
us and sharing your valuable experience and ideas. It is essential to thank together our eminent experts in
the field of ESP teaching and research, the keynote speakers of the event: Professor Hacène Hamada and
Professor Salah Derradji.

In closing, I hope that all of you will enjoy the Conference, and I wish our guests from other
universities will have a very pleasant stay in our city.

Thank you.

2
 2- Oral Session One: ESP Accounts and perspectives

Plenary Session 01: Accounts and Perspectives of ESP Research

Speaker Professor Hacène Hamada, ENS Constantine
1 Title: Research commitment and perspectives in ESP: from needs to implementation
Description: This paper provides an account of research perspectives and course
ESP, EST and EAP at Constantine University and other Eastern Algeria universities. It seeks to answer
the question whether the EST, ESP and EAP course provided at the Master programme could lead to
further research results which respond to the needs of the Algerian communities of specialists and wider
public audience. It presents a brief summary of the course objectives and content that lead to research
direction towards determining specific needs and relevant problem solutions according to context
requirements. To answer the research question, the paper presents the results of research projects that
have ben and are still conducted under our supervision, by classifying them under 4 categories: -
Undergraduate methodology courses; - Academic writing requirements; - ESP and EST requirements;
and Translation. The undergraduate courses provide an implementation of reading/writing skills that
enhance students’ research and communication skills using scenario-based and blended learning
methods. The academic writing research provides guidelines for research articles and dissertations. The
EST requirements provide a range of commercial and business discourse addressed to consumers and
maintenance staff of household equipment. The translation studies, however, were limited to medical
research articles. Despite the commitment of researchers –candidates and supervisor, the research results
could be implemented at all levels of the educational courses and writing research but could hardly
invest the commercial, business, and scientific domains because of the prominence of French in business
administration and medical sciences.
Speaker Professor Salah Derradji, University of Bejaia
2 English for Specific Purposes in Algeria: Myth and Realities
Description:
This paper deals with presenting EFL students’ difficulties in understanding and finding equivalents
among specialized languages. Specialized languages are the “vector”1 of knowledge of specialty though
they derive some of their units from common languages. Unlike common languages, specialized ones do
not stem from daily exchanges; they rather are means of communicating and conveying information
among specialists. The present study starts from our observation of EFL students who can easily converse
about their specialty in English, but they find difficulties in discussing such specialized topics in other
languages (Arabic and French). Therefore, an exploratory descriptive research which is based on a survey
questionnaire as a qualitative data collection tool was conducted. It is administered to samples of 3rd year,
Master 1, and Master 2 students from the department of English of Tebessa University. Results revealed
that students are unaware of the existence of specialized terms in different languages, and that they are
particular to a specific language (English). Besides, the degree to which students are enrolled and exposed
to English affects their understanding and conception of other specialized languages (Arabic and French).
Conclusions:
Recommendations:
Speaker Doctor Nassera Senhadji, University of Bejaia
3 ESP: Past, Present and Future
Description:
This paper will evolve around two main issues. My comments will be backed up by figures thought out by
Tom Hutchinson and Alan Waters. All ESP courses compel the teacher to look for the use of the
language, its practical purpose, and for the search of a systematic and progressive syllabus. Contrary to
EGP (English for general Purposes) which has no limited purpose and context, ESP developed in the early
1960’s with a study of EST (English for Science and Technology). Needs Analysis and Syllabus design
are inextricably intertwined. Defining the need is a prerequisite to defining the content of the course. ESP
is certainly characterized by its content (Science, medicine, commerce, tourism, etc…), but most
importantly by a definition of the particular need of the student. In this present talk, we shall put emphasis
on what we refer by students’ needs, target needs, learning needs, necessities, lacks, and wants. We shall
expand on how information about needs can be gathered. Once this is explained, the three main
approaches to course design will be highlighted: the language-centred course, the skill-centred course, and
the learning-centred approach. A course design should always start by identifying the learners’ learning

1
Coancă, M. (n.d.). Common Language Versus Specialized Language
3
 situation and their target situation. All the data of a needs analysis should lead to the design of an effective
ESP course. Our references for this paper is a summer course in ESP in July 1990, Plymouth and Tom
Hutchinson and Alan Waters’ English for Specific Purposes, R.R Jordan’s English for Academic
Purposes, Tony Dudley- Evans and Maggie Jo St John’s Developments in English for Specific Purposes.
Speaker Doctor Melouka Ziani, University of Mostaganem
4 Training ESP Teachers: An Under-Estimated Overhaul
Description:
In this era of ongoing technical improvements, ESP has witnessed an emergence, as a need for a mastery
of specific English is observed, in almost all domains; being social, economic, medical, technological, etc.
The present paper tries to unveil an issue which exists at the level of many university departments in
Algeria where English is taught as a secondary /tertiary subject. This status and its learning conditions
have impacted the students’ attitudes towards learning the target language. Moreover, English is taught by
GE teachers who have not been trained to face the challenges of ESP classes. Hence, training becomes a
necessity in order to improve teachers’competencies to meet their learners’ needs.

