is the process by which the

raw data about a learning

need is interpreted in order to COURSE
produce an integrated series
of teaching-learning DESIGN
experiences, whose ultimate
aim is to lead the learners to a
particular state of knowledge.
 this is the simplest kind of
course design process and is
probably the one most familiar to
English Teachers. This aims to
draw as direct connections as
possible between the analysis of the
target situation and the content of
ESP course.
Identiify learner’s Select theoretical views
target situation of language

Identify linguistic
features of target
situation

Create Syllabus

Design materials to
exemplify syllabus items

Establish evaluation procedures to test

acquisition of syllabus items
• It has been applied in a number of countries,
particularly in Latin America. Students in
universities and colleges there have the
limited, but important need to read subject
texts in English, because they are unavailable
in the mother tongue. In response to this
need, a number of ESP projects have been set
up with specific aim of developing the
students’ ability to read in English.
 Basic theoretical hypothesis
is that underlying any language
behavior are certain skills and strategies
which the learner uses in order to produce or
comprehend discourse. SCA aims to get away
from the surface performance data and look
at the competence that underlies the
performance
 Pragmatic Basis
it was derived from a distinction made by
Widdowson (1981) between goal-oriented courses and
process-oriented courses. Holmes pointed out that:
In ESP the main problem is usually one of the time
available and student experience. First, the aims may be
defined in terms of what is desirable. –i.e. to be able to
read in the literature of the students’ specialism but,
there may be nowhere near enough time to reach this
aim during the period of this course. Secondly, the
students may be in their first year of studies with little
experience of literature of their specialism. . . Accordingly
both this factors.. May be constraints which say right
from the start, “the aims cannot be achieved during
the course.”
The emphasis in the ESP course, then, is
not achieving a particular set of goals, but
on enabling the learners to achieve what
they can within the given constraints:
• The process-oriented approach… is at
least realistic in concentrating on
strategies and processes of making
students aware of their own abilities and
potential, and motivating them to tackle
target texts on their own after the end of
the course, so that they can continue to
improve..
 Identify target
situation

Theoretical Analyze skills/ strategies Theoretical

views of required to cope in target views of
language situation learning

Write syllabus

Select text and write

exercises to focus on
skills/strategies in syllabus

Establish evaluation procedure which

require the use of skill/strategies in
syllabus
 this approach is based on the principle that
learning is totally determined by the learner. As
teachers we can influence what we teach, but what
learners learn is determined by the learners alone
learning is seen as a process in which the
learners use what knowledge or skills they have in
order to make sense of the flow of new information.
learning, therefore, is an internal process
which is crucially dependent upon the knowledge
the learners already have and their ability and
motivation to use it.
learning is not just a mental process, it is a
process of negotiation between individuals and
society.
 Identify Learners

Theoretical Analyze Analyze Theoretical

views of Learning Target views of
Learning Situation Situation Language

Identify
attitudes/wants/potential of
Identify skills and
learners knowledge needed to
function in the target
Identify needs/ potential/ situation
constraints of learning
teaching situation

Write syllabus/materials to
exploit the potential of the
Evaluation learning situation in the Evaluation
acquisition of skills and
knowledge required by the
target situation
A language-centered approach says: this
the nature of the target situation
performance and that will determine ESP
course.
A skills-centered approach says: that’s not
enough, we must look behind target
performance data to discover what processes
enable someone to perform. Those processes
will determine the ESP course.
A learning-centered approach says: that’s
not enough either. We must look beyond the
competence that enables someone to perform,
because what we really want to discover is
not the competence itself, but how someone
acquires that competence.
 Identify target situation
A language-centered approach
Considers the learners to here
Analyze target situation

Analyze learning situation A skill-centered approach

Considers the learners to here

Write syllabus
A
comparison
Write materials of
approaches
to course
Teach materials design

