Can teaching ESP be fun and creative?

John Sydes

Problems with published ESP course books

• Finding an ESP course book that is the right level for your students

• Often text heavy• Often seem to be written for pre-work students• Usually dull and uninspiring• Nearly always light on communicative type activities• Usually strong on only two of the three Ps

Creating the magic mix

Needs, wants and likes

Present, practise, perform

...and have fun!

What works well?Pair-work crosswords

What works well? Word games, e.g. Taboo

Define It!

Below are some words connected with airports. Explain them to your colleagues.

1.Apron Control2.jetway3.scanner4.security5.hand luggage

What works well? Word puzzles

What works well? Simple anagrams

Use the letters in the words below to make another word which is part of the human body, e.g. rabin = brain.

1.earth 2.below3.fringe4.impart5.in-service cat

= heart= elbow/bowel= finger= armpit= sciatic nerve

What works well? Missing letters

Fill in the missing letters to complete the words. They are all parts of a car.

1.w_ ng m_rr_r2.s_n r_ _f3.f_g l_mp4.g_ _ r l_v_r

1. wing mirror2. sun roof3. fog lamp4. gear lever

What works well? Reporting/Summarising

What works well? Jigsaw reading

What works well? Unmuddling texts

Pair-work information gaps Reading and matching Find and/or correct the mistakes

Gap fills

What works well? Quizzes

Board games

(Pair-work) spot the difference

Bingo (opposite, synonym, definition, picture)

Domino-type activities

What works well? Audio

Sound effectswww.grsites.com/sounds/www.sounddogs.com/www.soundsnap.com/

Audacity - free, open source, cross-platform software for recording and editing sounds.

What works well? Fun Listenings

What works well? Fun listenings

Variety is the spiceof life