Speaker Doctor Ouidad Sekhri & Mrs Hadjer Noui, University of Constantine 2
5 Educational Approach for the Languages of Specialization: Teaching English for Specific Purposes and
the Teacher’s Development
Description:
The teaching of English for Specific Purposes has been seen as an activity which is separated
from English Language Teaching. For that, teachers of Language for Specific Purposes have a lot
in common with teachers of general foreign language. It has been assumed that if one discipline
which is ELT has developed its own methodology, ESP will follow it. However, this is not
always the case because the theories of teaching are going to be applied differently between ELT
and ESP. For both disciplines, it is worth considering linguistic developments and teaching
theories to have insights in contemporary ideas regarding their own position and role as well as the
position and role of foreign language learners in education and to face new technologies offered
as an aid to improve their methodology. In this paper, we are going to focus on the importance
of learning and teaching ESP as a crucial discipline of ELT, its types, features of ESP courses,
and the role of ESP teachers.
Speaker Mr Belkacem Outemzabet, University of Bejaia
6 The New Role of Genre in the Teaching and Analysis of Specialised Discourses: the Case of English for
Medical Purposes
Description:
The present work is an action research, which took place accidentally a year go in one of the
departments of Bejaia University. A group of four researchers had to write conference papers and
present them in an international conference. They raised a number of difficulties, among which
the time constraint and the limited level of proficiency in English. In Stage one, decided to
conduct a short investigation in order to understand the context of English language use, and the
genre-based needs related to conference papers and presentations. In stage two, I have attempted
to apply the research writing course designed in phase one, and to evaluate its efficiency.
Findings and Conclusions
Recommendations

