Rationale
In the globalization era that is filled by super tight challenges and competitions, every individual is required not only a high level of education but also a store of skills One of the skills that most needed today is English proficiency due to its importance in almost every corner of our life The demand for English in general and English for Specific Purpose (ESP) in particular therefore becomes rising to meet up with the increasingly interconnected and globalized world
At Hanoi College of Technology and Economics, English is a mandatory subject for all students coming from different departments and majors The training curriculum is divided into two parts: General English (GE) delivered at the first semester and English for Specific Purposes (ESP) followed afterwards
However, teaching ESP has confronted a number of issues including content overload, inappropriate materials and lack of experienced ESP teachers Among these problems, the course book is of the most concern for the ESP department
The current ESP book for Intermediate Vocational students of Information Technology is compiled by Thac Binh Cuong – an experienced teacher in the field of information technology However, after a few years of implementation, it has revealed lots of limitations in terms of methodology and content The fact shows that most students face difficulty in speaking and listening despite their well-grasping English grammar They also shoulder a heavy program that goes beyond their capacity to fulfill This gives rise to the need of creating a new syllabus which puts learners in the central role and is tasks-surrounded Under such circumstance was this study given birth Hopefully, it will make a contribution for the improvement of English teaching at Hanoi College of Technology and Economics.
Aims and objectives of the study
The overarching target of the study is to design a task-based English syllabus for the intermediate vocational students of information technology at Hanoi
College of Technology and Economics In order to achieve this planned aim, the following objectives are set:
- Identifying the learning needs and target needs of the intermediate vocational students of information technology through conducting a needs analysis
- Building up a task-based ESP syllabus based on learners‟ needs for students of information technology at Hanoi College of Technology and Economics.
Research questions
To fulfill the aim and the objectives as set above, the following questions are raised for exploration:
1 What are the students‟ perceived needs of ESP?
2 How are the needs of all stakeholders transferred into tasks that will be designed in an ESP syllabus?
Scope of the study
The area for this thesis is for the intermediate vocational students majoring in information technology at HNCTE.
Method of the study
In order to meet up the aim mentioned above, two surveys questionnaires for undergraduate students and ex-students of HNCTE were conducted to find out students‟ needs and to identify tasks that should be selected in the syllabus for the intermediate vocational students of information technology Additionally, informal interview with three ESP teachers was carried out to collect their opinions of which tasks should not be missed in the syllabus The author aims at getting detailed answers to the questions raised in Section3; therefore, both quantitative and qualitative methods are employed in this study.
Structure of the study
The study is made up of three parts:
Part A is the introduction where the rationale, the aims and objectives, the research questions, the scope, the method and the structure of the study will be presented
Part B is the development comprising three chapters:
- Chapter 1 covers literature review of ESP and syllabus design
- Chapter 2 presents some situational analysis of ESP teaching and learning at HNCTE and gives descriptions of subjects of the study, instruments for data collection and analysis of the results drawn from two questionnaires and interviews
- Chapter 3 comprises ESP task-based syllabus for the intermediate vocational students of information technology at HNCTE, methodology of teaching, assessment and syllabus evaluation
Part C summarizes the main contents of the study points out limitations and makes suggestions for further study.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Definitions of ESP
ESP (English for Specific Purposes) is one branch of the EFL (English as a Foreign Language) There is a series of definitions based on researcher‟s standpoints and approaches to the target issue or their distinctive emphases on the variety of elements that characterize ESP
Hutchinson and Waters (1987:21) see ESP as an approach rather that product, which based on learners‟ needs: “ESP is an approach to language teaching which aims to meet the needs of particular learners” The crucial point of all ESP is to answer the simple question: Why does this learner need to learn a foreign language?
Sharing the same point of view, Robinson (1991) also approves with the primary of need analysis in figuring out ESP She asserts that ESP course is based on a need analysis that “aims to specify as closely as possible what exactly is it that students have to do through the medium of English” (Robinsion, 1991:3)
In a closer approach to characteristics, Strevens (1988) describes ESP by making a distinction between its absolute and variable characteristics:
- Absolute characteristics are the ESP consisting of English language teaching, which is:
(i) Designed to respond to particular needs of the learner;
(ii) Related in content (i.e.in its themes and topics) to specific disciplines, occupation and activities;
(iii) Centred on the language appropriate to those activities in terms of syntax, lexis, discourse, semantics, etc
(iv) In contrast with General English
- Variable characteristics are the ESP which may be, but is not necessarily:
(i) Restricted as to the language skills to be learned (e.g reading only);
(ii) Not taught according to any pre-ordained methodology
Dudley-Evans and St John (1998: 4-5) believe that adult learners are more likely to use ESP, whether in a professional work situation or at tertiary level context
Moreover, ESP is normally designed for intermediate or advanced students and generally offers some basic knowledge of the language system but can be utilized by beginners
In short, although opinions on what ESP is differ, most of the definitions above share a common view; that is,an ESP course must be made up based on the learners‟ needs; in other words, an ESP syllabus should be designed to meet the learner‟s demand to inspire their learning.
