COURSE DESIGNCOURSE DESIGNHutchinson and Waters (1987:21-Hutchinson and Waters (1987:21-38)38)

The importance of course The importance of course designdesign

Course design is a substantial and Course design is a substantial and important part of the workloadimportant part of the workload

Designing a course is providing Designing a course is providing syllabus design, material writing, syllabus design, material writing, classroom teaching and evaluationclassroom teaching and evaluation

Parameters of course designParameters of course design(Evans and St. John, 1998:145)

Should the course be intensive or Should the course be intensive or extensive?extensive?

Should the learner’s performance be Should the learner’s performance be assessed or non-assessed?assessed or non-assessed?

Should the course deal with Should the course deal with immediate needs or with delayed immediate needs or with delayed needs?needs?

Should the role of the teacher be Should the role of the teacher be that of the provider of knowledge that of the provider of knowledge and activities, or should it be as a and activities, or should it be as a facilitator of activities arising from facilitator of activities arising from learner’s expressed wants?learner’s expressed wants?

Should the course have a broad Should the course have a broad or narrow focus?or narrow focus?

Should the course be pre-study or Should the course be pre-study or pre-experience or run parallel pre-experience or run parallel with that study or experience?with that study or experience?

Should the material be common-Should the material be common-core or specific to learner’s study core or specific to learner’s study or work?or work?

Should the group taking the course Should the group taking the course be homogenous or should it be be homogenous or should it be heterogeneous?heterogeneous?

Should the course design be Should the course design be worked out by the language worked out by the language teacher after consultation with the teacher after consultation with the learners and the institution, or learners and the institution, or should it be subject to a process of should it be subject to a process of negotiation with the learners?negotiation with the learners?

Important questions for ESP course design Why?Why? Who?Who? Where?Where? When?When? What?What? How?How?

ESPcours

e

WHAT?

Languagedescriptio

n

HOW?

Learningtheories

WHO? WHY?WHERE? WHEN?Needs

analysis

syllabus

methodology

Learning st.

Target st.

Course design process

Language descriptionLanguage description is the way in which is the way in which the language system is broken down and the language system is broken down and described for the purposes of learningdescribed for the purposes of learning

Learning theoryLearning theory provides the theoretical provides the theoretical basis for the methodology of how people basis for the methodology of how people learnlearn

Needs analysisNeeds analysis is the process of is the process of determining the needs for which a learner determining the needs for which a learner or group of learners requires a language or group of learners requires a language and arranging the needs according to and arranging the needs according to prioritiespriorities

LANGUAGE DESCRIPTIONLANGUAGE DESCRIPTION

Classical/traditional Classical/traditional grammargrammar

- the role played by each word in - the role played by each word in the sentencethe sentence- the form of a word would change - the form of a word would change according to whether it was a according to whether it was a subject, object, etc.subject, object, etc.

Structural linguisticsStructural linguistics

- - the grammar of language is the grammar of language is described in terms of syntagmatic described in terms of syntagmatic structures which carry the structures which carry the fundamental proposition and fundamental proposition and notionnotion- substitution table is a typical - substitution table is a typical means of explaining grammatical means of explaining grammatical patternspatterns

Diabetes mellitusDiabetes mellitusSome foodsSome foodsA dog biteA dog biteAn electric shockAn electric shockInsufficient Insufficient calciumcalcium

cancan

maymay

causecause

result inresult in

lead tolead to

unconsciousnessunconsciousnessshockshockbad teethbad teethdeathdeathheat strokeheat strokeallergiesallergies

Transformational generativeTransformational generative- - language must be viewed as a reflection language must be viewed as a reflection of human thought patternsof human thought patterns - - the rules that enable the language user the rules that enable the language user to generate the surface structures from the to generate the surface structures from the deep level of meaningdeep level of meaning- the relationship between the form and the - the relationship between the form and the meaning, and between performance and meaning, and between performance and competencecompetence

LLook at the example on page 27ook at the example on page 27

1.1. John is easy to please.John is easy to please.2.2. John is eager to please.John is eager to please.

Is the form similar or different?Is the form similar or different?Is the meaning similar or different?Is the meaning similar or different?

1.1. The caterpillar eats the leaves.The caterpillar eats the leaves.2.2. The leaves are eaten by the The leaves are eaten by the

caterpillar.caterpillar.

Is the form similar or different?Is the form similar or different?Is the meaning similar or different?Is the meaning similar or different?

Language variation and Language variation and register analysisregister analysis- the whole communicative act is - the whole communicative act is made up of a number of made up of a number of contextually dependent factorscontextually dependent factors- language varies to the context of - language varies to the context of use that enables us to distinguish use that enables us to distinguish formal from informal, written from formal from informal, written from spoken, etc.spoken, etc.

Look at the example on page 29Look at the example on page 29

Text AText ANow I have to change thefinal size drill I require,which is three quarters ofan inch diameter, and this iscalled a morse-taper sleeve.

A slower speed for a larger drill.

Nice even feed should givereasonable finish to the hole.

Text BText B Select required drill Mount drill a tailstock.

Use taper sleeves as necessary.

Set speed and start machine spindle.

Position tailstock to work piece.

Apply firm even pressure to tailstock hand wheel to feed drill into work piece

Functional/notional Functional/notional grammargrammar

- - functionsfunctions are concerned with social are concerned with social behaviorbehavior- - notionsnotions reflect the way in which the reflect the way in which the human mind thinkshuman mind thinks- - notions + functionsnotions + functions represent the represent the categories of human thinking and categories of human thinking and social behaviorsocial behavior- - function = structure + contextfunction = structure + context

Discourse/rhetorical Discourse/rhetorical analysisanalysis

- there is more to meaning than just the - there is more to meaning than just the words in sentence (hidden message)words in sentence (hidden message)- the meaning of the same sentence - the meaning of the same sentence changes if the context changes/the changes if the context changes/the meaning changes according to the meaning changes according to the relationship between the participants in relationship between the participants in the dialogue and according to the reason the dialogue and according to the reason for speakingfor speaking

Look at the example on page 33-34Look at the example on page 33-34

- Can I go out to play?- It’s raining.A

B

C

D

- Have you cut the grass yet?- It’s raining.- I think I’ll go out for a walk.- - It’s raining.

- It’s raining.- I think I’ll go out for a walk.

That’s all…Don’t forget to ask a

cooperative respondent whether

or not he/she is willing to be one of the panelists for the

Panel Discussion session.