4
 3- Oral Session 2 Issues and Challenges in ESP Teaching

Speaker Professor Mohamed Afkir, University of Laghouat

1 “Prospects of ESP in the Context of the Language Question in Algeria”
Description:
No doubt, ELT is increasingly gaining larger ground in Algeria, as is the case everywhere in the
world. In particular, ESP, which responds to a constantly developing world economy, is also
positioning itself so strongly in the academic and the economic fields. Therefore, it is imperative
that the Algerian academicians as well as authorities should pursue a policy of revitalizing
English teaching to cope with the rapid economic changes taking place inside the country and
outside it. However, a proper policy of teaching English for specific purposes cannot take place
without a proper understanding of our language situation and its complexities. Algeria is a
country where four important languages share the scene, if not the arena. Arabic, Tamazight,
French and English are all, by degrees, heavily present, while proponents and opponents of these
languages often display contradictory theses on what language policy should be adopted. I
attempt through this paper to present a reading on the prospects of ESP in the light of this
complex language situation. The aim is to analyze the different trends on Language for Specific
Purposes in Algeria,
Speaker Doctor Rachid Mehdi, University of Bejaia
2 The Importance of Religious Knowledge for the Development of the Professional Language Competence in
Tourism
Description:
Conclusions:
Recommendations:
Speaker Doctor Soryana Yacine, University of Tizi Ouzou
3 Course Design and EAP Requirements: the case of PhD language sciences and literature students
Description:
PhD students of the LMD system in Algeria, whatever their speciality, are required to attend an English
course as part of their academic training. This course is meant to enhance the students’English skills to
read and produce academic research in their respective fields. However, the targeted learning needs are not
clearly specified and there is no syllabus or course content suggested by the PhD course offers. The
present paper accounts for an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) course design meant for Language
sciences and literature students preparing their PhD in French or Arabic languages at the University of Tizi
Ouzou. It covers two important aspects. On one hand, it highlights all the difficulties surrounding the ESP
class such as the heterogeneous group of students and their entry profiles, their unspecified needs and exit
profiles, and the too general learning objectives stated in the different PhD offers. On the other hand, it
presents a suggested ESP syllabus that tries to cater for the EAP requirements taking into consideration the
student’s specific subject contents.
Speaker Doctor Tayeb Kabbache, University of Laghouat
4 ESP and Algerian Economic Challenges
Description:
It is a common sense for all specialists and field researchers that English for specific purposes (ESP)
appeared in the second half of the previous century as a result of certain reasons after the second world
war namely the triumph of the USA .As a matter of fact, English was imposed as a world leading
language that needed to be the messenger of the launch of the American imperialist approach . The letter
“P” in ESP in its essence is agreed upon to be standing for professional careers that go in harmony with
the various economic fields that all prove the predomination and the importance of the ultimate aim of any
academic ESP training course which is of a profession alone. In our country Algeria, the economic sphere
seems to be in a dire need to raise officials’ awareness as far as the role of English is concerned. Our
economy seems to be out of date, living in a traditional era that does not recognize English as a first
language for certain political and colonial backgrounds that are instead still adopting French explicitly as
an official political and economic language , and as a clear evidence for this fact , the 1992 Baccalaureate
Scandal which was proved to be a mere conspiracy against the official proposition of integrating
English in the primary schools instead of French so as to cope with the world’s development . In sum ,
the above-cited view demonstrates that the current linguistic situation undermines the Algerian economy
that urges the adoption of the English language , which requires no arguments as being the world’s first
5
 economic and political language proved by concrete statistics .For instance , 90% of the world Internet
sites are in the English language , Twenty percent involves all the world’s remaining languages ,
including French with 2% . …..so for whom the bell tolls?.
Speaker Mr Karim Medjkoune, University of Bejaia
5 ESP Students’ Achievement Motivation: Confronting Judgements of Competence with the Perception of the
Utility of Technical writing
Description:
The present study investigated the effects of technical writing instruction on students’ perceptions of self-
efficacy and utility value for writing. Subjects were thirty-two fifth year engineering students at the faculty
of sciences and engineering sciences, department of electronics at the University of Bejaia. The students
were divided into two equal groups to conduct an experimental treatment for the purposes of the
questionnaire distribution. The first group answered a self-efficacy for writing questionnaire and a utility
value for writing questionnaire. The second group answered the same questionnaires but after they
completed the four-week technical writing instruction they attended. The results indicate that the group of
students who participated in the writing instruction scored far less both in self-efficacy for writing and
utility value for technical/engineering writing. This also suggests that, consistently with research findings
within social cognitive theories of achievement motivation, self-efficacy is a good index of a host of
variables such as, precisely in this study, perceptions and judgements of utility value that we applied on
engineering writing. In other words, our findings indicate that if self-efficacy for writing is high, students
judge and perceive the utility value of technical writing higher and more positively; by opposition, this
could indicate that if self-efficacy is lower, the utility perception could be low and negative. Research
methods and design, findings, discussion, limitations of the study as well as some suggestions for ESP
teaching and academic research will be given throughout the present communication.
Findings and Conclusions
Recommendations

6
 WORKSHOP SESSIONS

4- Workshop A: English Language Practices and Translation

Speaker 1 Malika Zourgui & Nacèra Benali-Reguieg (University of Chlef)

