Designing an ESP course needs analysis and english language proficiency of BIDV bankers = thiết kế khoá học tiếng anh chuyên ngành dựa trên phân tích nhu cầu và trình độ ngôn ngữ của nhân viên ngân hàng BIDV

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHER EDUCATION GRADUATION PAPER Designing an ESP Course: Needs analysis and English language proficiency of BIDV bankers Supervisor: Cấn Thị Chang Duyên M.A Student: Tạ Phương Thảo Course: QH2017.F1.E2 Hà Nội, 2021 ĐẠI HỌC QUỐC GIA HÀ NỘI TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ KHOA SƯ PHẠM TIẾNG ANH KHOÁ LUẬN TỐT NGHIỆP THIẾT KẾ KHOÁ HỌC TIẾNG ANH CHUYÊN NGÀNH DỰA TRÊN PHÂN TÍCH NHU CẦU VÀ TRÌNH ĐỘ NGƠN NGỮ CỦA NHÂN VIÊN NGÂN HÀNG BIDV Giáo viên hướng dẫn: Cấn Thị Chang Duyên M.A Sinh viên: Tạ Phương Thảo Khoá: QH2017.F1.E2 Hà Nội, 2021 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT i ABSTRACT ii LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES iii CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION 1 Rationale of the study Research aims and research questions Significance of the study Scope of the study Organization of the study CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW Overview of ESP ESP course design 2.1 Definition of an ESP course design 2.2 Characteristics of an ESP course 2.3 Course design 10 2.5 ESP Course design frameworks 12 Needs analysis 13 3.1 Definition of needs analysis 13 3.2 Needs analysis framework 14 English language proficiency 16 4.1 English language proficiency 16 4.2 Testing in ESP 17 Review of previous studies 18 Summary of the chapter 19 CHAPTER III: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 21 Setting and participants 21 1.1 Setting 21 1.2 Participants 21 Data collection instrument 22 2.1 Semi – structured questionnaire 22 2.2 Language Proficiency Test 25 Data collection & data analysis procedure 29 CHAPTER IV: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 31 General information 31 Research question 1: The English proficiency of BIDV employees 33 Research question 2: Needed skills and English related tasks 38 Research question 3: The preferred modes of teaching – learning 43 Summary of the chapter 45 CHAPTER V: CONCLUSIONS 47 Summary of the findings 47 Recommendations and Implications 48 Limitations 49 Suggestions for further studies 50 REFERENCES 51 APPENDICES 56 APPENDIX 1: A CHECKLIST FOR MATERIALS EVALUATION 56 (HUTCHINSON & WALTER, 1987, P.99 – 104) 56 APPENDIX 2: TARGET SITUATION ANALYSIS FRAMEWORK 61 APPENDIX 5: QUESTIONNAIRE (VIETNAMESE VERSION) 66 APPENDIX 6: TEST 74 APPENDIX 7: MATERIAL EVALUATION 84 APPENDIX 8: DETAILED SYLLABUS 91 ACCEPTANCE PAGE I hereby state that I: Ta Phuong Thao, QH2017.F1.E2, being a candidate for the degree of Bachelor of Arts (TEFL) accept the requirements of the College relating to the retention and use of Bachelor’s Graduation Paper deposited in the library In terms of these conditions, I agree that the origin of my paper deposited in the library should be accessible for the purposes of study and research, in accordance with the normal conditions established by the librarian for the care, loan or reproduction of the paper Signature Date: May 3rd, 2021 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The success and final outcome of this research required a lot of guidance and assistance from many people and I are extremely privileged to have got this all along the completion of my work First and foremost, I wish to extend the deepest appreciation and respect to my supervisor Ms Can Thi Chang Duyen for her comprehensive insight in the field of research, patient guidance, devoted assistance as well as constructive critiques of this research work I am grateful for your relentless and enthusiastic support, without which I would not have been able to complete my thesis In addition, I would want to express my heart-felt thanks to all the employees of BIDV for their cooperation and support in completing the questionnaires Furthermore, our grateful thanks are also extended to BIDV’s human resource manager, who was willing to give her time so generously to support me with the internal documents My gratitude goes to all my dear friends, especially Pham Huyen Trang, Vo Thi Trang and Do Quynh Trang who were always there to give me the support I need I can never disregard significant support from my beloved family as well, and especially my father, who patiently waited for me in days I come home late Lastly, I wish to thank my boyfriend for his compassion, patience and