Types of ESP
ESP has traditionally been divided into two main branches namely English for Academic Purposes (EAP) and English for occupational Purposes (EOP) (Munby, 1978;
Hutchinson & Waters, 1987; Dudley-Evans & St John, 1998; Robinson, 1991)
However, Hutchinson & Waters do emphasize that there is no clear distinction between EAP and EOP because: “people can work and study simultaneously; it is likely that in many cases the language learnt for immediate use in a study environment will be used later when the students take up, or return to, a job”
Figure 1.1: ESP classification by experience (Source: Robinson, 1991:3-4)
Carter (1983) groups ESP by three types: English as a restricted language, English for academic and occupational purposes, and English with specific topics The language only used by engineers or by businessmen is examples for the first category In the second type, Carter takes the same point of view with Hutchinson
& Waters (1987) that EAP and EOP are not clearly distinguished and are put together in the same type of ESP The final one is concerned with English needs expected in the future
In overall, studying various types of ESP will help ESP teachers identify “target partners” they are going to work with This is a very first but important step on the way of conducting a needs analysis to achieve the final goal which is designing an appropriate ESP course for their students.
Syllabus Design
There are different views on syllabus design depending on whether the designer adopts he narrow and broad approach to syllabus design The nature of “the syllabus” therefore could not come to final conclusion
Some designers who take the broader view such as Breen (1984), Yalden (1984) suppose that the syllabus should combine the selection of content and methodology
In Yalden‟s (1984: 14) words, “The syllabus replaces the concept of „method‟, and the syllabus is now seen as an instrument by which the teacher, with the help of the syllabus designer, can achieve a degree of „fit‟ between the needs and aims of the learner (as social being and as individual) and the activities which will take place in the classroom”
Sharing Yalden‟s view, Breen (1984:49) points out: “Any syllabuses will express – however indirectly – certain assumption about language, about the psychological process of learning, and about the pedagogic and social processes within a classroom.”
On the contrary, Allen (1984: 61) draws a clear distinction between curriculum and syllabus He states: “Curriculum is a very general concept which involves consideration of the whole complex of philosophical, social and administrative factors which contribute to the planning of an educational program Syllabus, on the other hand, refers to that subpart of curriculum which is concerned with a specification of what units will be taught.”
Hutchinson and Waters (1987: 80) are in favor of Allen‟s idea, stating that “A syllabus is a document which says what will (at least what should) be learnt
Likewise, Nunan (1988: 5) sees syllabus design as being concerned with the selection and grading of content, whereas methodology is involved in the selection of learning tasks and activities Partly agreeing with Nunan, Webb (1967:20) maintains that syllabus design is the organization of the selected contents into an order and practical sequence for teaching purposes He presents some criteria for syllabus design as follows:
- Progress from known to unknown matter
- Appropriate size of teaching units
- Creating a sense of purpose for the student
In brief, the term “syllabus” could be defined narrowly or broadly For designing a task-based ESP syllabus for intermediate vocational student of information technology under the current context of teaching and learning ESP at HNCTE, the author will take the broad view No matter what the designers will select to shape a syllabus, it must be the combination of appropriate language content for the target learners and the methodology which is able to maximize the effectiveness of the syllabus Obviously, the needs of learners must be stressed on because syllabus is produced in respond to what the learners wish to gain
1.3.2 Approaches to ESP Syllabus Design
There have existed a lot of approaches to language syllabus design up to now
Wilkins (1976) distinguishes between analytic and synthetic approach while Hutchinson and Waters (1987) establish three main approaches namely: the language-centered, skills-centered and learning-centered The latter one will be discussed below
1.3.2.1 Language-centered approach This process is the simplest and particularly prevalent in ESP According to Hutchinson and Waters (1987: 65), language-centered approach “aims to draw as a direct connection as possible between the analysis of the target situation and the content of the ESP course” It comes first with the learner, then going through various stages of analysis before merging into a syllabus, turning to materials used in the classroom and finally to assessment of mastery of the syllabus items
This approach seems to be a very logical procedure; however, it embraces a number of weaknesses Firstly, it goes from the learners and their needs, but in fact is learner-restricted, not learner-centred as the learners are merely utilized as a means of indicating the target situation Secondly, it appears to be a static and inflexible process Finally, the analysis of target situation data is only at the surface level that could not reveal clearly about the competence underlined the performance
1.3.2.2 Skills-centred approach Hutchinson and Waters (1987: 69) asserts: “a skills-centred approach aims to get away from the surface performance date and look at the competence that underlines the performance” It means that a skills- centred course will present its learning objectives in performance and competence simultaneously By this way, learners can develop skills and strategies that will further be progressed after the ESP course The learners are also approached as a user of language rather than a learner of language
In contrast to the learner-centered approach and the skill-centered approach, in the learning-centered approach, according Hutchinson and Waters (1987:72), “learning is seen as process in which the learners use what knowledge or skills they have in order to make sense of the flow of new information” By this approach, the learners are taken into account carefully at every single stage of the design process It does not dwell on the learners‟ competence but also pointing out the route the learners can follow to acquire that competence