English as a Lingua Franca for Tourism. A Case of Hotel Receptionists’ Trainees
Description:
It is indisputable that English has become a global lingua franca in the world market. It is viewed as an
instrument language serving as a means of communication between non-native speakers. English has
been used as a lingua franca of tourists and travellers worldwide. As the hotel operators communicate
daily with guests from different linguacultural backgrounds, comprehensible communication in English
plays a significant role in facilitating hotel business. Communication is vital to the success of tourism
business since it is only through the effective use of communication that tourism operators can offer to
customers higher service quality. Thus, good communication skills can reduce misunderstanding, doubt,
and conflict. In fact, misunderstandings often happen in the workplace especially with international
visitors, and thereby neither good quality service is delivered nor the customer‘s satisfaction is achieved.
To address this lack, the current study examines learners’ attitudes towards the use of English as a lingua
franca as a corporate language in Hotel Management receptionists curriculum. The study is an
examination of teaching tourism practices and approaches currently used in Bou- Saada training center. It
probes the communication needs of the receptionists in the workplace.
Speaker 2 Belkacem Outemzabet (University of Bejaia)
From events to tasks: Analysis of Maritime English Needs of Bejaia Port Regulation Officers
Description:
The main aim of this study is to describe the communicative practices and needs of the regulation
personnel in the Port of Bejaia. It is the second paper related to a longitudinal research project, which
started two years ago, the first part of which was presented in the National Workshop on Languages in
Algerian Economy, organized by the LESMS in January2017. The objective of the project has been to
design ESP courses and materials for on-shore and off-shore Algerian maritime personnel. The present
work focuses on task needs of the Bejaia Port regulation officers. It uses an ethnographic approach with
interviews and observations as instruments of data collection. The study enabled the researcher to
identify the main tasks needed and text types used by officers, safety officers, radio officers and pilots in
the port of Bejaia.
Speaker 3 Houria Chaal (University of Chlef)
La traduction institutionnelle entre formation et pratique
Description:
Sous l’effet de la globalisation, le marché de la traduction exige de nouvelles formes de traduction,
notamment la traduction institutionnelle, envisagée comme un type de traduction spécialisée, qui joue un
rôle majeur dans différents secteurs. Alors, beaucoup d'établissements de formation ont pris conscience
de cette réalité ainsi que du besoin d'une formation dans ce domaine. Et là, la question se pose, de quelle
formation s’agit-il ? Sera –t- elle suffisante pour former des traducteurs compétents ?
En effet, la traduction institutionnelle implique des programmes d'études comprenant des matières
portant non seulement sur la traduction spécialisée, mais aussi sur d’autres éléments avec lesquels
interagissent la traduction ; la terminologie, les nouvelles technologies, l'enseignement, l'analyse
contrastive , l’économie, la culture, la politique, la recherche documentaire…et particulièrement une
langue de spécialité qui crée des problèmes terminologiques en traduisant différents textes. Mais, est-ce
que nos étudiants subissent cette formation, apprenant tous ces concepts et notions ? Et pour en savoir, on
a fait une étude en visitant quelques écoles de formation et l’APS (Algérie Presse Service) pour avoir une
idée sur le statut de la pratique de la traduction dans cette entreprise. On constate enfin que la meilleure
formation se base sur une bonne pratique. Cela veut dire que la pratique est l’approche la plus
satisfaisante pour aboutir à une maitrise de cette profession.
Speaker 4 Mr Sofiane Mammeri & Assia Mohdeb (University of Bejaia)
English Use in the Algerian Media Discourse: An Exploratory Study
Description:
As a part of the Maghreb, Algeria is the largest francophone country after France where French co-exists
with the native languages (Berber & Arabic) since the French occupation. Unlike in the Middle East,
English in Algeria was only part of the curriculum in education and as a specialty in higher education.
However, nowadays, we notice the increasing spread of English in Algeria beyond education. That is, we

7
 notice the presence of English in other domains such as Marketing and Media. Thus, the present paper
attempts to investigate the status and the presence of the English language in the Algerian media. The
purpose of the study is, first, to explore the different Algerian TV channels and Newspapers that use
English as a means of communication & information. Second, it seeks to know about the attitudes and
perceptions of the Algerian audience/readers towards the Algerian media being delivered in English. For
this reason, 100 hundred questionnaires are administered to 100 students of languages at Bejaia
University - Algeria - during the second semester of the academic year of 2015-2016.
Speaker 5 Soumia Zeghouani (University of Bejaia)
Meeting the Learners’ Professional Needs in Algeria: the Case of English for Hospitality Purposes
Teaching
Description:
Despite the rapid growth in the provision of hospitality higher education in the last few years,
uncertainties remain about the content and nature of hospitality degrees and how these are aligned with
the needs of the hotel industry. Hence, this study investigates the way English for Hospitality Purposes
(EHP) is taught in Algeria, and whether hospitality education meets the needs and expectations of the
hotel industry. The current research is based on an empirical study that focuses on a synthesis of the jobs
description in order to best understand the main professional skills, competencies and knowledge
required to work in the hotel industry. In order to examine the employee’s needs, lacks and wants in
terms of specific English, a questionnaire is administered to the hotel staff under investigation in an
international hotel in Algeria. The findings reveal that English taught in the hotel ‘X’ is not tailored to the
learners’ professional needs. Moreover, it is found that there is a gap between the skills taught in the
course and the skills required in the hotel industry. The results therefore indicate the need to revise some
aspects of the course based on the current needs of the learners as well as the needs of the industry. This
would enable the learners to be well equipped with the necessary skills needed to function effectively in
the hotel industry.
Speaker 6 Djamel Ben Redda (University of Laghouat)
Oral English Communicative Difficulties of Algerian Tour Guides in the Region of Algiers
Description:
There is general observation that tour guides students at the Institute of Tourism in Algiers lack
competence in oral performance in English. This problem pushes us to investigate a needs
analysis study to find out the real reasons behind it. The purpose of this study is therefore to
examine the oral communicative competence needs of tour guides students taking the example of
the above mentioned institute. The objective is also to collect data in order to find out the sources
of the problem, then to identify possible solutions to improve the oral communicative competence
of the tour guides. To gather the data in this study, we rely on voice recording and students’
questionnaire. The results obtained from students show that they lack this skill because they do
not have sessions of oral expression to make use of their English. Hence tour guides, are in need
of more time of classroom practice in oral, and novel teaching techniques. This can be achieved
through designing a syllabus that meets the students’ needs with serious objectives.
Findings and Conclusions
Recommendations