unfailing support even when I lose my temper during sleepless nights His positivity and magnanimity have motivated me to overcome all the obstacles along the way ABSTRACT In the age of globalization, the number of foreign enterprises investing in Vietnam is growing at an unprecedented speed Among all banks, BIDV - bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam is the most established commercial bank and therefore, should welcome these new waves of investments in front To accomplish their mission, the bank’s personnel need be proficient in English to facilitate their working procedure with foreign business partners However, general English has proven to be not sufficient for bankers to perform job-related communicative functions at a satisfactory level (Wu & Chin, 2017) In response to the urgent demand on how to enhance the language proficiency of BIDV employees, this study aims to build an ESP course on Banking and Finance based on learners’ needs and English proficiency The researcher adopted quantitative method to analyse the needs of 20 participants from departments where English is most needed Afterwards, a level-based assessment test is designed and conducted to select participants most suitable for the course According to the aggregation of the need analysis and the assessment result, speaking and writing – related tasks are more imperative than tasks requiring productive skills With regards to the learning – teaching techniques, learners tend to prefer communicative languague teaching (CLT) method as well as pair or group work Considering participants’ English proficiency, almost three forth of the employees are under B1 level (CEFR) and need to take the course Finally, an ESP course on Banking and Finance is designed, implication for pedagogic application and foundations for further researches are discussed Keywords: ESP course design, banking and finance, need analysis, language proficiency assessment LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES Figure Factors affecting ESP course design Figure Needs analysis Figure distribution of participants from BIDV department Figure level of lexical resource in vocabulary section (placement test) Figure level of lexical resource in grammar & structure section (placement test) Figure level of lexical resource in reading section (placement test) Figure General information of the participants Figure participants’ preference in class schedule Figure Participants test score Figure 10 English level of participants (compared to B1 CEFR) Figure 11 Self-assessment of English proficiency Figure 12 Self assessment of receptive tasks Figure 13 Self assessment of productive tasks Figure 14 English skills needed for work Figure 15 The level of need of listening and reading – involved tasks Figure 16 The level of need of speaking and writing – involved tasks Figure 17 learners’ preferable modes of learning – teaching CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION Rationale of the study English language plays a crucial role in daily lives and in business contexts of the 21st century Widely used in more than 60 countries, the English language is an international language with respect to different aspects of communication: sharing information, communicating through commercial activities, and travelling worldwide for different reasons (Karimi & Vahdani Sanavi, 2014) In this era of globalization, regarding the sections of banking, finance and economy, being able to use English for communication is becoming increasingly critical More than a century ago, English was needed for national survival; today it is needed for economic survival (Sukwiwat, 1985) This highlights the idea that English can facilitate the process of economic development In the context of Vietnam, EVFTA (EU – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement) was officially implemented in August, 2020, allowing foreign products and investments into Vietnam without being taxed (2020) Apart from that, CPTPP (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans – Pacific Partnership) came into force in 2018, marking the world third largest free trade market Furthermore, a new wave of investment from European countries, America, Japan, and Korea, is hitting Vietnam after the Covid-19 pandemic The English Proficiency Index (EPI) by the international organization Education First (2020) suggests that English and Korean in business contexts are also experiencing an upward trend In order to embrace these golden chances of