Renata Ourednikova Teaching ESP at Secondary Textile School

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MASARYK UNIVERSITY BRNO

FACULTY OF EDUCATION

Department of English Language and Literature

TEACHING ESP AT SECONDARY TEXTILE

SCHOOLDiploma Work

Brno 2008

Author: Bc. Renata Ouednkov Supervisor: Mgr. Nad

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Declaration

Hereby I state that I have worked on this diploma work by myself and that all the sources ofinformation I have used are listed in the references.

I agree to have the work put in the library of the Pedagogical Faculty of the Masaryk

University, Brno and to have it accessible for further study purposes.

In Liberec, 20th April, 2008 Bc. Renata Ouednkov

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I would like to express my gratitude to Mgr. Nadda Vojtkov for her practical and

encouraging guidance, support and comments on my work.

Contents

1. Introduction .............................................................................................................................5i. THEORETICAL PART...................................................................................................6

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2. Teaching Vocabulary .............................................................................................................62.1. What is a word .................................................................................................................62.2. Knowing a word ...............................................................................................................72.3. How are words learnt and retained ..................................................................................82.4. Sources of words ...........................................................................................................11

3. Methods of presenting vocabulary ........................................................................................143.1. Grammar translation method ........................................................................................153.2. Direct method ................................................................................................................163.3. Total physical response ..................................................................................................163.4. Audiolingual method .....................................................................................................173.5. Suggestopedia ...............................................................................................................183.6. Silent way .......................................................................................................................193.7. Communicative language teaching ...............................................................................193.8. PPP approach ................................................................................................................203.9. Task-based approach ......................................................................................................213.10. Lexical approach ..........................................................................................................22

3.11. Conclusions about vocabulary presentation ................................................................254. Approaching course design ...................................................................................................26

4.1. Needs analysis ...............................................................................................................274.2. Approaches to course design .........................................................................................304.3. The syllabus ...................................................................................................................314.4. Course content ................................................................................................................32

5. Conclusion ............................................................................................................................33ii. PRACTICAL PART ....................................................................................................33

6. Situation Analysis ................................................................................................................336.1. Why and what ...............................................................................................................346.2. Who for .........................................................................................................................406.3. Where .............................................................................................................................416.4. When ..............................................................................................................................416.5. How ................................................................................................................................41

7. Lesson Plans and Evaluation ................................................................................................427.1. Lesson 1 .........................................................................................................................427.2. Feedback ........................................................................................................................477.3. Lesson 2 .........................................................................................................................48Glossary ...............................................................................................................................487.4. Feedback ........................................................................................................................517.5. Lesson 3 .........................................................................................................................52

7.6. Feedback .......................................................................................................................537.7. Lesson 4 .........................................................................................................................547.8. Feedback ........................................................................................................................567.9. Lesson 5 .........................................................................................................................577.10. Feedback ....................................................................................................................59

8. Conclusions ..........................................................................................................................59Appendix 1..... 62Appendix 2..63Appendix 3..64Appendix 4..65Appendix 5..66

Bibliography ..69

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1.Introduction

The intention behind writing this work on the above mentioned topic is twofold. The

first is to provide the students at Secondary textile school in Liberec, and possibly

others, with learning material suitable to their needs, which would allow them to

extend their English vocabulary beyond general English into their field of

specialization and thus would enable them to be better prepared for their professional

usage of English.

The second reason is the preparation of the textile school (where I have been teaching

for 3 years) for the implementation of the Framework Education Programme (Rmcov

vzdlvac program). This programme implies acquiring language competence not only

in general English, but also in specialized English. Students are expected to acquire at

least 2300 lexical units over the course of their secondary studies, 20% of which

(approximately 460 units) shall be specialized terminology.

This work is divided into two parts. The first part is theoretical and summarises the

current knowledge of how new words are learnt and retained, the different approaches

and methods of vocabulary presentation and successful techniques for vocabulary

integration. Since the aim of the practical part is to create a course where lessons are

built one on the other the theoretical part also examines the necessary prerequisites for

developing an English course, with the focus on English for specific purposes. The

main texts that will be used and analysed are by Scott Thornbury, Tom Hutchinson and

Alan Waters.

I will approach the task by doing a research into the specific needs of the graduates,analyse the situation at the secondary textile school and design ten 45 lesson plans.

All of these lesson plans will be tested in class and evaluated for future use,

recommending possible adjustments. The thesis will conclude with a summary and

evaluation of the practical part.

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i. THEORETICAL PART

2.Teaching Vocabulary

Words can be like x-rays, if you use them properly theyll go through anything.

Aldous Huxley

Language learning comprises of as many aspects as the language itself. When

contemplating the approach to studying a language it is crucial to consider the

elements that make up a language and their interrelation the lexis and the grammar,

the pronunciation and the spelling, listening, speaking and writing, formal and

colloquial language to name but a few. For the purpose of this work the dilemma of

what to focus on is resolved in the words of the linguist David Wilkins: Without

grammar very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed..

2.1.What is a word

A synonym is a word you use when you cant spell the word you first thought of.

Burt Bacharach

But what is this vocabulary, or lexis, that Wilkins refers to? Two basic word groups

are single words and multi-word units, known also as lexical chunks. Single words

may be a sun, tight, to wear; while multi-word units may be further subdivided into

collocations such as to do the laundry, to go shopping, to make a promise ; phrasal

verbs such as put on, take off, wear out; binomials such as step by step, black and

blue, wear and tear; idioms such as wolf in sheeps clothing, below the belt, fit like a

glove; similes such as like father like son, sleep as a log; connectives such as firstly,

last but not least; and institutionalized utterances such as Guess what! You bet!

Apart from the above classification words have different functions, some having

primarily grammatical meaning (function words) such as have in I have had a cold

for a week, while others carry lexical meaning (content words) such as a coldin the

sentence above.

We can further group words according to their meaning (synonyms, antonyms,

homonyms, polysemes), their sound (homophones), their spelling (homographs),

their subordination (hyponymy, meronymy). All these divisions and groupings can be

made use of during vocabulary acquisition.

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2.2.Knowing a word

I dont give a damn for a man that can only spell a word one way.

Mark Twain

When we elaborate on Wilkinss words further we can say that by acquiring new

vocabulary ones capacity to express himself increases more significantly than by

acquiring new grammar. During a secondary student exchange programme (see

Appendix 1) all the involved students reported that they experienced greatest

difficulties due to their insufficient vocabulary and lacked the ability to express

themselves adequately. On the other hand the grammatical accuracy did not cause a

significant problem and did not present a hindrance in communication. Therefore the

importance of acquiring an extensive vocabulary cannot be overemphasised.

Thornbury argues (2002: 15) that knowing a word involves knowing both its form and

its meaning. One without the other cannot be considered as valid acquisition of the

word. For example the simple knowledge that the word button exists in English in the

singular and plural forms does not mean the learner can use it meaningfully. He must

be familiar with all its prefixes and suffixes, as well as other grammar forms. It is

equally important for the learner to know that button is not only a round plastic or

metal object that is used to fasten clothing, but also a small part of a machine, such as

radio or television, which is pressed for operating it. No acquisition of button would be

complete without its collocative meanings in belly button, belly mushroom, its phrasal

verb form to button up, etc.