8
 5- Workshop B: ESP Teaching and ESP Teacher Development
Speaker 1 Sidi Ali Selama (ESSAA- Algiers)
Autonomous Learning in an ESP Context; Students’ Attitudes, Readiness, and Efforts: The Case
of ESSAA Students
Description:
This study addresses the concept of learner autonomy in an ESP context. A concept that has been
attracting scholars’ attention on a worldwide scale since the 1980’s. Our interest in autonomy within an
ESP realm stems from the fact that most of ESP teachers who lecture in the Algerian Engineering studies
institutions do not master the discipline students major in. Consequently, we will argue, through this
paper, that autonomy should be integrated into the ESP curriculum. However, researchers like Aoki
(1999) hold that “the core of learner autonomy is a psychological construct” (p. 144). This quotation
demonstrates the extent to which such a psychological dimension as students’ attitudes is essential to the
autonomous language learning process. Accordingly, this study attempts to explore ESSAA students’
attitudes towards and readiness for self-dependent ESP learning. It also unveils the activities students
engage in both inside and outside the classroom within the framework of their perceived responsibilities.
To this end, a survey questionnaire was constructed and distributed to a randomly selected sample of 100
Engineering students. The questionnaire was an adaptation (with permission) of Cotterall’s (1999)
Learner Autonomy Questionnaire. Research findings are discussed with regard to students’ needs
appealing for future research and for innovations in the teaching/learning process.
Speaker 2 Lyna Sebbah & Loubna Sebbah (University of Bejaia)
Challenges and Constraints in Teaching Business English at the University of Bejaia:
The Case of the Faculty of Economic Sciences and Commerce
Description:
The title of this study is “Challenges and Constraints in Teaching Business English at the University
of Béjaia”. It aims at identifying what difficulties and restrictions confront the teachers of Business
English in the Faculty of Economic Sciences and Commerce. From the assumption that Business English
denotes a major branch of ESP courses which have become more and more omnipresent and
indispensable for effective communication in English, in each particular field, we hypothesize that the
whole amalgam of teaching policies, curricula, and strategies need to be revised in order to overcome the
current existing limitations. In the light of this, we have adopted two research tools to test the correctness
of our hypothesis. The first is an interview designed for the faculty’s chief leaders. The second is a
questionnaire designed for the teachers. The questionnaire is an invaluable research tool to valid the
conclusions drawn in the interview. The anticipated outcome of this project is to demonstrate the lucks
and the deficits in the contemporary process of Business English teaching at the university of Béjaia,
then suggesting solutions for better future practices. This investigation can be a valuable contribution to
the professional development of Business English teachers, hence, their learners’ feedback.
Speaker 4 Amina Kimouche (University of Bejaia)
“Learning and Teaching ESP: Needs, Challenges and Implications: The Case of Master Students
and Teachers at the Department of Economic Sciences, Jijel University”
Description:
English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses are supposed to meet the required language needs of the
students of various disciplines. However, such aim can be difficult to achieve if the students’ needs are
not well identified and addressed, which poses major challenges to ESP teachers. On account of this, the
present case study was carried out to explore an ESP learning/teaching situation from both teachers’ and
students’ standpoints. The aim of this study is twofold: first, it seeks to identify the needs of Master
students’ of economics in an ESP course; second, it endeavors to reveal the pedagogical challenges
encountered by ESP teachers. The participants were two groups of Master students majoring in economic
sciences and their ESP teachers at Jijel University. The study employed a mixed-method design. A
questionnaire was administrated to students to assess their ESP needs. For the qualitative data, a semi-
structured interview was conducted with teachers to provide deep insights into their expectations and
challenges when teaching ESP. The results emanated from the questionnaire displayed the students’ need
to master general English as well as specific English particularly terminology and grammar. Also,
students demonstrated the need to be proficient in the four language skills with a focus on writing and
speaking skills. The findings also revealed that teachers’ practices were not responsive to students’ ESP
needs. It appears that teachers lack knowledge and experience in the domain of ESP instruction.
Therefore, teachers need to be provided with the necessary tools and training in the field of ESP so as to
be able to adjust their courses in accordance with the needs of students.

