DESIGNING A LEARNER-CENTERED ESP COURSE FOR ADULTS BASED ON EVIDENCE FROM A QUESTIONNAIRE AND INCORPORATING THE LEARNERS’ AIMS INTO A SITUATIONAL-BASED SYLLABUS

Abstract

This paper examines the organization of a six-week Conversational English ESPcourse design for the tweny-two adult administrative human resources staff working in the International Inlingua Language Learning Center in Istanbul. At thevery start of this course, a thorough needs analysis taking into account the language needs of the learners based on the essentials put forth by Hutchinson andWaters (1987) and Dudley-Evans and St.John (1998) established the core framework for the study and the findings from this analysis were used for the ESPcourse and syllabus design. In the final phase of my study for the ESP course designin question, the choice of the right syllabus was a major decision in language teaching, and it was made as consciously and with as much information as possible. After due consideration, I decided on the Situational-Based Syllabus asthe most appropriate syllabus from among the several distinct types of languageteaching syllabi and prepared the course content for the Conversational EnglishClass

Keywords

• ESP
• syllabus design
• language needs
• wants
• decision-making
• coursecontent

Designing a learner-centered ESP course for adults based on evidence from a questionnaire and incorporating the learner’s aims into a situational-based syllabus

Öz

Bu çalışma, İstanbul Uluslararası Inlingua Dil Öğrenme Merkezi’nde görev yapan22 kişilik yetişkin İnsan Kaynakları personeli için tasarlanmış altı hafta süreliİngilizce Konuşma ESP (Özel Amaçlı İngilizce) kursunun planlanması ile ilgidir. Bukursun başında, esasları Hutchinson ve Waters (1987) ve Dudley-Evans ve St.John(1998) tarafından ortaya konulan kapsamlı bir Gereksinim Analizi uygulanmış vebu çalışmanın bulguları tüm araştırmanın temel çerçevesini oluşturmuş olupburadan elde edilen veriler gerek Özel Amaçlı İngilizce kursunun ve gerekse müfredatın tasarımında kullanılmıştır. Detaylı bir değerlendirmeden sonra, tüm mevcutmüfredat türleri arasından Durumsal İzlence üzerinde karar kılındı ve İngilizceKonuşma Kursu bu doğrultuda düzenlendi

Anahtar Kelimeler

• ESP
• müfredat tasarımı
• ders içeriği

Kaynakça

1. Alasuutari, P. (1998). An Invitation to Social Research. Sage: London.
2. Alexander, L.G. (1976). Where do we go from here: A reconsideration of some basic assumptions affecting course design. English Language Teaching, Vol. 30/2: 89-103
3. Dubin, F., & Olshtain, E. (1986). Course Design: Developing Programs and Materials for Language Learning. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
4. Dudley-Evans, T. & St. John, M.J. (1998). Developments in ESP: A Multidiscliplinary Approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
5. Gattegno, C. (1972). Teaching Foreign Languages in schools: The silent way (2nd ed.). New York: Educational Solutions. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No.ED 157 403)
6. Hutchinson, T. & Waters, A. (1987). English for Specific Purposes. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
7. Munby, J. (1978). Communicative Syllabus Design. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
8. Jordan, R.R. (1997). English for Academic Purposes. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

9. KRahnke, K.J. (1981). Incorporating communicative instruction into academic reparation ESL curricula. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service NO. ED 210 915)
10. Mohan, B. (1979). Relating language teaching and content teaching.TESOL Quarterly, Vol. 13/2: 171-82.
11. Nunan, D. (1988). The Learner-Centred Curriculum. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
12. Palacios Martinez, Ignacio. (1992). An Analysis and Appraisal of the English Language Teaching Situation in Spain from the Perspectives of Teachers and Learners. Ph.D dissertation. Universidade de Santiago de Compostela.
13. Phan, L.H.(2005). Munby’s needs analysis model and ESP. Asian EFL Journal, Vol. 6. Accessed on 20th November 2006. Available online at: http://www.asian-efl-jour- nal.com/pta_october_07_phl.php
14. Steiner, F. (1975). Performing with objectives. Rowley, MA: Newbury House.
15. Strevens, P. (1988). ESP after twenty years: a re-appraisal. In M.Tickoo (Ed.). State of the Art. SEAMEO Regional Language Centre: Singapore.
16. White, Ronald V. (1988). The ELT Curriculum. Cambridge: Basil Blackwell.
17. Wilkins, D.A. (1976). Notional Syllabuses. London: Oxford University Press.
18. Wright, C. (2001). The Benefits of ESP. Accessed online on 20th November 2006 at 11:00 a.m. Available online: http://www.camlang.com/art001.htm DIE WAHRNEHMUNG DER FREMDSPRACHEN UND