In short, each approach has its own advantages and drawbacks The learning- centred approach puts emphasis on the learners‟ competence and performance while the skills-centred approach regards learners as users rather than learners of language The language-centred approach over-depends on the target situation
Taking careful consideration, I take the learning-centred approach as the foundation for designing an ESP syllabus for the intermediate vocational students of information technology at HNCTE
There are different types of syllabuses According to White (1988: 46), syllabus is grouped by three main types namely content-based syllabus, skills-based syllabus and method-based syllabus The three above categories are further divided into sub- types of syllabus including structural/grammatical syllabus, situational syllabus, function notional syllabus, topic-based syllabus, skills-based syllabus, task-based syllabus and process syllabus Details of these are represented in Figure 1.2
Figure 1.2.Bases for language syllabus design (White, 1988: 46)
1.3.3.1 Structural/ Grammatical syllabus This is the most common syllabus type, in which the selection of grading of content is based on the complexity and simplicity of grammatical items Nunan (1988) states: “The transition from lesson to lesson is intended to enable material on one lesson to prepare the ground for the next; and conversely for material in the next to appear to grow out the previous one (McDonough 1981:21)
The core criticism of this type is to focus on only one aspect of language which is grammar, so it reveals some weak points such as learners can get formal language but may not communicate in real life and they may passively acquire language designed in this syllabus Further, this type of syllabus “misrepresented the nature of that complex phenomenon, language, that is, formal grammar” (Nunan, 1988:30)
Summary
This chapter has given an overview of ESP and syllabus design, types of syllabus, approaches to ESP syllabus design, and needs analysis design A task-based syllabus has been opted to design an ESP syllabus for intermediate vocational students of information technology Chapter2 will clarify the needs analysis in which both target needs and learning are dissected in detail.
NEEDS ANALYSIS OF INTERMEDIATE VOCATIONAL
The teaching and learning ESP at HNCTE
Hanoi College of Technology and Economics was founded in 2009 by merging of three intermediate -vocational schools The college has good material facilities with three lecture blocks There is no projector available in each classroom, but there is at least one for each particular department Each English teacher is equipped with one cassette player
The College has got five branches to offer college and intermediate courses, namely Food processing technology, Information technology, Electrical engineering, Enterprise Accountant, and Auto repairing The intermediate level is further divided into two parts: intermediate professional and intermediate vocational Students will have three years for completing college level and two years for intermediate level
Hanoi College of Technology and Economy always regards English as an essential subject in curriculum for students Besides General Communicative English, ESP is an important course
For intermediate classes, the students will study the textbook New Headway Elementary at the first semester of the first year According to Common European
Framework of Reference (CEFR), they will achieve A1 level after fulfilling this course It serves as a means that provides students with foundation in grammar and vocabulary, helps students to develop communicative skills and can communicate in simple situations It also works as a base for better ESP absorption at the second semester The ESP course book for students of information technology is Basic English for computing that consists of 28 units and will be taught within 60 periods
However, there is a serious problem in distributing periods of learning While intermediate professional grade has 90 periods to study the text book New Headway
Elementary, vocational grade has only 60 periods They also digest the same textbook of ESP (Basic English for Computing) with the same duration of 60 periods Obviously, they are not at the same level of ability and intermediate students will therefore suffer from a heavy program with their learning capacity In addition, the current course book equips students with intensive reading skill that outweighs other skills It is also developed without reference to student‟s needs
Consequently, students could not be well-prepared and work-ready when entering the workforce Recognizing these urgent problems, the Board of college manager wants to build up another curriculum for the intermediate-vocational grade The new one will contain 45 periods in which there are 21 theoretical periods, 21 practicing periods and three periods for testing.
The target students
Students at HNCTE come from different provinces of our countries, mostly from Northern and central provinces such as Yen Bai, Ha Giang, Thai Nguyen, Nghe An, etc Students graduating from secondary or higher secondary schools are eligible for enrolment Most students learnt English at school However, many students have better command of English because they have participated in English course in English centers or at higher secondary school while ethnic students who come from rural and remote areas have little chance to learn English for a long time The different levels of the students have caused many difficulties for the English learning and teaching process In addition, not all students are fully aware of the need of English for their future careers, some of them learn English only to pass the final exam, so the motivation in studying is not the same.
The teaching staff
There are seven English teachers in HNCTE, in which two teachers have ten years of teaching experience, three have taught for seven or eight years, and the rests have three
In 2014 all English teachers took part in competition of examining language competence The teachers achieved level of B1 or B2 while the requirement for language ability was C1 It means that they don‟t still meet demand for competence of a language teacher at a college Moreover, they were not trained in specialized fields They have not been trained to teach ESP That is why English teachers face challenging when they teach ESP to students.