9
 Mimouna Djouad et. Al (University of Bejaia)
Speaker 5 Investigating Teachers' Attitudes towards the Importance of Training Teachers to Teach English
for Specific Purposes
Description:
In the last few decades, English has revealed itself as an intelligible lingua franca of education, business,
science, and technology. Accordingly, the increasing demand for English for Specific Purposes (ESP) is
unavoidable. Tailor-made courses for specific groups of individuals in certain contexts have become a
necessity as to address their particular needs. Catering for these requirements of an ESP class compels
certain prerequisite skills on the side of the ESP practitioner. The current investigation aims at
delineating teachers’ attitudes towards the importance of training ESP practitioners. This study is
descriptive in nature entailing a mixed-methods approach towards data collection and analysis. The
research sample embraces 30 teachers who were conveniently selected from three distinct universities
encompassing: Oum El Bouaghi, Batna, and Bejaia universities. Quantitative data are brought about
from an adapted questionnaire and qualitative data were gathered from a follow-up interview. Research
findings have come to reveal that teachers from different universities accentuate the importance of
training ESP practitioners. They have also put much emphasis on the effectiveness that this training may
yield if conducted properly. Results have also demonstrated that analyzing the needs of specific groups
of individuals and designing syllabuses accordingly to cater for the requirements of different professions
and domains cannot be an easy task to carry out. Consequently, it is highly recommended to design
effective programs to train teachers to be proficient ESP practitioners.
Speaker 6 Mr Assia Mohdeb & Sofiane Mammeri (University of Bejaia)
The Demand for Foreign Languages Learning in Bejaia: An Exploratory Study
Description:
The present paper attempts to explore the foreign languages learning situation in Bejaia, Algeria. It is an
exploratory ‘case’ study that examines the demand for foreign languages learning in both public and
private sectors in Bejaia city (i.e., in the University and in private schools of languages). The purpose of
the study is to expose statistically the current foreign language learning situation in Bejaia and discover
the highly demanded/learned language(s). Besides, it aims to find the plausible reasons behind such
demand. The sample of the study consists of Oracle School of Languages & Communication, as a private
institution, and the Faculty of Arts & Languages at the University of Bejaia, as a public institution of
higher education. The findings of the study reveal that English is at top of foreign languages being
demanded by learners.
Findings and Conclusions
Recommendations

6- Workshop C: The Cultural Component in ESP Teaching

10
 Speaker 1 Assia Guellil (University of Laghouat)
The Role of Culture in Teaching English for Business Purposes
Description:
As English is becoming more and more the language of global market, the teaching /learning of English
for business purposes is at risk of separating the language from its culture. However, cultural sensitivity
is an integral part for the interaction between languages and thoughts in the business domain, especially
in the field of international trade as it plays a vital role in the understanding of the way other peoplethink,
behave, act, and react accordingly. This paper aims at underscoring the eminent role by culture in both
teaching and learning of English for commercial aims, since the cultural context could not be divorced
from its language,since it constructs the basis for that medium of communication between two different
cultures. Showing the extent to which language skills are tightly linked to the cultural paradigm is of a
paramount importance. Emphasizing theinseparability of language and culture would be demonstrated
through the key role-played by culture in business and commerce classes, as well as how discarding
culture could be an obstacle for the teaching and the learning of the language.
Speaker 2 Zehra Rezga (University of Mostaganem)
Understanding Some Disparities and Challenges in Two English Language and Culture Classes
Description:
The objective of language learning was defined in terms of the the acquisition of communicative
competence in a foreign language. Through language classes, however, it was found that learners acquire
some information, but very little knowlege of the foreign culture. Therefore, the recent years witnessed
the ineffectiveness of the linguistic dimension of foreign language education which gave way to the
cultural aspect. Being the ambassadors of the Anglo-American culture, teachers are expected to promote
the acquisition of intercultural competence in their learners. Acknowledgment of the positive aspects of
cultural knowledge led to the support of the systematic teaching of foreign culture as much as the
emphasis on language skills. Intercultural competence, the objective of teaching culture, differed from an
educational environment to another. The present paper aims to investigate the factors that contribute to
the difference experienced when teaching English for occupational purposes in two English classes: New
Headway English course for the Algerian Superior School of Aviation students, and Market Leader
Business English course for the employees of the Algerian Electricity and Gas Company. Data come
from the researcher’s own teaching experiences, and the findings have revealed that background
knowledge, level, age, and the use of technology are the most significant factors that make the gap
between these learners’ intercultural competence.
Speaker 3 Nacèra Benali-Reguieg & Malika Zourgui (University of Chlef)
Cultural Conflicts at the Hotel Front Desk: A Case of English for Tourism
Description:
People share some common cultural values which make them alike to a certain extent. However, they
may give up communication when they feel that the other is different. Cultural conflicts may occur due
to miscommunication and lack of understanding In Hotel Industry, the front desk staff deals with people
from different cultural backgrounds .Hence it is essential to shed the light on the cultural dimensions at
the workplace for effective communication and successful interactions at the workplace. This study aims
at identifying the cultural conflicts that the hotel receptionists encounter with native and non-native
speakers of English customers. It is conducted in two stages. The first stage includes the secondary
research-reviewing relevant literature, books, and related information. The second stage includes the
primary research which dealt with the collection of primary data through a questionnaire in form of
needs analysis. The researchers use convenience sampling because the population (hotel receptionists)
is geographically dispersed. Moreover, they seek access to their sample without the intention of
generalising the findings.