In order to have full receptive knowledge of the word we must also know its spoken

form, i.e. pronunciation. Commonly the receptive knowledge is established before the

productive knowledge, since for the latter we must also have certain level ofexperience with its repeated use.

In the practical part of this work the level of knowing new words will be ascertained

by giving the students home projects in the form of essays or process descriptions,

thereby the students not only revise newly acquired vocabulary, but the teacher can

also ascertain if the students know and are able to use correctly both the meaning and

the form of the words.

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2.3.How are words learnt and retained

I hear, I forget. I see, I remember. I do, I understand.

Chinese proverb

In order for the learner to know both the form and meaning of new words it is above

all else a question of involving his memory, since to learn words one must remember

them. The research shows that the process of learning consists of three stages: the

short-term memory, working memory and long-term memory.

Short-term memory is the capacity of the brain to hold a small amount of information

for about ten to thirty seconds. This typically involves remembering names of people

we have just met, numbers or addresses we need to remember for long enough to write

them down. This is of course inadequate for successful vocabulary learning.

Working memory is closely connected with short-term memory and it allows us to

work and manipulate with new information, think and make choices about it. Working

memory also stores the outcomes of our mental process ideas, conclusions, etc. In

language learning this involves for example repeating a new word several times in the

attempt to retrieve related information from long-term memory.

Unlike the short-term and working memory, which are both limited in their capacity,

the long-term memory has immense capacity, can last up to decades and its contents

is stored in a systematic way. Thornbury (2002: 24) makes a further division between

the quickly forgotten and the never forgotten, the former lasting the length of a

lesson and the latter being the ultimate goal of each language learner. He also compiles

a brief summary of research relating to vocabulary learning.

Repetition: Probably one of the oldest ways of learning new words consisting

of simply repeating them over and over again. This method has proven not to be

efficient in transferring data from short-term into long-term memory. However, one

way of repetition which is crucial is the repetition of the encounters with a new

word, if possible in different modes.

Retrieval: This form of repetition, that is repeated retrieval of newly acquired

word from memory, makes it more likely that the learner will be able to retain theword for longer.

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Affective depth: Related to the preceding point, affective (i.e. emotional)

information is stored along with cognitive (i.e. intellectual) data, and may play an

equally important role on how words are stored and recalled. Just as it is important

for learners to make intellectual judgements about words it may also be important

to make emotional judgements.

Based on the above mentioned findings the implications for vocabulary teaching are

the following.

- Learners needs to be helped with strategies for organising their

vocabulary, the more varied the better.

- Learners need to be exposed to authentic texts and materials.

- More important than motivated learner is an actively involved learner.

This, however, in the context of secondary education is easier to achieve when

the learner is intrinsically motivated.

- Learners should be guided to build a threshold vocabulary as quickly as

possible.

- Learners should be allowed individual pace in personalising the

organisation of their vocabulary.

- Teacher must ensure sufficient repetition of encounters with words and

exposure of learners to variety of spoken and written utterances.

- Learners need to make multiple decisions about words, whenever

possible in personalised context. The more decisions they make, the deeper

impression is created.

- Learners need to be asked to make emotional judgements about words.

Based on the theories of learning and the principles of how the human mind observes,organises and stores information Hutchinson and Waters (1987: 49-50) present a model

of the learning process relevant for the ESP teacher and course designer. They portray

the mind as a network of connections with individual items of knowledge (in our

case the words) either being or not being connected to the main network by roads. For

the word is only useful when it is part of the network. Therefore the aim of the learner

is to establish communication links.

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and exploited successfully provided the learner is motivated to learn and takes

ownership of the learning process. Within the context of secondary state education the

weight is more on the classroom environment to provide majority of words, with only

less than a half of the students making use of the outside sources such as English

magazines, radio and TV stations, web pages, native speakers or other English

speakers, etc. For the purpose of this work I will focus in more detail on the classroom

sources.

Inside the classroom the major source of words is a course book, which contains the

core vocabulary (Thornbury 2002: 34), which are the most useful words with the

highest frequency in both spoken and written English. According to Ur (2002: 184)

among the advantages of a course book rank a clear framework, often consistent with

the syllabus, providing ready-made texts and tasks on the level appropriate for the

learner. With a course book a learner has a higher level of autonomy over the learning

process than with photocopied papers or supplementary materials. On the other hand

the disadvantages of a course book (Ur 2002:185) are its limited adequacy to the

specific learner, irrelevance of topics to the interest of a class and the danger of too

much teachers dependency on the materials as opposed to own teaching initiative.

Apart from course books the teacher can use supplementary materials such as

vocabulary books, ready-made lesson plans from the web pages1, own worksheets and

word cards, learners magazines2, etc. Under certain conditions the teacher may decide

to use supplementary materials as the core of a course instead of the course book,

which is then more demanding on the teacher in devising appropriate syllabus. The

teacher himself can be a valuable source of words, provided he uses English in class

to give instructions, explain vocabulary rather than translate it directly, ask questionsand react to students responses.

Other students in the class are also a valuable source of new words. As one of the

conditions for remembering words is personal interest and emotional involvement of

the learner, when students ask about a word they need for expressing their opinions

and believes, they are more likely to remember that word than if it was presented to

1 for example www.onestopenglish.com, www.insideout.net/e-lessons.htm,www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/, elt-marketing.oup.com/oup_elt/wordlink/wordlink_archive.htm 2 for example Bridge, Friendship

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them from outside. One way of sharing the pool of knowledge in a classroom as

suggested by Thornbury (2002:49) is make use ofbrainstorming activities, for

example by providing prompts such as pictures, topics, quotes, even letters of the

alphabet to generate vocabulary from among the students. The more closely linked the

topic is to the students interests, the more efficient the learning becomes.

A feature of texts contained in course books is that more often than not they are

specially written or adjusted for the language classroom. On the other hand authentic

texts provide the learner with real language as it is used by native speakers. Authentic

text is also more likely to contain cohesive devices such as lexical chains (Thornbury

2002: 53), which help the learner to deduce the meaning of individual words relating

to the same topic from the context. Texts (authentic or not) can be further divided into

short and long. The advantages of using short texts in language learning are lesser

demand on the learners concentration and gradual development of skills that the

learner will utilize with longer texts in the future. With shorter texts the teacher has

ample opportunities to draw learners attention to different lexical features contained

in the text, i.e. summarise the text in own words, look up phrasal verbs, synonyms,

antonyms, words that collocate, etc.