The study
The subjects of the study included 50 students of information technology aged from
19 to 24 having completed GE and ESP course, 30 ex-students of information technology graduating from HNCTE are now working as IT technicians in different companies and have from 1 to 4 years of working experience, and 3 female teachers who are currently responsible for teaching ESP for students of information technology at HNCTE aged from 30 to 40 Two upon three teachers have 7 and 8 years of teaching experience while the last one gets 3 years of teaching experience
Two questionnaires and interviews were conducted to get the data for this study All of them were composed in both English and Vietnamese, and to ensure reliability in answering information, Vietnamese version was chosen to be used in the study
Survey questionnaires are made up of both close and open-ended questions for getting detailed information and different points of view from the respondents The aims of the two questionnaires are to find out the needs of the students, ex-students and their expectation towards an ESP syllabus
The first questionnaire (see Appendix 3) was designed for 50 students of information technology to explore the students‟ needs It contains seven questions emphasizing on:
- Students‟ years of learning English (Question 1)
- Their reasons for learning English (Question 2)
- Their experience of using English with foreigners (Question 3)
- Their anticipated possibilities to use English at work in the future (Question 5)
- Their opinions on tasks that should be included in the ESP course book (Question 6)
- Their opinion on the current ESP course book that they have learnt
(Question 7) The second questionnaire (see Appendix 4) was also written in Vietnamese for 30 ex-students It comprises 5 questions covering the following areas:
- The ex-students‟ graduation time (Question 1)
- Their experience and particular contexts of using English at work (Question 3)
- Their opinions on tasks that should be included in the ESP course book (Question 4)
- Their opinion on the current ESP course book that they learnt at HNCTE
(Question 5) Informal interviews with three ESP teachers were also designed to pick up their opinions on the importance of needs analysis, current course book and tasks that should be included in the task-based ESP syllabus
I carried out these questionnaire and interviews at the beginning of July, before the summer holidays, and all of them were returned with reasonable answers Then I started to analyze them to take the findings for my syllabus
2.4.3 Data analysis and major findings
2.4.3.1 Data from survey questionnaires The results of the two questionnaires collected from 50 students and 30 ex-students will be presented in this part
2.4.3.1.1 Students’ reasons for learning English
Reasons for learning English Number of mentions
English is vital to the future work 42
English is a compulsory subject at school 22
English is a communicative tool with foreigners 13 English is a popular language in the world 10
I am interested in this subject 9
To understand more about English culture 6
English is necessary to my life 3
To watch Western movies and listen to English songs 2
To get another language besides the mother tongue 1
Table 1 Students’ reasons for learning English
Most students mentioned more than one reason when being asked about the motives for learning English As can be seen, the majority of students chose “English is vital to the future work” as their reason “English is a compulsory subject at school” was got the second priority with 22 respondents Besides, 13 students supposed “English is a communicative tool with foreigners” and “English is a popular language in the world” was voted 10 times Some students additionally express their passion for learning English to understand more about the culture of English-speaking counties, to watch Western movies, to listen to English songs, etc The above results reveal that students seem not to have a clear orientation for learning English
2.4.3.1.2 Students’ experience of using English with foreigners
Getting the chance to communicate with foreigners helps students boost their English skills fast and effectively Among 50 students being questioned, 32 of them (accounted for 64%) admitted that they have never talked to foreigners while 18 of them (36%) said they used to have conversation with foreigners However, they also indicated that they were so nervous when talking to foreigners as they did not know how to ask or reply despite understanding what was being asked They had to use body language as well The reason behind this is because of their limited vocabulary, lack of communication skills and incorrect pronunciation
In order to solve this problem, it is suggested that teachers should add more tasks and activities to reinforce students‟ speaking skill and confidence Also, the syllabus designer needs take this point into account when producing a syllabus and focuses on tasks and individual or group activities to level up students‟ communicative competence
2.4.3.1.3 Students’ opinions on prospective job
Opinions on prospective job Number of mentions
- Will be an IT technician in a domestic private company or enterprise, a joint- venture company or in a company poured foreign investment
- Will be an IT technician in their family company or in a local private company
Table 2 Students’ opinions on prospective job
As clearly seen from Table 2, forty-three students said that they would be IT in a company poured foreign investment while 7 students expressed their wishes of becoming IT technicians in their family company or in a local private company In overall, the students gave different prospective workplaces, which can be referred that they do not have a clear vision of where they will enter after graduation
2.4.3.1.4 Students’ and ex-students’ opinion on needs and situations of using English at work
Examples of situations using English Number of mentions
Diagnosing equipment‟s errors and proposing solutions 28
Communicating with foreign customers at work 23
Translating some information technology terms and documents for employers
Making order with foreign partners 10
Helping foreign partners to understand information technology job
Interpreting for manager in company which has foreign partners 1 Introducing company members to partners in a joint- venture company with a foreign company
Writing invitation letters to foreign partners 1
Table 3 Students’ anticipated possibilities to use English at work in the future