Speaker 4 Sihem Saibi & Naima Arab(University of Bejaia)

“Using Movies and Literary Texts as Educational Resources to Teach Business English”
Description:
As the title suggests, the present study is concerned with teaching business English to EFL learners not
teaching English to Economics students. Although it is commonly believed by some theorists and
practitioners that literature and cinema have little or nothing to offer to the teaching of ESP, numerous
studies show that teachers of ESP and literature can use extracts from fictional works and movies as
educational tools and materials to teach business terminology. My aim in this research is to suggest that
literature and cinema can provide EFL students awareness of business terms and concepts.
Speaker 5 Louiza Belaid (University of Mostaganem)
11
 Students’ Underachievement in the Language Classes
Description:
This dissertation assesses the impact of social factors on pupils’ performance. The researcher examines
the relationship between the teachers’ gender, the pupils’ background and their academic achievement.
The issue investigated in this research is gender underachievement; it entails a switch in the level of
accomplishment from being an achiever to an underachiever. Though the phenomenon is universal, its
reasons vary contextually. This research is motivated by two questions: What are the factors that
contribute to gender school failure? Does feminization of schooling cause a masculinity crisis? In this
vein, we hypothesised that females’ outperformance over males’ is associated with the feminisation of
education. The major objective of this study is to detect the reasons behind underachievement in the
English language subject in secondary school, especially among boys, and to figure out if their
continuous failure would lead towards a gender gap. A Triangulation method is employed in this
enquiry. The Instruments used to collect data are an observation, an interview and a questionnaire. The
aim of the interview and the questionnaire is to give the researcher a perception on how English is being
taught and learned. A two-stage cluster sampling is used in which the researcher first samples the schools
in Tissemsilt, province of Khemisti, and then samples the students from each school. The literature
review poses many causes behind pupils’ low performance; however, the appropriate diagnosis of a
symptom requires the closest source where failure is taking place.
Speaker 6 Djouhra Oulefki (University of Bejaia)
“The Role of Culture and Civilization in Teaching English for Academic and Professional
Purposes”
Description:
The present paper sets out to deal with an evolving suject in the recent days, which is using culture and
civilization in teaching English for academic and professional purposes. The study will focus, more
specifically, on the role of culture and civilization in improving the academic use of English in
professional settings. In order to enhance our analysis, we intend to offer a crucial distinction between
general English and English for academic and Professional purposes, because of the difficulty that
people encounter to distinguish between the two. Our paper will shed light, on the other hand, on the
impact of using civilization and culture in teaching English for Academic and professional purposes. In
this sense, a deep study will be made to show whether the aforementioned use is positive or negative. At
the end of this paper, a humble list of propositions will be handed for a better future in teaching English
for Academic and Professional Purposes, mainly through using civilization and culture.
Findings and Conclusions
Recommendations

7- Workshop D: ESP Course Design and Evaluation

12
Speaker 1 Lydia Benmouhoub (University of Bejaia)
“Towards a Suggested Model of Assessment in ESP: The Case of Students in Biological Sciences”