The value of contribution ofdictionaries has been discussed in language teaching for

a long time. We will see in the following chapter how the approach to the classroom

use of dictionaries has been evolving. Thornbury claims that nowadays the role of

dictionaries in vocabulary learning has been reassessed (2002:60) and their use in

classroom as sources of words, their spelling, pronunciation, different forms,

meanings, collocations, irregularities, and even frequency. The learners benefit the

most when using a dictionary for specific dictionary-based activities, rather than formere translations. Examples of dictionary-based activities may be searching for word

derivations (find the noun form of the given verbs), what part or parts of speech a

word is, what prepositions usually follow a word, and many others. The extent to

which a dictionary is a useful tool depends on the choice we make from the broad

selection of publications. Bilingual dictionaries are generally more useful for

production (Thornbury 2002:61), but their pocket versions are often misleading,

especially before the learners develop a certain feeling for the language. Monolingualdictionaries, especially those designed for learners of English, provide more accurate

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information on the use and frequency of words. One handicap of monolingual

dictionaries is learners anxiety of not having a direct translation into their mother

tongue, especially if they are not accustomed to thinking in English and rely overly on

translation.

The advancement in computer technology has allowed us to make use of yet another

source of data about words, their frequency and collocations a corpus (plural

corpora). A corpus is a set of written texts and spoken utterances of native speakers,

electronically stored and used for examining and analysing words and their patterns in

context. One benefit of an electronic corpus is the possibility to create concordance

lines that facilitate the process of analysis. The use of corpora is recommended

especially in the lexical approach to language learning.

The above overview of sources of words provide sufficient pool for any teacher and

learner to choose from. Probably the most helpful key in determining the usefulness

for the learner is appropriateness of the source and authenticity of the text providing

contextualised vocabulary input.

3.Methods of presenting vocabulary

Although capacities are not the same, every member of the human race is capable of

education.

Abdul-Bah

In the previous chapter we examined possible sources of words for the language

learner. The extent to which each of them is used depends largely on the motivation

and independence of the learner. A highly motivated learner will explore vocabulary

sources outside the classroom on his own initiative. On the other hand a less motivatedlearner, which is often the case of secondary students, expect to be presented with

vocabulary within the classroom. Then it is the responsibility of the teacher to provide

the learners with vocabulary in a way that is the most suitable to their needs.

First the teacher has to consider the conditions of the class the age of the learners,

the level of the learners (e.g. beginners, intermediate, advanced), their needs (e.g.

graduation, professional interest), their passive knowledge of the words (e.g. fromreading or hearing them only), the difficulty or complexity of the vocabulary (e.g. can

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be presented with pictures, abstract words, technical terminology) and the amount of

lexical units that can be presented in each lesson. In case a series of lessons on related

topics is to be designed, the sequence in which the vocabulary will be presented is

important.

Let us now examine the methods that have been used in language teaching for more

than a century. Some of them may seem to have become obsolete, each of them

nevertheless contains elements that can be exploited and used successfully in

contemporary vocabulary teaching.

3.1.Grammar translation method

Traditionally the most commonly used method of presenting a language is the classical

method (orgrammartranslationmethod)3, which dominated the language teaching

up to the 1950s. It consists of studying a language through the analysis of grammar

rules and their application in translation of passages from one language to another,

therefore it can be used solely in monolingual classes. Its major focus is on reading

and writing, with little listening and speaking practice. Vocabulary is taught through

bilingual word lists, dictionary study and memorization. The learners are encouraged

to find a native language equivalent of all the words presented. The teacher is the

authority in the classroom and the learners do not have a choice of what they will be

taught. There is limited student-to-student interaction. The classes are taught in the

mother tongue and the teacher is not a source of words. If the learner makes a mistake

the teacher corrects him and provides the right answer in the mother tongue. The

means of evaluation are written tests.

The biggest disadvantage of direct translation is the lack of learners emotionalinvolvement and little decision-making included in the learning process. An element of

this method that we can find useful in the classroom today is translation of fixed

expressions, idioms and phrases that cannot be translated word for word. Other skills

than only reading and writing should and can be incorporated into translation practice,

for example speaking. Strict translation method is useful and will be practiced by

students training to become professional translators.

3http://www.englishraven.com/method_gramtrans.html

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3.2.Direct method

In the first quarter of the 20th century and as a reaction to the grammar translation

method a direct method4was developed in order to integrate more of the target

language in the learning process. It was supported by the German Charles Berlitz and

widely promoted through his schools using Berlitz method all over the world. Its

overall aim is to communicate confidently in the target language without too much

emphasis on grammar accuracy. Although all four skills are practiced, oral

communication and correct pronunciation are in the focus. The main principle used in

the classroom is no translation into first language, higher importance is given to

vocabulary over grammar, which together with cultural studies is taught inductively.

Vocabulary is taught with the use of pictures, objects and association of ideas, mainly

in full sentences. Preferred types of exercises are question-and-answer exchanges

between the student and the teacher, less frequently also between students themselves.

The direct method is most useful for highly motivated learners whose primary target is

to communicate in the language. Its drawback is that it requires small classrooms and

is demanding on the skills of the teacher. Although the students are competent

communicators, they may lack grammatical accuracy and good reading skills. The use

of this method is therefore limited and by the late 1920s it started to decline.

Among the valuable elements of the direct method that are exploited in present-day

classroom are the emphasis on using target language in giving classroom instructions;

using objects or pictures for teaching easily demonstrated vocabulary; using

explanations, descriptions, synonyms or antonyms for explaining new vocabulary,

preferably in contextualised form; and paying due attention to communicative skills ofthe learners.

3.3.Total physical response

Already in late 1800s a French teacher Francois Gouin was intrigued by the way

children naturally learn their mother tongue and tried to develop direct conceptual

teaching using the language directly related to what the learner is doing at the

immediate time of utterance. In the 1960s Gouins ideas were used by an American4http://www.englishraven.com/method_direct.html

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James Asher to develop a method known as the total physical response5. It is based

on the principle that a child needs a long period of listening and absorbing a language,

reinforced by physical responses (smiling, moving, touching, etc.), before beginning to

produce the language independently. Asher himself stressed that TPR can be applied

only to some extent and is to be used in combination with other methods. Its main

objective is enjoyable, stress-free environment where learners are encouraged to

respond primarily with motor activity, which is only later followed by oral production.

Among its key features belong total control of the learning process by the teacher, who

gives commands through the use of imperatives similar to those that a parent gives to a

child, and the learner immediately responds motorically. The learner speaks only when

he feels confident enough, listening and oral production are emphasized over writing

skills. Written forms of words are presented only later in the teaching process.

TPR has its greatest use at the beginners level where the teacher introduces a large

amount of vocabulary which can be easily visualized, as well as basic movements. It

plays special significance in teaching pre-school learners and kinesthetic learners. I ts

disadvantage is in spending too much time and energy on eliciting physical response

on abstract subjects at the advanced level. Yet even for beginners, especially visual

learners, it may be difficult to remember audio input without seeing the visual form of

the word itself.