When being asked about the need of using English at work, 42 students (84%) agreed that they would need to use English while 8 students (16%) said “No” because they would work at their family companies or in small local enterprise The group confirmed the importance of English gave some possible situations that they need to use English at work as stated in Table 3 Among 42 students who agreed to use English at work, 30 students mentioned to the situation “assembling computers” Some other situations such as “diagnosing equipment‟s errors and proposing solutions”, “communicating with foreign customers at work”,
“translating some information technology terms and documents for employers”, and
“making orders with foreign partners” were also given by many students Three students thought that “helping foreign partners to understand information technology job” will be in their duty Some other contexts such as “interpreting for manager in company which has foreign partners”, “introducing company members to partners in a joint-venture company with a foreign company”, “writing invitation letters to foreign partners”, and “welcoming foreign customers” were only mentioned once This indicates that they have different opinion on situations for using English at work in the future From Table 3, we can see that each student only gave some situations even only one situation Some students admitted the role of English in their future work but could not define in which situation they need to use English On the whole, undergraduate students could not provide so much situations of using English because in fact they have not graduated and have not yet gained practical experience What they stated only some possible situations that they anticipate they will encounter when working in reality
Another survey questionnaire was designed for thirty ex-students for gaining practical experiences and recommendations Unlike young students who are sitting on the campus, they have touched the real world and comprehend which skills and knowledge should be self-equipped before taking on tasks They are now working as IT technician and have had from one to four years of working after graduating from HNCTE Among 30 participants, 9 of them (30%) have from three to four years of experience, 12 of them (40%) have two years and the rest (30%) have one year
A large number of the ex-students (27 accounting for 90%) approved with student‟s points of view that English plays an important role in their job However, there still were three ex-students (accounting for 10%) saying that they will not need to use
English at work Table 4 below will illustrate a number of situations for English usage that was suggested by ex-students
Examples for situations of using English at work Number of mentions
Installing popular programs and software 23
Diagnosing and solving IT equipment‟ faults 21
Providing caring and maintenance services for IT system 15 Making IT products‟ price announcement to foreign customers 9
Instructing customers to use IT products 7
Finding IT materials in English on the Internet 5
Communicating with foreign customers at work 4
Translating IT terms and documents for employer 4 Making fixing computer plan and price announcement slip 3
Making orders with foreign partners 3
Responding to customers‟ inquiry or their ambiguous points about IT products and procedure
Table 4 Ex-student’s situations of using English at work
In fact, they are information technology technicians so they are likely to be involved in a variety of situations of using English at work A majority of them said that the most common situations of using English at work including “installing popular programs and software” (23 ex-students), “diagnosing and solving IT equipment‟s faults” (21 ex-students), “assembling computer” (19 students), “maintaining computer network” and “providing caring and maintenance services for IT system”
(10 ex-students) Some other situations also mentioned by them are “making IT products‟ price announcement to foreign customers”, “instructing customers to use
IT products”, “finding IT materials in English on the Internet”, “communicating with foreign customers at work”, “making fixing computer plan and price announcement slip”, etc However, with the information gathered in Table 4, it helps the syllabus designers to have a close view of situations of using English at work and the syllabus designers should take them in consideration in choosing activities and tasks in the syllabus
2.4.3.1.5 Students’ and ex-students’ opinions on tasks which should be included in the course book
Summary
This chapter has presented information about situational analysis and need analysis
Questionnaire and interviews have been analyzed to define the learning needs and the target need The results gained from the study will play as a foundation for the author to design an appropriate ESP syllabus for intermediate vocational students of information technology The proposed syllabus will be introduced in the next chapter.
THE PROPOSED SYLLABUS CONTENT FOR
Aims and objectives of the syllabus
Taking into careful consideration on situation of learning and teaching at HNCTE along with the results yielded from date analysis, the aims of the syllabus include:
- To introduce and equip the students with a basic understanding of English for information technology
- To prepare students for a source of vocabulary and terms in IT field
- To improve language skills for students, especially speaking and listening
At the end of the course, students are expected to be able to:
- Understand the basics of computer systems and have specific vocabulary related to the field of information technology
- Familiarize with some IT tasks including equipment‟s installation, repair and maintenance
- Read and understand the materials relating to information technology
- Use English in situations they meet at their workplace.
Types of the syllabus
As stated in the aims of the study, the proposed ESP syllabus will be a task-based driven syllabus designed for intermediate vocational students of information technology Task-based syllabus is organized surrounding tasks that students will carry out in the target language, from which students will have an overall view of what they will do in their future work and promote their ability of coping well with real problems.
Tasks in the syllabus
Based on the needs analysis in Chapter 2 and due to time constraint of the syllabus, the following tasks which were most mentioned by the ex-students, the students and the ESP teachers are chosen for this syllabus:
- designing workstations with computers and necessary peripheral devices (routers, printers etc.)
