ESP course
Syllabus
Methodology
Nature of particular
target and learning
situation
HOW?
Learning theories
WHAT?
Language descriptions
WHO? WHY? WHERE?
WHEN?
Needs analysis
c. ESP Course Design
According to Hutchinson and Waters 1987: 21, designing a course may provide a basis in process of syllabus design, materials writing,
classroom teaching, and evaluation. Designing a course also seems like asking a general and specific questions, and theoretical and practical
questions. We need to know:
1 Why does the student need to learn? 2 Who is going to be involved in the process?
3 Where is the learning to take place? What potential does the place provide? What limitations does it impose?
4 When is the learning to take place? How much time is available? How will it be distributed?
5 What does the student need to learn? What aspects of language will be needed and how will they be described? What level of proficiency must
be achieved? What topic areas will need to be covered? 6 How will the learning be achieved? What learning theory will underlie
the course? What kind of methodology will be employed? Hutchinson and Waters, 1987: 21-22.
We might represent their relationship like this:
Figure 2.3. Factors Affecting ESP Course Design by Hutchinson and Waters 1987: 22
Designing an ESP course requires a careful steps and preparations. We need an outline of the principal stages of task-analysis to be followed in
approaching the design of teaching and learning program Strevens, 1980: 109.
1 A detailed analysis of the learner’s needs.
ESP is not „general English’ and the learners can give information about the aims, purposes, needs, wants, roles, functions, etc., for which
English is required. 2 Determination of the extent of scientifictechnical content.
Since English in ESP is widely used in science and technology, thus teacher in ESP should recognize the importance of the rhetorical,
discoursal, and communicative features of scientific English. 3
Determination whether needs are „educational’ or „occupational’. The needs of the learners may lean either learning English as a
component of their studies or learning English for their occupation. 4 Determination
whether instruction
in English
precedes educationaloccupational training, follows it, or is concurrent with it.
5 Preparations of suitable syllabuses and teaching materials. In principle, every ESP learner or group of learners has its own
identifying profile of needs and purposes, its individual syllabus, its own rage of teaching materials, and its own appropriate methodology
Strevens, 1980: 109-112.
The writer focused on learning-centered course design since this approach takes account of the learner at every stage of the design process.
This has two implications: first, course design is a negotiated process and second, course design is a dynamic process. Then, these two implications
helped the writer in making the theoretical framework of this study.
d. ESP Syllabus