3.4. Audiolingual method

Another method focusing on communicative production of the language developed in

the USA during World War II for the purpose of soldiers learning languages for

military operations is the audiolingual method6, sometimes known as the army

method. It is similar to the direct method and consists primarily of pattern drills andconversational practices, with the added aim of habit-forming. Its goal is to create

communicative competences in learners by instilling in them a set of good language

habits. Its main features include presenting new language in dialogue form with

overdependence on mimicry, memorization of set phrases and overlearning in

repetitive drills. Vocabulary is strictly limited and learnt in context. Grammar rules are

not taught and grammar is presented inductively. Importance is attached to

5http://www.englishraven.com/method_TPR.html6http://www.englishraven.com/method_audioling.html

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pronunciation and there is great effort to get the students to produce error free

utterances. Listening and speaking skills take precedence over reading and writing

skills and the written text is withheld from the learners for as long as possible. The use

of mother tongue is discouraged.

The highly controlled practice of the audiolingual method is discouraging to some

learners, however, on the other hand it can be useful for low motivated students who

need the teacher to help them drill in what they should learn by repeating the

required language patterns over and over again. Some effective strategies that this

method uses are for example repetition drills for pronunciation practice (e.g. short

poems or nursery rhymes), transformation drills for grammar practice (e.g. turn

positive statements into negative ones or questions), and dictations.

3.5.Suggestopedia

In the 1970s a Bulgarian psychologist and educator Georgi Lozanov introduced his

theory that learners have natural psychological barriers to learning arising from their

fear of failure and ridicule. Lozanov claimed that these barriers can be overcome by

providing the learners with a relaxed, stress free environment where they can

desuggest from memory the negative experiences and limitations that they think they

have about language learning. Instead the brain is loaded with desired memories, thus

the name suggestopedia7. One of the most important elements in suggestopedia is the

classroom environment. Lozanov believed that the use of softly played Baroque music

creates relaxed concentration that enables the intake and retention of large amounts of

information. Other elements of the classroom are dim lights, comfortable chairs,

posters and visual aids to make use of the peripheral learning, and the use of various

other arts. The teacher is in total control and is advised to act authoritatively, in a wayparents approach a child. The learner often takes on a new identity including a new

name and profession, he is encouraged to be child-like by taking part in role playing,

games, songs etc. Vocabulary and grammar are presented by the teacher but not dwelt

on and neither is homework. Typically the students are asked to re-read a dialogue or

paragraph from the lesson once in the evening and once in the morning. Mother

tongue is used for translating a new piece of text to make the meaning clear and the

learners may use their mother tongue during lessons. Mistakes are not corrected7http://www.englishraven.com/method_suggest.html

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directly, but the teacher uses the correct form later in the class. Assessment is not done

by written tests but it is based on classroom performance.

The biggest advantage of suggestopedia is the accelerated memorization in learning

and the students feeling comfortable about language learning. Probably the most

important, yet challenging prerequisite for successful learning is the teachers absolute

belief in this method, and similarly the learners trust in the teacher knowing what he

is doing. Elements of suggestopedia that can be incorporated into modern language

teaching are learner friendly classroom set up with pictures, posters and visual aids on

the walls; learners reading texts and dialogues playfully and with emotion; learners

engaging in various creative arts that create relaxed atmosphere conducive to learning.

3.6.Silent way

Another change into language learning brought with the educational trend known as

discovery learning was the silent way8method. It was founded by an Italian Caleb

Gattegno in the early 1970s. Its underlining principle is that of independent

exploration and discovery, much similar to the way children discover their native

language. The emphasis is on an autonomous learner who focuses on the target

language through problem solving activities either individually or in groups, and the

role of the teacher is to be a silent facilitator most of the time (hence the name).

This method puts great emphasis on the inner motivation and self-discipline of the

learner who takes most of the initiative for language discovery learning on himself.

3.7.Communicative language teaching

Communicative language teaching9 is the first approach that combines features frommost of the above mentioned methods and its broadness allows to take into

consideration various aspects of language learning such as the motivation of the

learners, the classroom environment, the principles of language learning, types of

teachers, learners needs, etc. It is not easy to define exactly what CLT is, as it is used

as an umbrella term covering several methods. We can however safely say that its aim

is to equip the learner with communicative competence and that teaching the learner

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how to use the language is considered at least as important as the knowledge of the

language itself. In the attempt to achieve this aim it uses authentic materials and real-

life situations and issues in the classroom. The role of the teacher is to help the

learners in any way that will stimulate work with the language. Mother tongue can be

used for translation when learners benefit from it. Reading and writing can be

incorporated into the lessons from the very beginning. The primary goal is

communication and fluency, pronunciation and grammar variations are not discouraged

if desired meaning is created. Language is created by learners through the process of

trial and error.

Its key characteristics as listed by David Nunan (1991:279)10 are the emphasis on

learning to communicate through interaction in the target language, the introduction of

authentic texts into the learning situation, providing opportunities for learners to focus

also on the learning process itself, an enhancement of the learners own personal

experiences as important contributing elements to classroom learning and the attempt

to link classroom language learning with language activation outside the classroom.

An example of an outcome of the communicative approach may be travel guides and

phrasebooks for tourists visiting foreign countries, whose need to communicate is

much stronger than the desire to be grammatically accurate.

Thornbury claims that only the coming of communicative approach set the stage for a

major re-think of the role of vocabulary (2002:14) and since the 1970s course books

began to include activities that specifically targeted vocabulary (2002:14). It is also

interesting to note that since late 1960s and early 1970s the concept of specialized

language started to take shape (Hutchinson and Waters 1987:9). Research showed that

the English of say Biology or Economy differs from for example the English ofElectrical Engineering, but the differences are not so significant in the principles of

grammar, but rather in the lexis used.

3.8.PPP approach

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The three Ps stand forpresentation, practice and production11 a three step

approach to communicative language teaching. The first stage presentation is the

beginning of the lesson and the introduction of a realistic situation of the language to

be learnt. The teacher then uses small chunks of language that the learners already

know and to explain a new language item in a clear context. Having understood the

model language, the students then engage in a controlled practice of its different

forms. This stage is teacher oriented and error correction is important. It may also

include drills.

Practice is divided into two parts mechanical and communicative. The first is

controlled pair work and precedes communicative practice, which involves activities

designed to recycle new items and create familiarity and confidence with the new

language. The teacher is still rather involved at this stage, but the classroom is

beginning to become more learner-centered.

Production is the most important stage in the learning process where the learners are

beginning to act as independent users of the target language. The teachers role is to

facilitate realistic situations in which the learners are practising the use of the newly

acquired language items and he should avoid interfering or correcting mistakes unless

specifically asked by the learners.

The PPP approach illustrates a certain level of flexibility (especially in the production

stage) towards the learners and their interests and needs, although the initial stage is

still very much teacher controlled. This approach may be used successfully in

introducing both new grammar and new lexis.

3.9.Task-based approach

Task-based approach is based on the belief that a meaning is encoded primarily in

words (Thornbury 2002:112) and it spread largely in the mid-1980s. Its famous

advocates Dave and Jane Willis believed that a syllabus based around the most

frequent words in the language would cover the most frequent meanings in the

language (Thornbury 2002:112) and based on this belief they wrote a course book

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The task-based approach focuses on the process rather than the product. It uses

purposeful activities and tasks that emphasize communication and meaning and help

the learners to communicate purposefully, often trying to achieve solutions to real life

situations. The lesson is divided into several stages pre-task, task, planning, report,

analysis and practice. The teacher introduces each stage and is in control during the

beginning and end of each stage with little control in between. The outcomes of the

lessons are unpredictable, which on one hand puts higher demand on the teachers

skills, but on the other hand represents a more realistic outside class environment.