- installing and configuring appropriate software and functions according to specifications
- performing troubleshooting to diagnose and resolve problems (repair or replace parts, debugging etc.)
- organizing and scheduling upgrades and maintenance without deterring others from completing their work
- providing orientation and guidance to users on how to operate new software and computer equipment”,
- responding to clients‟ inquiries and complaints
The proposed syllabus
This syllabus is designed for the first-year intermediate vocational students of information technology at HNCTE in their second term after they have finished General Communicative English The ESP course includes 45 periods namely 21 theoretical periods, 21 practicing periods and three periods for testing; each period lasts for 45 minutes
3.4.2 The organization of the syllabus
The content of the syllabus consists of 7 units that are worked out according to the topics chosen and tasks based on students‟ analysis Each unit is organized by language focus, vocabulary, skills and tasks The proposed syllabus for the intermediate vocational students of information technology in detail can be seen in Appendix.
Suggested teaching and assessment methodology
Teaching is the stage that the content of the material or the syllabus is brought into practice In terms of the teaching methodology for the task-based syllabus, no method is more suitable than task-based language teaching, as Nunan (1999: 24) states: “Task-based language teaching is an approach to the design of language course in which the point of departure is not an ordered list of linguistic items, but a collection of tasks” The target of task-based teaching is to enhance learners‟ ability to communicate through using the grammatical system of the language Doing the tasks in pairs or groups gives learners chances to practice speaking and boost their confidence In addition, it engages learners to use language in a purposeful and cooperative way, paying attention to building meaning, not just using language for display purpose By this approach, students can also rehearse their tasks in the future work which will help them familiarize with working in reality
In summary, the role of task-based language teaching is to stimulate a natural desire in learners to strengthen their language competence by completing practical tasks
Assessment is a necessary stage in learning and teaching process by which teachers define the students‟ level and suitability of the syllabus A formal method of assessment is to test Tests should be designed to evaluate the students‟ competence and performance and are normally made up of progress test and achievement test
While the progress test commonly taken in the middle of the course to check on students‟ progress in learning, the achievement test should be delivered at the end of the course when students have been acquired knowledge comprehensively The test result will not only say the students‟ achievement but also help evaluate the appropriateness of teacher‟s teaching methods Because our ESP course only lasts for 45 periods, two tests: progress test (mid-term) and one achievement test (final test) should be given
In these two tests, teachers should engage task-based assessment It is part of a broader approach to assessment named performance assessment There are three essential characteristics of performance assessment including: they must be task- based, they should be as authentic as possible, and they must be regularly rated by qualified judges because of being based on some kinds of performance The first principle of task-based assessment is that it needs to involve some kinds of communicative performance, which means that learners are requested to carry out a task that stimulates the kinds of tasks they will be requested to use language to perform outside the classroom The second vital principle is that teaching and assessment should be in harmony This brings considerable advantages because teaching and assessment can be reinforced mutually Most of the teaching task can be used for assessment purposes, and vice-versa For example, teacher gives a situation, students play roles as an IT technician to answer questions relating to IT problems By putting situations and some kinds of tasks in tests, teacher can assess students‟ communicative competence as well.
Syllabus evaluation
This proposed syllabus is developed on the basis of an analysis of the students‟ needs and the target needs and has not been tried out in the classroom
Consequently, both formative and summative evaluation is needed In particular, after the first semester a formative evaluation should be taken The teachers who use this syllabus should sit together to assess the syllabus regarding to the appropriateness of the tasks, the activities and teaching method After the first year, a summative evaluation needs to be conducted by means of student questionnaires and interviews with the teachers using the syllabus However, the immediate follow-up activity is to develop the teaching materials for the syllabus, which can be completed collaboratively by all teachers in the department.
Summary
In this chapter, a task-based syllabus which is produced on the basis of the needs analysis and the learning situation at HNCTE has been presented The syllabus contains five aspects, namely topics, language focus, vocabulary, skills and tasks
Among these aspects, tasks play central role in the syllabus Besides, some suggestions for teaching method and assessment and syllabus evaluation are provided A sample unit is presented (see Appendix 2) for the syllabus illustration
Conclusion
An appropriate syllabus has great impact on learning and teaching process because it not only helps stimulate student‟s learning spirit but also contributes to the success of an English course The fact shows that the teaching of ESP at HNCTE is facing many difficulties The shortage of an appropriate syllabus and the course book is regarded as an obstacle demodulating students‟ learning Realizing this problem, the author has conducted a study on designing a task-based ESP syllabus for the intermediate vocational students of information technology at HNCTE The study aims at seeking answers for the following questions:
1 What are the students‟ perceived needs of ESP?
2 How are the needs of all stakeholders transferred into tasks that will be designed in an ESP syllabus?
The answers to these questions can be summarized as bellows For the first question
“What are the undergraduate students‟ perceived needs of ESP?”, the results gained from the needs analysis carried out on undergraduate students show that they all expect to learn more skills with various tasks and activities related to their major
Most of their needs were considered to be included in a new ESP syllabus with the hope of satisfying their needs of ESP
The needs of all relevant stakeholders were carefully analyzed and integrated in an ESP suggested syllabus which addressed for the third question “How are the needs of all stakeholders transferred into tasks that will be designed in an ESP syllabus?”
