Adapting ESP Lessons for Migrant Activists

Adapting ESP Lessons for Migrant Activists

By Sisilana Poyk
LBI FIB UI

Outline

1. A quick overview of ESP

2. The materials

3. Using the materials

Word Cloud

Write one word that first comes to your mind when you hear ESP!

Poll

Have you ever taught English for Specific Purposes before?

Open Ended

What challenge(s) do you anticipate in teaching migrant activists?

What do you think this cartoon means?

Let's share our thoughts!

Source: http://www.terrycolon.com/

Breaking down ESP

English for Specific Purposes

This is what I'm good at as an English teacher/proficient speaker

Who are my learners?
How do they use English at work?

How do my learners want to use English in the future?
How can I help them with this gap?

Survey
Interviews
Sample tasks
Observations

By the teachers

Programme planning
Material design

By the organiser

Needs Analysis

Needs Analysis in the Module

• Sample task in Unit 1

Salmani-Nodoushan (2020)

ESP embraces three main features:
(a) authentic materials,
(b) purpose-related orientation,
and (c) self-direction.

How are these elements
presented in the materials?

Authentic Materials

Why authentic materials?

• They make lessons more relevant and motivating.

• They build both language skills & cultural competence.

Authentic Materials

Infographics

Posters

Authentic Materials

Political cartoons

Articles

Purpose-related Orientation

Goal: reporting personal or
group experiences
related to activism for equality

Step 3: reviewing past
tenses to recount experiences

Step 2: focusing on
relevant vocabulary
about equality

Step 1: reading
articles about inequality
in different places

Purpose-related Orientation

• Help learners identify their real-world goals

• Connect language skills to these goals

  • Make tasks practical and meaningful

  • Help them understand why these steps are important

• Use authentic goal-relevant materials

Self-direction

Engaging learners in as many aspects of learning as possible is essential in ESP. Why?

...in most cases, ESP teachers are not experts in the content of what is being taught but instead general language practitioners who may

or may not have some background knowledge of the technical area (Sylven, 2013)

--> The learners are the ones with the most knowledge.

• Involve learners in setting learning goals

• Offer choice in tasks/topics

• Teach strategies for learning independently (e.g., using voice apps/flashcards/other learning)

• Encouraging learners to apply what they have learned

By the teachers

• Annotation - encourage learners to self-reflect

• Reflective writing

In the materials

Self-direction

• The module is a tool, but...

• teachers will keep making informed and thoughtful decisions about how to use it so that...

• we can go beyond language teaching, helping them find their voice as they progress.

References

Laborda, Jesus Garcia, and Mary Frances Litzler. "Current perspectives in teaching English for specific purposes." Onomázein 31 (2015): 38-51.

Salmani-Nodoushan, M. A. (2020). English for Specific Purposes: Traditions, trends, directions. Studies in English Language and Education, 7(1), 247-268.

Sylven, Liss Kerstin, 2013: “CLIL in sweden―why does it not work? A metaperspective on CLIL across contexts in Europe”, International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism 16(3), 301-320.