economic growth, banking and finance professionals need to have a good command of the English language to communicate and negotiate in business procedures effectively BIDV – Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam is the most established commercial bank in Vietnam in 2016 and the fourth largest enterprise of Vietnam according to the annual report of UNDP in 2017 Among all banks, BIDV is one critical body contributing to Vietnam’s overall financial well-being and economic development as this bank provides financial assistance and consultance to most foreign enterprises and companies investing in Vietnam According to Education First’s English Proficiency Index (EPI) in 2012, English is the key to attracting foreign investments Sufficient English use can facilitate the working procedure and bring in greater profits BIDV, as a national bank for investment and development, should welcome these new waves of investments in front To accomplish their mission, BIDV personnel need to be proficient in English to facilitate their working procedure with foreign business partners However, general English has proven to be insufficient for bankers to perform job-related communicative functions at a satisfactory level (Wu & Chin, 2017) Consequently, there is a growing need for English for Special Purposes (ESP), allowing learners to acquire and use language that is closely linked to their working situations An ESP course is highly recommended for learners with specific purposes for studying English as an ESP course needs to be built upon a need analysis (Barkane, 2017) In other words, an ESP course allows educators to thoroughly analyse the needs of students, hence, formulate linear course goals/ objectives (Hutchinson & Waters, 1987) Data from a systematic needs analysis in forming an ESP course can strengthen the demand and supply link to guarantee what needed is taught to learners, and what taught is used Though the importance of need analysis and ESP course in learning English is widely acknowledged, their application in the context of Vietnam has proven to be limited For Vietnamese professionals, English courses in the field of economics are available However, little thorough research to design a course on Banking and finance has been conducted All these conditions have motivated the researcher to carry out a study on “Designing an ESP Course based on the needs and English language proficiency of BIDV bankers” Research aims and research questions Self – study (homework) At home Writing: Write advice to your colleages (ex.8) Source: Coursebook p.25 Write an email to your customer to notify them about important dates of their personal loans, using modal verbs of necessity Prepare for the next lesson Ö Assessment [Week 5] Unit 3: Personal loans and credit Sub-content 3: mortages Lesson Teaching & Place Main content Learning method Vocabulary and In Vocabulary: review language (45 class Language: minutes) -modals for possibility and permission Source: Coursebook p 26 Skills (1 hour In Reading: Read about specific 15 minutes) class information about mortage application Speaking: Roleplay to apply for mortage or a credit card (review, ex.5) Source: Coursebook p.26, 27 Writing: Write an email answering the questions of a customer about mortage application Source: Authentic email from the bank Self – study Ö Ö Notes Self – study (homework) At home Review unit Finish exercise 1,2,3,4 in review section (p.27) Prepare for the next lesson Ö Assessment [Week 5] Lesson 10: Mid-course test [Week 6] Unit (book 1): Investment Sub-content 1: Investing money Lesson 11 Teaching & Place Main content Self – Learning study method Vocabulary and In Vocabulary: investing money Ö language (45 class (capital, dividend, guarantee, minutes) open-end, profit, rate of return, risk, …) Skills (1 hour In Reading: Read for specific Ö 15 minutes) class information about money investment Listening: Listen for specific information about different types of investment Source: supplementary material – English for banking and finance - p.36, 37 Speaking: Discuss about the pros and cons of different types of investment Self – study At Extra vocabulary exercise: Ö (homework) home investents – p.52,53 – check Notes your vocabulary for banking and finance Prepare for the next lesson Assessment [Week 6] Unit (book 1): Investment Sub-content 2: spreading the risk Lesson 12 Teaching & Learning method Vocabulary and language (45 minutes) Skills (1 hour 15 minutes) Place Main content Self – study Ö In