Based on the results of needs analysis implemented on students, ex-students and the ESP teachers, the following tasks that were most mentioned by them were selected to be appeared in the syllabus: “assembling computers”, “designing workstations with computers and necessary peripheral devices (routers, printers etc.)”, “installing and configuring appropriate software and functions according to specifications”,
“performing troubleshooting to diagnose and resolve problems (repair or replace parts, debugging etc.)”, “providing orientation and guidance to users on how to operate new software and computer equipment”, “organizing and scheduling upgrades and maintenance without deterring others from completing their work”,
“offering timely technical support and teaching users how to utilize computers correctly”, “responding to clients‟ inquiries and complaints” In addition, some suggestions for teaching method and assessment as well as the evaluation of the syllabus were given Hopefully, this proposed syllabus will meet the students‟ needs and contribute to the improvement of ESP teaching and learning at HNCTE.
Limitations and suggestions for further studies
Like any other research projects, this study also has some limitations itself The first thing involves limited population for the questionnaires (50 students and 30 ex- students) Certainly, the validity and the reliability of the study would increase if the questionnaire was implemented on a larger population Secondly, there has been no experimentation of the proposed syllabus in the real classroom to evaluate its suitability due to the shortage of time Consequently, it needs to be experimented in the real classroom before running in reality Last but not least, this study emphasizes designing a syllabus for students of information technology at HNCTE only Therefore, it would be useful to carry out other researches on building up syllabuses for other majors at HNCTE
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APPENDICES Appendix 1: The proposed syllabus for the intermediate vocational students of information technology at HNCTE
- Vocabulary of computer network (computers and necessary peripheral devices (routers, printers etc.)
- Reading the text and answering the questions
- An IT technician is talking about his plan of distributing computer and other devices Listen and fill in the gap
- Playing role as a clients and an IT technician Client talks about the method, financial capacity, structure, workplace features, and purposes of his business, then IT technician propose suitable plan for his IT network
- Writing a computer network plan for a company consisting of 5 staff that the administrator can share resources to the client
- Reading the text and answering the questions per) computer components of computers
- A senior IT technician is constructing an apprentice to assemble a computer
Listen to their conversation and fill in the gaps
- Playing roles as an IT technician and an apprentice The IT technician instructs the apprentice to assemble a computer (Apprentice raises questions, IT technician will answer)
- Writing all stages of assembling a computer
- Vocabulary of software and functions
- Reading the text and answering the questions
- Listening to a conversation between an IT technician and a supplier and decide if the statements given are true or false
- A client is calling to ask about installing software to his computer
- Your client has sent you his demand for software for his computer Preparing a list of software that suits well with his requirements and consult the best option
Diagnosin g equipmen t‟s errors and resolve problems
- Reading the text and answering the questions
- Playing role as an IT technician and a client having computer fixed
Client will describe the error and causes (if any) while the technician will diagnose and propose solution
- Group discussions to talk about possible reasons for a computer that could not be turned on and propose solution for each reason
- Writing a repair plan for the error of one of computer‟s parts
Organizin g and schedulin g upgrades and maintenan
- Vocabulary of upgrading and maintaining system‟s services
- Reading the text and decide if the statements are true of false
- An IT technician is required for a regular maintenance on the information systems of the ce company
- You are an IT technician and are going to talk with a client on the operation of the equipment system to complete the survey for better services (Incidents, processing speed, troubles when using equipment)
- Writing a report after doing the maintenance for an agency => proposing changes to regular maintenance plans to make them more realistic
Guiding users to operate new software and computer equipmen t
- Relative pronouns (where, that, which)
- Reading the text and decide if the statements are true or false
- An IT technician is instructing his client in operating a new software
Listen and decide if the statement given are true or false
- Groups discussion to find down the most effective way to delivering instructions easily to users having no basic knowledge in IT
- Making sentences using the words given
Respondi ng to clients‟ inquiries and complaint s
- polite language Excuse me, but…
- Reading the text and answering the questions
- A client is calling to IT department to complain
Listen to their conversation and find down what problem is
- Playing role as an IT technician and a client The client complains about repeating the original fault after 10 days of being fixed
The technician figure out problem and give solution
- Writing an apology letter to customers after defining it comes from IT technician‟s fault
Work in group of three to discuss the following question What does a typical computer system consist of?