3.10. Lexical approach

Similar to the task-based learning in primary belief but different in practical

application is the lexical approach formulated by Michael Lewis in the 1990s. Since

this work is concerned primarily with vocabulary teaching, I will dwell on the lexical

approach in more detail than on the previous methods. Lewis argues that language

consists of grammaticalised lexis, not lexicalised grammar and that the building

blocks of language learning and communication are words and word combinations

(chunks). The teacher creates an environment in which learners can operate effectively

as discoverers of the language. The learner takes on an active role of an observer who

notices similarities, differences, restrictions and examples of lexis in a text. Noticing

lexical chunks, however, is not sufficient condition for the input to become an

intake (Rogers and Richards 1986:134). Lewis insists (1997:51) that for the above

reason class time would be best spent helping learners develop strategies for dealing

with unknown items they meet, the ability to guess on the basis of context, situation

or lexical clues, raising awareness and encouraging effective recording of patterns

as opposed to overly concentration on individual items. In other words the role ofthe teacher is to help learners to manage their own learning. Many researches have

shown that in order for a word to be truly acquired the learner must come across it at

least seven times (Lewis 1997:51). According to some linguists this does not explicitly

mean that the word must be taught at least seven times, it seems just as important and

sufficient to meet the word in context and understand it. There is no reason not to

believe that the same applies to lexical chunks as well. Repetition, revision and

recycling of lexical items seem a logical outcome to be followed in the classroom, andindeed in curriculum development.

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One of the reasons why the learner within the lexical approach must take on own

initiative for his learning is that acquisition is based on accumulation of a large

number of examples from which learners make provisional generalisations. Both the

quantity and quality of input are valuable and the input takes precedence over output.

This represents a significant shift in methodology from the communicative approach

and requires of the teacher a heightened awareness of the fact that learners output

constitutes not only of speaking, but also of listening, noticing and reflecting (Lewis

1997:49). This reinstates teachers talk as valuable source of language input in the

class.

The lexical approach also helps to reinstate the role of translation in language learning.

Lewis claims that it is unhelpful and sometimes even confusing to attempt to translate

L1 word into L2 word. Instead the learner should attempt to identify and translate

whole chunks, which very often have relevant equivalents in other languages

(1997:64). He also challenges the teacher to guide the learners into keeping vocabulary

lists in the form of L1 lexical item = L2 lexical item. It is also helpful for the learners

to realize that although some structures look frightening or even formidable in English,

they have the equivalent in their mother tongue. And since the learners have mastered

these expressions already, they can build on their previous knowledge from L1.

A simple way of modifying classroom procedures in order to incorporate increased

language input can be the following (Lewis 1997:56): 1.Any dialogue from course

book should be heard at least once to draw attention to some feature of how it is said,

i.e. chunked. It may be either played from a recording or read aloud by the teacher. 2.

Even a prose text is more likely to become intake if it is heard. As teacher reads italoud he should ask learners to notice some feature of the chunking. 3. Ask learners to

chunka printed copy of what they are going to hear, then compare it with a version

the teacher has done and then compare it with what they actually hear. By this simple

activity learners potential acquisition value increases with minimum effort. 4. Ask

learners to identify different kinds of chunks in a printed text (e.g. collocations, set

expressions, phrases with prepositions, etc.) and compare them in class.

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The following types of exercises reflect the above mentioned principles (Lewis 1997:

89):

1. Identifying chunks

This is the most fundamental strategy and the basis of lexical teaching. Learners are

encouraged to avoid making L1 word = L2 word assumption and rather focus on chunk

equivalents. This allows them better use of monolingual dictionaries, avoids certain

kind of mistakes, encourages accurate recording in lexical notebooks and better

storage of lexis in chunks in the mental lexicon.

2. Matching

This exercise type is known from grammar practice, but now it is given lexical focus.

The learners are asked to match collocations, expressions, lines of stereotypical

dialogue, etc.

3. Completing

Also the familiar exercise type of gap-fill is given a lexical focus by ensuring that the

gaps to be filled consist of collocations or fixed expressions.

4. Categorising

A lot of lexis forms patterns and it is helpful to the memory to ask learners to sort

words or expressions according to some guidelines, for example adjectives and nouns

that collocate, expressions belonging to two different types of dialogues, expressions

which have positive or negative connotations, etc. (Lewis 1997:90)

5. Sequencing

Sequencing takes advantages of the human minds inclination to order. Learners aretypically given words or expressions and are asked to put them in the most likely

order.

6. Deleting

Deleting is a way of providing learners with negative evidence. They are given a list of

words that collocate with a specific word and among them there is an extra word that

does not. The learners are asked to identify and delete the odd one out (Lewis1997:91).

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The teacher may decide based on the above mentioned types of exercises to adapt or

design own activities providing lexical focus. Some of the simplest tasks consist of

searching for collocations and fixed expressions in a given text, examining words and

their use in dictionaries or corpus (see also chapter 2.4.) data, searching for pronouns

and the antecedent nouns they refer to, using fixed expressions in discussions on a

given topic, or simple lexical chants and revision drills.

Implementing the lexical approach does not mean that teachers should throw away

course books that they have been using before, but rather based on their insights into

the way learning takes place they should strive to incorporate the methodology

principles underlying the lexical approach into the language classroom.

3.11. Conclusions about vocabulary presentation

We have seen that the approach to language teaching in general and vocabulary

presentation in particular has been evolving rather dramatically over the last century

and no doubt this trend will continue into the future. At the moment we can safely say

that the latest findings regarding vocabulary demonstrate the following:

- It is no longer sufficient for the learner to be able to understand and

produce written texts alone, without the oral production receiving its due

consideration.

- Translation into L1 has its rightful place in language learning, especially

for translating fixed expressions and collocations. Word for word translation should

nevertheless be abolished.

- The teacher is a valuable source of spoken language in giving

instructions to learners, sharing stories, engaging in realistic dialogues, helpinglearners hear language in chunks, etc.

- Learners should be acquainted with both the audio and written forms of

new lexis in close proximity and the written forms should not be withheld from

them.

- Learners should be exposed to as much vocabulary as possible, both in

quantity and quality. Of special value are authentic texts, which should take

precedence over classroom-tailored course book texts.

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- Language should be presented in the context of real-life situations and

problems to be solved.

- The more personally interested and involved learners will be in the

learning and the more decisions about the language they make, the more the intake

of the newly introduced language increases.

- Lexis does not consist of single words but more often than not of lexical

items that should be presented and practiced as chunks.

- The more times the learner encounters with new lexis (at least seven) the

higher retention will be ensured.

- The whole process of language acquisition should be a pleasant one,

therefore the teacher should provide friendly classroom environment where any

progress will be encouraged and valued.

4.Approaching course design

Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.