class Vocabulary: review Language: review In class Reading: Read for general idea Ö and specific information about managing risks in investing Listening: Listen for specific information about investment portfolios Speaking: Discuss in group on how to diversify a $100,000 investment and write a sample portfolio Source: supplementary material – English for banking and finance - p.38, 39 Writing: Your customer has $100,000 and wants to invest all in one premise Outline an email to politely disagree and give suggestion Source: Authentic email from the bank Notes Self – study (homework) At home Finish the email based on the outline in class Prepare for the next lesson Ö Assessment [Week 7] Unit 6: Finance in companies Sub-content 1: Cash flow Lesson 13 Teaching & Place Main content Learning method Vocabulary and In Vocabulary: cashflow in a language (45 class company (advance, deposit, minutes) invoice, put off payment, unforseen cost, …) Language: quantifiers Skills (1 hour In Listening: Listen for factual 15 minutes) class information about cashflow Reading: Read for general idea and specific information about cash flow broblems Speaking: Role play as corporate customers, describe your recent project by talking about what sort of company you run, the length of the project, how such you got and how much you need for the project (ex.8) Source: coursebook (p 44,45) Writing: Introduce the format and outline an email, asking your clients for information to minimize cash flow problems Self – study Ö Ö Notes Self – study (homework) At home (idea based on the questions in reading section) Source: Authentic email from the bank Finish the email based on the outline in class Prepare for the next lesson Ö Assessment [Week 7] Unit 6: Finance in companies Sub-content 2: The balance sheet Lesson 14 Teaching & Place Main content Learning method Vocabulary and In Vocabulary: review language (45 class Language: minutes) -passive forms -large numbers Skills (1 hour In Listening: Listen for factual 15 minutes) class information about cash Reading: Read for factual information from a balance sheet Speaking: Role play and discuss about the balance sheet in ex.7 Source: coursebook (p 46,47) Self – study At Extra vocabulary exercise: (homework) home Balance sheet – p.46,47 – check your vocabulary for banking and finance Prepare for the next lesson Assessment Self – study Ö Ö Ö Notes [Week 8] Unit 6: Finance in companies Sub-content 3: The income statement Lesson 15 Teaching & Place Main content Self – Learning study method Vocabulary and In Vocabulary: income statement Ö language (45 class (depreciation, amortisation, net minutes) profit, tax, cost of goods sold, …) Language: -Modals of speculation (may, could, might, …) to give polite comments or prediction Source: coursebook (p 48) Skills (1 hour In Listening: Listen for specific Ö 15 minutes) class information about the income statement of a company Speaking: Based on the income statement proposed in ex 3,6, decide whether the bank should lend money to the company Talk about the problems that could arise and other documents you need to look at Source: coursebook (p 48,49) Writing: Introduce the format and outline an email to the company (based on the balance sheet in ex 3,6) to politely explain the issues why the bank cannot lend money yet and ask for extra documents from the client Notes Self – study (homework) At home Source: Authentic email from the bank Finish the email based on the outline in class Prepare for the next lesson Ö Assessment [Week 8] Unit 6: Finance in companies Sub-content 4: The cashflow statement Lesson 16 Teaching & Place Main content Learning method Vocabulary and In Vocabulary: Cash flow (issue language (45 class new shares, bank loans, net minutes) increase, profit after tax, …) Language: -Expressions of causes and effects Source: coursebook (p 50) Skills (1 hour In Reading: Read for specific 15 minutes) class information from a cash flow statement Speaking: Based on the cashfow statement proposed in ex 1, discuss whether the company can pay its bills Writing: In pair, write a short description (less than 150 words) of what should be included and what to concern when reading a cash flow statement Source: coursebook (p 50,51) Self – study Ö Ö Notes Self – study (homework) At home Finish exercise 1,2,3 in Review Ö (p.51) Prepare for the next lesson Assessment [Week 9] Unit 7: Corporate banking Sub-content 1: Taking care of corporate clients Lesson 17 Teaching & Self – Learning Place Main content study