Description:
At the university level, assessment of English for Specific Purposes (Henceforth, ESP) is one of
the issues that need reconsideration. Admittedly, assessment is, in its part, one of the subthemes
that educational psychologists try to clarify and investigate since how people learn depends on
how they are assessed. As a matter of fact, students in biological sciences are experiencing
challenges and boredom when it comes to study English. Rationally and methodologically
speaking, such students do not need to study any kind of English but the one related to their
specialty as they had already been exposed to general English at middle and secondary school.
In addition, we have even witnessed that some teachers were given the opportunity to teach this
speciality without being trained for that. Consequently, they assess students based on the micro
skills only. For this plea, the purpose of our communication is to discuss some major issues
related to assessment in the field of English for Specific Purposes, as well as suggest a practical
model of assessment that teachers in that speciality can rely on when teaching. Finally, some
suggestions and recommendations will be provided for further research.
Speaker 2 Sabrina Ould Si Bouziane (University of Mostaganem)
“Towards Teaching English for Medical Purposes at the Intensive Language Teaching Centre of
Mostaganem”

Description:
Among the richest and most influential areas in language research is the field of English for
Specific Purposes (ESP henceforth). It is based on perspectives into learners’ language learning
needs which can be adequately measured through needs analysis. Many students at the Intensive
Language Teaching Center of Mostagenem come to learn English for many purposes: travelling,
business, communicating with English native speakers, studies, understanding movies, leisure
and for medical purposes. Medical English is a subject-content area that is taught from medicine
and health care perspective on one hand while stressing vocabulary acquisition, grammar, and
structure on the other hand. For this reason, this paper aims to identify learners’ needs towards
studying English at the center and attempt to design a course to meet their needs. Through
analyzing their specific needs, we found that most medical learners had a strong desire to learn
English that enables them to publish medical articles, participate in international conferences,
and communicate with people who belong to the same community of practice. Besides, they
were more motivated to acquire and use the language within their field of interest. Therefore, a
course design is planned accordingly.

Speaker 3 Roukaya Belambri (University of Bejaia)

“ESP as a University Course to Prepare Degree Students for the Workplace”

Description:
ESP as a university course was first introduced into Algerian higher institutions after the national LMD
reform in 2004. It aims at bringing in students to use English in a variety of fields such as medicine,
law, economy, journalism, engineering, business etc, by the end of the course; they are supposed to be
able to apply for a job, write a business letter, report a scientific experiment or name the parts of the
human body or a car or any other invention. Unfortunately, only few universities all over Algeria are
carrying to offer ESP courses to their students, claiming that students of English are generally directed
to teach in middle schools and secondary schools after they finish their degrees, therefore; ESP is not
really essential for them. Our investigation aims at looking at the roles of ESP in preparing these
graduates to use English for Academic or / and professional purposes. To answer the following research
question: which ESP course materials do prepare degree students best to the use of English for
academic and / for professional purposes? Testimonies of five former students of ESP who are currently
actively engaged in different teaching, academic research and business would be exploited to check
whether ESP as a university course is necessary for the workplace after graduation. In addition to the
evaluation of ESP course materials used by ESP teachers at the University of Bejaia. Finally, a set of
recommendations for ESP course materials and teaching resources would be presented.
Speaker 4 Fatima Zohra Adli et al. University of Mostaganem
“The Teachers’ Needs for Medical English in the Faculty of Medicine”
13
 Description:
English for medical purposes (EMP), whether it is for academic (EMAP) or occupational purposes (EMOP), is
characterized by its specificity in terms of its wide range of domains: anatomy, physiology, pharmacology,
pathology, etc. Therefore, medical English has been seen as highly technical, and teaching it must be highly
contextualized. For that reason, attempting to create suitable English courses for medical purposes while taking into
account the specificity of the language in use and the learners’ needs represents a major objective. The fact that the
Faculty of Medicine at ABDELHAMID BEN BADIS University goes through its first steps in establishing the
basis of medical English at the faculty of medicine motivates me to undertake this study in order to identify the
teachers’ of medicine needs and to select the most important elements in designing an appropriate ESP course that
meets their needs. The objectives of this study are: to identify the different needs of medical professionals; to elicit
the ESP practitioner’s role in the medical domain; to choose the elements to be integrated into the suggested course
to make it effective and suitable to meet the medical professionals’ needs.
Findings and Conclusions
Recommendations

8- Main Conclusions
9- Main recommendations
10- General Conclusion

14