Steve Jobs

Now that we have explored what words are, what it involves to know a word, how

words are learnt and retained, what can be a source of words and how words can be

presented, we will look at the elements necessary for designing a course focused on

specialised vocabulary.

Before designing a course one has to ask numerous questions. Hutchinson and Waters

(1987:21) suggest that all of these questions can be summed up into six essential areas:

Why? Who? Where? When? What? How?

Why does the student need to learn, what is his reason for needing specializedlanguage and how motivated is he? Does he have an internal or external impetus to

learn?

Who is going to be involved in the process apart from the students and how are all

these people going to influence the course design and delivery?

Where is the learning to take place? What possibilities and limitations does it impose?

What equipment will be available?

When is the learning to take place? How much time is available and with whatfrequency?

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What does the student need to learn? What aspects of the language are required and at

what level? What topic areas are to be covered?

How will the learning be achieved? What kind of methodology will be applied?

The first four questions are all focusing on the needs analysis the needs of both the

learners and their surroundings. The fifth area concerns the syllabus its content and

order designed for the purpose of learning. And the sixth area articulates the belief of

the author about the language learning theories, taking into account the specific

characteristics of the target group.

All these areas, although divided for the purpose of clarity, are interdependent and

during course designing may be approached from almost any angle, since the

participants will influence the content and the methodology chosen as well as the

content itself will influence the methodology which will be chosen. The final product

is then a result of a combination of drafts, each modifying and adjusting the others.

4.1.Needs analysis

The first area a course designer must explore is the reasons why the learners need to

learn English. And even more specifically why do the learners need to learn

specialised English rather than only general English. Hutchinson and Waters claim that

more important than the existence of a need is an awareness of the need (1987:53) on

the side of the learners, the sponsors and the teachers. Only after the analysis of

learners needs is conducted can the target situation be determined and a course

designed accordingly.

A course designer must acknowledge two types of needs: the target needs (i.e. whatthe learner needs to do in the target situation) and the learning needs(i.e. what the

learner needs to do in order to learn) (Hutchinson and Waters 1987:54).

1.1.1.Target needs

It is useful to look at the target needs in terms of three distinctive areas of necessities,

lacks and wants. Necessities are needs determined by the demands of the target

situation; that is what the learner has to know in order to function effectively in the

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target situation (Hutchinson and Waters 1987:55). This information can be gathered

by observing the situation of the learner and analysing it.

Having identified the necessities is not sufficient, since we must know what the learner

knows already, i.e. how far along the path to proficiency he has advanced and what

remains to be achieved. The gap between the previously acquired knowledge and target

proficiency can be called the learners lack(Hutchinson and Waters 1987:56).

The necessities and lacks form an objective part of the target needs. But the learners

also have an own view as to what they want, i.e. what their needs consist of,

(Hutchinson and Waters 1987:58) and although they might differ from the needs

perceived by the teachers, they nevertheless have a major impact on the motivation and

level of active participation of the learners. Therefore it is always worthwhile to pay

attention to the learners wants and views.

Gathering of information to be analysed in order to determine the target needs may

consist of questionnaires, interviews with learners, potential employers and sponsors,

observation of the workplace situation, data collection from the workplace, legal

requirements, etc. To accommodate the variety of factors influencing the needs it is

desirable to use more than one method of analysis.

The main areas to be analysed in the context of secondary textile school are the

following (Hutchinson and Waters 1987:59): Why the students need the specialised

language (for study, work, travelling, pleasure, other, combination of these)? How will

the language be used (mainly in written or oral form; face to face, via telephone or

email; in informal conversations, business environment, in the academic field, etc.)?What will the content areas be (in our specific case which elements of textile industry

clothing items, fashion designing, dressmaking, industrial production, textile

engineering, etc.)? Who will the learners use the language with (native speakers or

non-native speakers; teacher, colleague, business partner, boss, customers, etc.)?

Where will the language be used, i.e. in what setting and context (at university, during

exams, in an office, at a workshop, in a shop, etc.; alone during home study or email

communication, at meetings, during demonstrations, etc.)? When will the language be

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used (concurrently with the ESP course or subsequently; seldom or on a regular basis;

in small amounts or large chunks)?

As the information is gathered it has to be carefully considered and analysed in order

to draw correct conclusions as to what the target needs should be.

1.1.2.Learning needs

At this point we should be aware of what knowledge and skills the learners should

acquire at the end of a course or training as opposed to what knowledge and skills they

possess at its beginning. Hutchinson and Waters use an illustrative analogy of this

stage and compare what we have done up to this moment is to have identified the

starting point (lacks) and the destination (somewhere between necessities and wants)

of a language journey on a map (1987:60). What we have to consider now is the route

how we will get to the desired destination, that is the learning needs.

In designing the route for the learners we must take into consideration the human

nature of the learners and devise a route (i.e. tasks) that will be enjoyable, fulfilling,

manageable, generative etc. (Hutchinson and Waters 1987:61). In the above mentioned

analogy the conditions of the learning situation represent the vehicles that take the

learners to the target destination and in order for the journey (the learning) to be

effective the learners must take genuine interest be actively involved, basically to be

motivated to learn.

To analyse learning needs we can use a similar pattern of questions to those used for

determining the target needs (Hutchinson and Waters 1987:62): Why are the learners

taking the course (what is their inner motivation, is the course obligatory or optional,what expectations of and attitude towards ESP learning do they have)? How do the

learners learn (what is their learning background, which learning methods will appeal

to them and which will bore or de-motivate them, what learning habits do they already

posses)? What resources are available (the competence of the teacher and his teacher

attitude to the subject content, materials and aids)? Who are the learners (in terms of

age, sex, social background, level of English, interests, teaching styles they are

accustomed to, their attitude towards English and the chosen specialisation)? Wherewill the ESP course take place (what is the nature of the surroundings, one fixed

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classroom or rotation of classrooms, is it pleasant or disturbing)? When will the ESP

course take place (time of day, length, frequency, concurrent with need or pre-need)?

We can clearly see that in the ESP course design it is crucial to take into account both

the target needs and the learning needs. The target needs tell us about what language

the learners should know and the learning needs tell us about the ways how this

language knowledge is learnt.

4.2.Approaches to course design

Once research and evaluation of the needs has been conducted we have to make a

choice as to which approach to course design we are to take. This choice will influence

the drawing of syllabus, selection, adaptation or creation of materials, developing the

methodology for teaching those materials and establishing evaluation process to

measure whether the target needs were achieved (Hutchinson and Waters 1987: 65).

The language-centered course design takes into consideration only the target

situation and lacks and does not identify the learner wants. It provides a system in the

language but not necessarily in the learning, which the learner then must create for

himself. The focus is on performance, not on the underlining competence (Hutchinson

and Waters 1987: 67-68).

The skill-centered course design establishes competences that underline the

performance. It does not set a specific goal to be reached but makes learners aware of

their own potential (capacities) and motivates them to work on their own after the

course. It takes into account the learner more than the language-centered approach in

building on positive factors learners bring into class and setting open-ended objectivesthat allow learners to experience sense of achievement (Hutchinson and Waters 1987:

70).

