2. Learning needs Learning needs are the knowledge and abilities that learners will require in
order to be able to perform to the required degree of competence in the target situation. The information about learning needs may be recorded in
the form of language items, skills, strategies, or subject knowledge which is needed by ESP course designers.
c. ESP Course Design
Hutchinson and Waters 1987: 65 define course design as the process by which the raw data about a learning need is interpreted in order to produce an
integrated series of teaching – learning experiences, which the aim is to lead the learners to a particular state of knowledge. This process deals with producing a
syllabus, adapting or producing materials according to the syllabus, developing the teaching method for the material, and evaluating the teaching and learning
process by which the specific goals of ESP teaching will be measured. The steps of ESP course design will be explained below:
1. Designing Syllabus A syllabus is a document which says what will, or at least, what
should be learnt Hutchinson and Waters, 1987: 80. There are some reasons why a syllabus is needed in the process of ESP course design:
a. Language is a complex entity. Here, a syllabus provides a basic for the division of assessment, textbooks, and learning time.
b. A syllabus also gives moral support to the teacher and learner, in that it makes the language learning task is appear manageable.
c. The syllabus can be seen as a statement of project routes, so that teacher and learner are not only having an idea of where they are going, but
also how they might get there. d. A syllabus is an implicit statement of views on the nature of language
and learning. It tells the teacher and the students not only what it is to be learnt but also why it is to be learnt.
e. A syllabus provides a set of criteria for materials selection andor materials writing.
f. A syllabus is one way in which standardization of any institutionalized activity is achieved.
g. There are some criteria to decide the success and the failure in a teaching and learning activity, so a syllabus provides a visible basis for
testing. 2. Materials Design
One of the characteristics of ESP is material design. A large amount of ESP teachers’ time is taken up in designing materials. There are a
number of reasons for this: a. A teacher or institution may wish to provide teaching materials that will
fit the specific area of particular learners, and the materials may not be available commercially.
b. Even when suitable materials are available, it may not be possible to buy them because of currency or import restrictions.
c. ESP materials may also be written for non – educational reasons. There are some principles of designing materials for ESP course, as
proposed by Hutchinson and Waters 1987: 107 – 108: a. Materials provide a stimulus to learning. Good materials do not teach;
they encourage learners to learn. The characteristics of a good material are containing interesting texts, having enjoyable activities which
engage the learners’ thinking capacities, and give opportunities for learners to use their existing knowledge and skills.
b. Materials help to organize the teaching – learning process by providing a path through the complex mass of the language to be learnt. Good
materials should provide a clear and coherent unit structure which will guide teacher and learner through various activities in such a way as to
maximize the chances of learning. c. Materials embody a view of the nature of language and learning. In
writing a material, an author should be able to make a decision on what the language learning consists of. Materials should also reflect what the
author think and feel about the learning process. d. Materials reflect the nature of the learning task.
e. Materials can have a very useful function in broadening the basis of teacher training, by introducing teachers to new techniques.
f. Materials provide models of correct and appropriate language use.