method Vocabulary and In Vocabulary: taking care of Ö language (45 class corporate (letter of credit, bank minutes) guarantee, corporate guarantee, credit line, …) Language: -Second conditional to give advice or recommendation Source: coursebook (p 53) Skills (1 hour In Reading: Read for specific Ö 15 minutes) class information from a cash flow statement Listening: Listen for specific information about the aspects of a corporate client (risk assessment, expansion, trade, …) Speaking: Discuss about what aspects of a corporate client need to be considered before providing a loan Source: coursebook (p 53) Self – study At Extra vocabulary exercise: Ö (homework) home Corporate finance – p.51 – Notes check your vocabulary for banking and finance Prepare for the next lesson Assessment [Week 9] Unit 7: Corporate banking Sub-content 2: Loans, credit lines and leasing Lesson 18 Teaching & Self – Learning Place Main content study method Vocabulary and In Vocabulary: review Ö language (45 class Language: minutes) -Second conditional with modals Source: coursebook (p 55) Skills (1 hour In Reading: Read for specific Ö 15 minutes) class information from a blogpost about credit lines, corporate loans and leasing agreement Listening: Listen for specific information from a conversation between a banker and a customer, giving suggestions on expanding business and solving cashflow problems Speaking: Role play as a banker and a corporate client to give advise on expanding business and mitigating risks (ex.7) Writing: Introduce the format and outline an email to a corporate client to give Notes Self – study (homework) At home recommendation (based on the information in ex.4) (ex 8) Source: Authentic email from the bank, coursebook (p 54,55) Finish the email based on the outline in class Prepare for the next lesson Ö Assessment [Week 10] Unit 7: Corporate banking Sub-content 3: Company restructuring and loan modification Lesson 19 Teaching & Learning Place Main content method Vocabulary and In Vocabulary: restructuring and language (45 class modification (generate, minutes) manage, refinance, restructure, liquidate, …) Language: -Making polite suggestions and recommendation Source: coursebook (p 57) Skills (1 hour In Reading: Read for specific 15 minutes) class information of an email from a banker to a customer about the risks and suggestions Listening: Listen for specific information from a conversation between a banker and a customer, discussing about some financial problems and suggestions Self – study Ö Ö Notes Self – study (homework) At home Speaking: Discuss about what should be included in a loan modification strategy (ex.57) Writing: Write an email to report some financial risks and give suggestions about modifying loans (following the structure in ex.8) Source: coursebook (p 56,57) Finish exercises 1,2,3 in review (p.59) Overall revision for final test Ö Assessment [Week 10] Lesson 20: Final test G COURSE POLICY Learners are expected to: - Perform all tasks required in the syllabus - Hand in assignments in time - Attend over 80% of all classes in order to be qualified to take the final test - Actively take part in discussions in class as required - Prepare for lessons before going to class H ASSESSMENT AND GRADING: General assessment plan: Evidence of learning in this course is collected in three main sources: Assessment Mark Requirements, aims, rationale, assessment tasks allocation 10% Requirements: Attendance - Learners have to participate actively in & the course by taking part in discussion, participation doing homework and reading Aims: - Encourage learners’ active class participation, discussion and autonomy 2.Mid-term test 30% 3.Final test 60% Rationale: - To help learners understand the lectures better - To ensure the amount of input knowledge learners need to acquire after the course Assessment: - Learners will be rewarded with a perfect score as long as they frequently come to class and actively contribute to the class discussion during recitations and lectures Requirements: - Stduents take the test in week - Grades to 10 will be assigned according to learners’ performance on the test Aims: - Summative component: to help teachers evaluate student learning after teaching units of the course - Formative component: to help teachers check how far learners have gone in meeting their learning targets; to provide feedback that helps learners improve their learning in preparation for the final exam Assessment target: - To assess learners’ understanding of the first