The aim of the learning-centered approach is to maximise learning. It is based on the

assumption that learning is totally determined by the learner because learning is an

internal process dependent on the knowledge the learner already has and his ability

and motivation to use it (Hutchinson and Waters 1987: 72). The learners choose theroute that leads them to the target and the speed at which they progress. The target still

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plays an important role, together with the competence to perform it, but we must also

look at how that competence is acquired.

Examples of factors to consider before determining the content and methodology of the

course are the following (Hutchinson and Waters 1987: 75-76):

- An image gets into the brain through a number ofpathways, by listening

to it, seeing it, saying it, writing it. The more pathways are used the richer the

image will be, hence it increases effectivity.

- Repetition and recycling are essential to ensure retention, but we must do

that in a way that avoids boredom. In order to keep the learners minds alert and

focused on the task in hand we must employ variety.

- How will the learners react to variety ofskills and tasks when they wish

to focus on only one skill? And do the resources at hand allow the incorporation of

other skills?

- How will the learners feel about using theirfirst language in lessons

will they find it helpful or distracting?

- How much outside classroom work (independent study) will the

learners be willing to do?

Based on the above mentioned points it is probably clear that a truly learning-centered

approach would involve producing a specially tailored syllabus and methodology for

each learner or group of learners that ever occurs. And at the moment this seems an

unrealistic expectation. Hutchinson and Waters claim that the learner-centered

approach is near impossible to incorporate into institutionalised education systems and

serves more as a theoretical attack on established procedure (1987:72). On the other

hand it brings valuable insights into course designing and questions that are worthconsidering by both the ESP course designer and the teacher.

4.3.The syllabus

It is best to do things systematically, since we are only human, and disorder is our

worst enemy.

Hesiod

The main characteristic of syllabus is that it takes the form of a list specifying itemsthat are to be learnt and the order in which the learning should proceed. There are

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several valuable reasons for using a syllabus (Hutchinson and Waters 1987:83). It

breaks down the complex entity of a language into manageable units. It also

gives moral support to the learner and teacher by making the language learning task

appear manageable. It shows that some thought and planning went into designing

the course. It helps the learners to determine a position of where they are and where

they are going. A syllabus expresses the designers view of what is the most

important aspect of language learning, both in case of structural and skill based

syllabus. It provides criteria for materials selection and/or writing. It also provides

the teacher with a visible basis for testing. On the other hand what a syllabus does

not provide is a statement of what will be learnt, but rather an estimate of what will

be presented (taught).

Each syllabus is organised based on various criteria, for example topic syllabus (e.g.

fibres, fabrics, clothes, fashion, etc.), structural syllabus (e.g. choosing a fabric,

making a design, creating a pattern, etc.), skills syllabus (e.g. improving reading for

gist, reading for specific information, summarising a text, etc.), situational syllabus

(taking notes, writing a complaint, answering a phone, etc.) and skills and strategies

syllabus to name but a few. The challenge, however, is not to choose the best one, but

to integrate several syllabuses into a sensible teaching programme (Hutchinson and

Waters 1987:89).

When developing a syllabus an ESP course designer must bear in mind what has

already been mentioned about the nature and aspects of language learning. The aim

should not be merely to present and practice language items, but provide

opportunities for learners to employ and evaluate the necessary skills and strategies

using methodology that will raise and maintain interest, enjoyment and learnerinvolvement (Hutchinson and Waters 1987:91-92).

4.4.Course content

After doing the needs analysis and course design we must decide on the content of the

teaching materials. They may come from three different sources: already existing

materials that we accept, already existing materials that we modify, and new materials

that we write ourselves. In order to decide which source to use we usually search andevaluate existing materials, which is often followed by some degree ofdeveloping

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materials. The process is interrelated and the course designer benefits from exploring

both techniques, since evaluation of existing materials may provide a good source of

ideas for materials writing (Hutchinson and Waters 1987:105).

5.Conclusion

We have explored the nature and sources of words, the way words are learnt and

retained, methodology used in presenting a language with the focus on vocabulary, and

the steps necessary for designing an ESP course. It is evident that all this knowledge

needs to be incorporated purposefully and articulated into a systematic course that will

be both useful and enjoyable.

ii. PRACTICAL PART

If we examine ourselves, we see that our faculties grow in such a manner that what

goes before paves the way for what comes after.

Jan Amos Komensk

Having explored the theories of language learning, language teaching and the process

of designing a course of English for specific purposes, I will now proceed to the

practical part of this work, which is designing a series of ESP lessons to be used at the

secondary textile school in Liberec. First, an analysis will be made of the environment

and conditions in which the lessons are to be conducted. Secondly, the needs of the

learners will be generated through a questionnaire and evaluated in order to be able to

devise a syllabus. Based on the syllabus appropriate vocabulary will be chosen and

accompanying materials will be consequently adapted or developed. As the last step all

lesson plans will be tested in the classroom and evaluated accordingly. Based on the

feedback conclusions will be drawn about the whole course, including suggestions foradaptation.

6.Situation Analysis

Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause

it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom.

Bahullh

At the beginning I had to ask a series of questions as to the environment andconditions in which the lessons will be used.

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6.1. Why and what

One of the two main reasons for designing this ESP course is the Framework

Education Programme12, which is currently being developed at the Secondary textile

school in Liberec13 into the School Education Programme. It will begin to be used in

September 2009 and in September 2011 for the first time the pupils coming from

primary schools will have been accustomed to the approaches within the School

Education Programme. This document determines that all students will study two

foreign languages with the target level of the first language at level B1 according to

the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) and the second language at

level A2 of the CEFR. The level of communicative language competences

corresponds to the minimum of 2300 lexical units, 20% of which should be made up of

specialized terminology at B1 level, and 15% at A2 level (MMT 2007: 17).

At the moment the main course book used at the school is Time to Talkby Sarah Peters

and Tom Grf (Polyglot). According to the school year plan and based on the

requirements for graduation exam the students should cover the first two course books

of the series plus additional materials dealing with English speaking countries. It has,

however, been a challenge to achieve the goals of the plan due to different reasons

(motivation of students, low level of interest and involvement in the learning process,

discipline challenges, lenient and inconsistent school rules, etc.). In classes that

reached the end of the second Time to Talkcourse book the maximum intake of lexical

units is approximately 1500. To this we can add vocabulary related to learning about

English speaking countries in the amount of approximately 200-300 lexical units.

Absolute majority is general English lexis. As to specialized textile vocabulary the

first course book contains between 20-25 lexical units and the second course bookother 20-25 words and expressions connected with textile terminology. Most of the

fifty or so words (2-3% of all lexis) are names of clothes and verbs describing the

process of putting clothes on, taking them off, etc.