Computers are electronic machines which can accept data in a certain form, process the date and give the results of the process basing in a specified format as information
Three basic steps are involved in the process First, data is fed into the computer‟s memory Then, when the program is run, the computer performs a set of instructions and processes the data Finally, we can see the results
(the output) on the screen or in printed form (see the diagram below)
Information in the form of data and programs is known as software, and the electronic and mechanical parts that make up a computer system are called hardware A standard computer system consists of three main sections: the central processing unit (CPU), the main memory, and the peripherals
Perhaps the most influential component is the central processing unit Its function is to execute program instructions and coordinate the activities of all the other units In a way, it is the “brain” of the computer The main memory holds the instructions and date which are currently being processed by the CPU The peripherals are the physical units attached to the computer
They include storage devices and input/output devices
Storages devices (floppy, hard or optical disks) provide a permanent storage of both data and programs Disk drives are used to handle one or more floppy disks Input devices enable data to go into the computer‟s memory
The most common input devices are the mouse and the keyboard Output devices enable us to extract the finished product from the system For example, the computer shows the output on the monitor or prints the results onto paper by means of a printer
On the rear panel of the computer, there are several ports into which we can plug a wide range of peripheral – modems, fax machines, optical drives, and scanners
These are the main physical units of a computer system, generally known as the configuration
Use the information in the text and the diagram to match the terms in the box with the appropriate explanation or definition below a Software b peripheral devices c monitor d floppy disk e hardware f input g port h output i CPU
1 The brain of the computer
2 Physical parts that make up a computer system
3 Programs which can be used on a particular computer system
4 The information which is presented to the computer
6 Hardware equipment attached to the CPU
8 Small device used to store information Same as “diskette.”
9 Any socket or channel in a computer system into which an input/output device may be connected
A senior IT technician is constructing an apprentice to assemble a computer
Listen to their conversation and fill in the gaps
2 Babbage invented “The Analytical Engine” in 1830
2 “The Analytical Engine” was invented by Babbage in
Form: To be + past participle + by (agent)
1 Fill in the gaps in the following sentences using the appropriate form of the verb in brackets a The part of the processor which controls data transfers between the various input and output devices ……… (call) the control unit, b The address bus ………… (use) to send address details between the memory and the address register c The pixel positions ……… (pass on) to the computer‟s pattern recognition software d An operating system ……… (store) on disk e Instructions written in a high-level language ……… (transform) into machine code f In the star configuration, all processing and control functions
……… (perform) by the central computer g When a document arrives in the mail room, the envelop ……… (open) by a machine h One the index ……… (store), a temporary key number
……… (generate) and ……… (write) on the document
2 Put the following sentences into passive voice, mentioning to the agent if necessary a Bill Gates founded Microsoft b People develop C language in the 1970s c We set up at least 100,000 LANs in laboratories and offices around the world in the 1980s d The University of Pennsylvania built the first digital computer in 1946 e In 2011 China alone contributed to 80% of the world growth of electricity consumption
Work in pair Playing roles as an IT technician and an apprentice The IT technician instructs the apprentice to assemble a computer (Apprentice raises questions, IT technician will answer)
Writing all stages of assembling a computer based on the conversation at listening part
Appendix 3: PHIẾU HỎI Ý KIẾN (QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENTS)
Những câu hỏi dưới đây được thiết kế để thu thập ý kiến từ sinh viên năm 2 chuyên ngành Công nghệ thông tin của trường Cao đẳng Công nghệ và Kinh tế Hà Nội
Thông tin thu được sẽ tạo nền móng để xây dựng một chương trình Tiếng anh chuyên ngành phù hợp với mục đích đào tạo của nhà trường và nhu cầu của người học Những câu hỏi này không mang mục đích nào khác ngoài mục đích thu thập dữ liệu cho nghiên cứu
Dữ liệu các bạn cung cấp đóng vai trò rất quan trọng đối với nghiên cứu của tôi.Vì vậy, xin các bạn hãy trả lời các câu hỏi một cách trung thực nhất.Tôi xin chân thành cảm ơn
1 Bạn đã học Tiếng Anh được bao lâu?
1-3 năm 3-5 năm 5-7 năm trên 7 năm
2 Lý do học Tiếng Anh của bạn là gì?
3 Bạn đã bao giờ tiếp xúc với người nước ngoài chưa?
Nếu có, bạn có gặp khó khăn gì khi giao tiếp với họ không?
4 Bạn dự định xin công việc gì sau khi tốt nghiệp?
5 Bạn có nghĩ mình cần sử dụng Tiếng Anh trong công việc tương lai không?
Nếu có, hãy nêu một số ví dụ tình huống mà bạn cần sử dụng Tiếng Anh.Ví dụ: Giúp khách hàng nước ngoài bảo trì máy tính
Nếu không, tại sao không?
6 Nếu được phép chọn các nhiệm vụ sẽ học trong giáo trình Tiếng Anh chuyên ngành CNTT, bạn cho nhiệm vụ nào là cần thiết để phục vụ công việc sau này? Tại sao bạn cho đó là nhiệm vụ cần thiết?
Ví dụ: nhiệm vụ giúp khách hàng nước ngoài bảo trì máy tính
Nhiệm vụ / tasks Lý do cần thiết