Teaching English for Specific Purposes (ESP)

Course Summary

Target Audience

This course is for teachers who probably already have experience in teaching English as a foreign language and would like to adapt their teaching skills for the teaching of English for Specific Purposes. Participants need to be at a minimum B1 level of English.

Preparation

After registration, participants on this course programme will receive:

• a pre-course questionnaire which will enable trainers to learn about the participants’ teaching backgrounds
• information about the Europass Mobility Certificate
• a recommended reading list to prepare participants for various aspects of the course
• information about York to prepare teachers for their cultural experience

Objectives

By the end of the course participants will:

• understand what is meant by ESP and how it differs from ESL / EFL
• be able to conduct an effective needs analysis and set objectives for short, intensive and longer courses
• use a learner-centred approach
• use the principles of language in context to generate practical, relevant materials and practice activities
• have developed a sound understanding of the language for common business situations: socialising, presentations, meetings, telephoning and correspondence
• be able to respond to specialised content requirements
• understand the importance of confidence-building and motivation
• enable learners to think strategically and create realistic action plans

Methodology

Sessions demonstrate and train Teaching English for Specific Purposes and the different approaches, methodologies, techniques and knowledge. An interactive communicative approach is applied, which provides participants with their own experiential learning of the activities and methodologies. Input sessions are in the form of hands-on workshops and involve brainstorming, analysis, problem-solving, and role-play, both in pair work and group work. Participants are actively involved in the sessions to maximize their learning and to experience activities from their learners’ point of view.

Teachers are asked to reflect on the activities, inviting discussion with regard to their own knowledge and experience, teaching methods and contexts, and on adaptation of activities to their own teaching and learning situations.

Participants are also introduced to key resources related to the further development of their teaching skills and personal professional development. Both theory and practice are explored, analyzed and discussed, further enabling the participants’ use and development of their teaching and classroom management skills regarding Teaching English for Specific Purposes.

Follow Up

The course ends with an evaluation session, where teachers are asked to reflect upon the value of the knowledge gained on the course. They are also encouraged in this session to create a Personal Development Action Plan, and select activities which they would like to try out in their own classes. They are invited to join the York Associates Community, which allows networking and contact with the trainers and fellow colleagues, and with participants from other courses.

Sample Course Programme