The experience and evidence until now suggests that at the moment the aims of the

Framework Education Programme are not being realized at all. One of the reasons

12 A copy can be found for example at http://www.nuov.cz/public/File/RVP/CDRVP/RVP/ML/RVP%203141M01%20Textilnictvi.pdf13www.spst-liberec.cz

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contributing to this state of affairs is the general lack of potential applicants to

secondary schools and therefore there is an increased possibility that students that have

been considering secondary education a decade ago are now choosing grammar schools

instead and are being accepted there. This means that certain percentage of students

who are admitted to secondary schools were a decade ago admitted to apprenticeships.

This trend can be seen at the number of students who apply for the first round of

entrance exams at the secondary textile school in Liberec. For the last ten years there

have been ninety positions in the first year. In 2006 less than 20 students applied, in

2007 nearly 40 students applied and in 2008 49 students applied into the first round of

entrance exams, which shows a growing tendency of the textile school being the first

choice of potential students. There have always been at least 70 students admitted into

the first grades, but those applying and being accepted in the second and third round of

entrance process have usually not made the choice of textile school based on the

preferred specialisation but based on the relative certainty of being accepted. Hence

their motivation to be at this school is relatively low and even general subjects such as

foreign languages do not generate sufficient enthusiasm for learning.

Another reason for decreased interest in textile school is the general notion of the

textile industry to be in decline and not having any potential for revival. This notion is

also beginning to change as the clothing and textile industry shifts its focus from

natural fibres into non-woven fibres. This trend together with educational promotion of

the nature of textile industry and research conducted by the school itself can be

considered the main reasons why students are beginning to show an increased interest

in the secondary textile school. And observation by my colleagues and myself shows

that the interest in the specialisation correlates with the motivation and self-discipline

of the students.

Having stated the lexical aims as delineated by the Ministry of education we can

specify the necessities by looking at the specific subjects the students have. There are

two fields of study: the dressmaking and textile production. The research class (for

details see section 5.2.2.) is one of the two specialising in dressmaking and their

profile subjects are economics, materials, clothing technology, construction and

clothes modelling, fashion designing, introduction into clothing design, textile

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machinery and practice14. Another source of information for defining target needs is

the degree the graduates study at universities. Unfortunately no research has been

conducted to follow up former students and therefore this aspect cannot be taken into

consideration.

In order to determine learnerswants I have conducted two surveys: one among the

students who will be graduating in spring 2008 and one among the graduates from

spring 2007.

The students graduating in 2008 have been asked about their motivation for studying

English, their future plans for using English and their general interest in different areas

of specialised English15. The means of the survey was a questionnaire. (see

Questionnaire 1 for English translation) and it was distributed among 27 fourth year

students (there are 32 in total). The questionnaire was anonymous and voluntary and

the findings are the following:

- Most of the students are learning English because they want to graduate

from English and because they will need it at work (17 votes of each category). 7

students said they were interested in English, 6 think they will need it at university

and 3 are learning it only because they must. 5 students specified as a reason for

learning the fact that: It is useful when I want to have a chat with someone. I

will be nothing without a language. I will need it in life. English is nicer than

German. and It is an important language for the future.

- Majority (25 students each) believes that they will use English for

travelling and in work, 19 think that they will need it during further studies and 13

claim they will use it for reading.

- 5 students expect that they will need specialised textile English in thefuture, 12 claim that they will not need it and 10 do not know.

- Out of the 5 who think they will need English 4 assume they will need it

at university, 1 in work for meetings with foreigners.

- 10 students think they will need specialised non-textile English 8 noted

business, 2 economics and 1 computing English. 3 think they will never need

specialised English and 14 do not know.

14http://www.spst-liberec.cz/soubory/studium/studijni-obory/odevnictvi-ucebni-plan.pdf15 for full version of the questionnaire in Czech see Appendix 2

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- Textile-related areas which the students consider interesting are clothes

and accessories (21), fashion designing (15), fashion designers and fashion shows

(11) and textile business (11)16. The least appealing are textile fibres and fabrics (4)

and non-woven textiles (3).

Questionnaire 1. Students graduating in 2008

QUESTIONNAIRE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

4th grade students graduating from English (2007/8)

Answer the following questions, please. In case a single answer is not sufficient, choose morethan one option or answer with a full sentence.

1. Why are you learning English?

a. Because I must I wish to finish secondary school.

b. Because I want to I will be graduating from English.

c. I will need it for university studies.

d. I will need it at work.

e. Because I want to I am interested in English.

f. other _________________________________________________________

2. What do you think you will need English for?

a. travelling

b. studiesc. at work

d. for reading (internet, specialized literature, etc.)

e. other _________________________________________________________

3. Do you think you will need specialized textile English?

a. yes

b. no

c. I dont know.

4. If your answer for question 3 is yes,when ______________________________________________

where ______________________________________________

how ______________________________________________ do you think you will use it?

5. Do you think you will need a different kind of specialised English (for example business)?

a. yes Please, state which one _______________________

b. no

c. I dont know.

16 Due to ambiguous question (obchod s textilem) many students thought that it refered to a clothes shop, whilethe intended meaning was textile business. Thus the answers are inaccurate.

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6. Which area of specialised textile vocabulary would you be interested in the most (regardlessyou needing it or not)?

a. clothes and accessories

b. textile fibres and fabrics

c. non-woven textiles

d. fashion designing

e. fashion designers, fashion shows

f. textile business

g. other _____________________________________________________

Thank you.

The students who graduated in 2007 were asked about their current studies or jobpositions, whether they are using English and on what occasions, and whether they are

satisfied with the level of English they acquired at secondary school17. The means of

the survey was a questionnaire. (see Questionnaire 2 for English translation) and it was

sent via email to 30 students who were graduating in English. Email was sent in

January 2008. 13 students sent in their responses and the findings are as follows:

- Out of the 13 graduates 4 study a textile-related degree at university, 3

study a non-textile degree at university, 2 work in the Czech Republic and 2 abroad(Scotland and Italy), 1 studies another secondary school and 1 is a professional

hockey player.

- 10 graduates stated that they need English and only 3 say they do not.

- Of those who need it 7 need it for their studies, 3 in work (including one

au-pair in Scotland), 1 for travelling and 1 for reading specialised literature at

university.

- Only 4 are satisfied with the level of English reached at secondary

school and 8 feel that they need more speaking practice (3), more vocabulary (4),

specialised terminology (1).

- 10 graduates do not need specialised textile vocabulary and of the 3 who

need it 2 study at university and 1 lives abroad and goes shopping to textile and

knitting shops.

- As for needing specialised textile English each of the options (except

fashion designing) was mentioned by 1 person, plus 1 also uses vocabulary of

17 for full version of the questionaire in Czech see Apprendix 3

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technology of dressmaking, 1 needs general English and slang connected with

sport, 1 needs the science of colouring.

Questionnaire 2. Students who graduated in 2007

QUESTIONNAIRE ENGLISH LANGUAGEGraduates of Secondary textile school in Liberec (2006/7)

Answer the following questions, please. In case a single answer is not sufficient, choose more thanone option or answer with a full sentence.

1. What have you been doing since graduation?a. Im studying a textile-related degree at universityb. Im studying a non-textile degree at univers

Documents

Renata Ourednikova Teaching ESP at Secondary Textile School