Evaluate learner achievement

A learning-centered approach
Considers the learners to here
In the figure shows that a learning-centered approach to course
design takes account of the learner at every stage of the design
process. This has two implications:
Course design is a negotiated process. There is no single
factor which has an outright determining influence on the
content of the course. The ESP learning situation and the target
situation with both influence the nature of the syllabus,
materials, methodology and evaluation procedures. Similarly
each of these components will influence and be influenced by
the others.
Course design is a dynamic process. It does not move in a
linear fashion from initial analysis to complete course. Needs
and resources vary with time. The course design, therefore,
needs to have built-in feedback channels to enable the course to
respond to developments.
 WHAT?
HOW?
Language
descriptions
syllabus ESP Method
ology
Learning
COURSE Theories

Nature of
particular
target and
learning
situation

WHO? WHY?
Factors WHERE?
affecting ESP WHEN?
Course Design
Needs Analysis
 ESP is based on
designing courses to
meet Learner’s need

SECTION 2: What does

COURSE DESIGN course design
involve?

Ways of
Models of Needs
describing
learning Analysis
language

Approaches to
course design
SECTION 3: How do you
APPLICATION
use a course
design?

Syllabus Materials Materials

Methodology
design evaluation design

Evaluation

SECTION 3: What is the

THE TEACHER role of
ESP?

Orientation Resources
• This principles below applies to intermediate and advanced students of
English.
1. Content difficulty should approximate the level in their normal courses.
This means for instance, you cannot expect medical students and
doctors to study high school biology. Medical students need University
Level content. And if this means that the English teacher cannot
understand the science, then so be it: let the English teacher learn the
science.
2. Content should lead language. The content itself should be useful to the
students, and should be stretching in its own right. This does not mean
that the texts used are always complicated: there are plenty of genres,
such as blogs, the latest news etc where the content is new and
interesting and still covers the needs to reinforce basic language.
3. The exercises on the material should be authentic, as well as the
material itselfThis means an end to trivial tasks, and a major focus on
real world comprehension, inferencing, and debating.
4. There should be massive exposure to content and
language This massive exposure should often come from
many directions simultaneously.
5. We need to be using authentically long texts for listening
and reading
6. Communication gaps should be massively exploited
It is well known that language is learned fastest when there
is a desire to know, or when there is controversy.

7. Methods should draw inspiration from content teachers

The comparison to be made is with how L1 learners advance
and learn a new technical subject in L1. Therefore, ESP
should draw inspiration from the content teaching methods
in L1 (which frequently have high demands on language).
8. Elaborate, but do not simplify Elaborated texts retain the original
complex authentic text, with all the associated context, redundancy, and
language clues. They add extra supporting material, and this elaboration
is much more than translations or synonyms. It can include
supplementary material, and extra extended explanations. In short,
elaboration should not lead to simplification. Rather, the material is
repeatedin another linguistic form.

9. Train students to handle difficult texts. Just as in advanced L1, we

should not expect
students to understand every idea or word Native speaker academics
frequently do not understand every single idea or word in a text. Yet they
are capable of using the texts. Therefore, the language teacher should not
expect students to fully understand every text.

10.Consider using translation as a scaffolding for weak students:

11.Speed up learning by drawing on the research comparing French and

English
Of course, this research is hard to find, except on this website! Few
linguists have been willing to
do the careful legwork needed for such comparisons.
12.Massive exposure, and extracting meaningful information
should be the focus - NOT
language pointsThis point derives from the fact that for students
from B2 onwards (upper intermediate) there is no6.
Communication gaps should be massively exploited. It is well
known that language is learned fastest when there is a desire to
know, or when there is controversy.
13.A course designer should have three syllabuses: a content syllabus,
a language syllabus, and a
learning/skills syllabus. The ‘content syllabus’ should be related to the
way the specialists
divide up the subject.

14.Students need exposure to the multiple genres within their specialty.

These genres can differ widely in language and style.

15.Ideally, another subject should be taught in English, and failing that,

compulsory readings in English should be set by the subject specialist.
When students really want to understand, when they are encouraged
by examination pressure, then they will make the extra effort to learn.