units and their ability to apply knowledge to practical situations Rationale: - Progress test helps teacher check how far learners have gone to meeting their learning targets Assessment: - Learners arre assigned grades according to their performance Requirements: - Learners take the test in week 10 - Grades to 10 will be assigned according to learners’ performance on the test Only those who attend over 80% of all classes are qualified to take the final test Aims: - Summative component: to help teachers evaluate student learning and ability to apply knowledge after the course; to help teacher give feedback to learners after the course Assessment targets: - To assess learners’ understanding of the course and their ability to apply knowledge to practical situations Rationale: - The test is based on what the learners have learned in the course and on the materials used during the course Since learners are tested on what they have studied, sucess in the exam indicates successful achievement of the course objectives Detailed assignment guidance and scoring rubrics: 2.1 Mid-course test Type of Number of Time Weight Section question items allotted Selected 60 points 15 items 90 minutes - Part 1: response (each 15 items Vocabulary item = 15 items - Part 2: point) 15 items Language - Part 3: Listening - Part 4: Reading Constructed 40 points 20 minutes - Part 5: Writing item response (each item item = 20 points) - 10 minutes per student Part 6: Speaking Overall score = 100 2.2 Final test Type of question Selected response Weight 60 points (each item = point) Section - Constructed 40 points response (each item = 20 points) - Number of Time items allotted 15 items 90 minutes 15 items 15 items 15 items Part 1: Vocabulary Part 2: Language Part 3: Listening Part 4: Reading Part 5: Writing item item Part 6: Speaking 20 minutes 10 minutes per student Overall score = 100 2.3 Scoring rubric for constructed – response tasks 2.3.1 Speaking - Guidelines for speaking test: Learners are tested individually After the Listening section, learners will be called out one by one during the course of 90 minutes off the test The speaking test will be conducted in a seperate room and learners’ performances will be recorded for further analysis - Scoring rubric: Award a maximum of 20 marks as follows: • Fluency (longer answers, little hesitation, confidence): marks • Accuracy of language (grammar and use of tenses): marks • Appropriateness of vocabulary and expressions: marks • Ability to link ideas coherently: marks • Clear pronunciation: marks • Question comprehension: marks 2.3.2 Writing Scoring rubric: Award a maximum of 20 marks as follows: • Task achievement (answering all questions with clarity): marks • Accuracy of language (grammar and use of tenses): marks • Appropriateness of vocabulary and expressions: marks • Coherence and Cohesion (clear structure and overall progression): marks APPENDICES Sample of speaking test: You will have a ten-minute speaking test, divided into parts • Part 1: Conversation simulation (3 minutes) Your customer wish to open an account Ask him/her for their personal information and specific needs • Part 2: Introducing (3 minutes) Based on the needs of your customer, prepare a minute presentation about the most suitable type of account you can offer You have minute to prepare • Part 3: Discussion and follow-up questions (4 minutes) Answer follow-up questions from your customer about opening an account Sample of writing test: Your customer is thinking about making a personal loans to buy a house and is concerned about the types of loan packages available in BIDV She wishes to borrow 500 million VND and pay the interest rate monthly Write an email to your customer In your letter • Compare the loan packages and give her some advice on which package to choose • Instruct her on the steps to make a loan Write at least 150 words ...ĐẠI HỌC QUỐC GIA HÀ NỘI TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ KHOA SƯ PHẠM TIẾNG ANH KHOÁ LUẬN TỐT NGHIỆP THIẾT KẾ KHOÁ HỌC TIẾNG ANH CHUYÊN NGÀNH DỰA TRÊN PHÂN TÍCH NHU CẦU VÀ TRÌNH ĐỘ NGƠN NGỮ CỦA NHÂN VIÊN... on ? ?Designing an ESP Course based on the needs and English language proficiency of BIDV bankers? ?? Research aims and research questions This paper aims to analyse the needs of a group of BIDV bankers. .. response to the urgent demand on how to enhance the language proficiency of BIDV employees, this study aims to build an ESP course on Banking and Finance based on learners’ needs and English proficiency