An Approach to ESP courses at the National University of Salta

Mg. Lic. Gustavo Zaplana

Agenda

I- Aims of the presentation

II- ESP at the University: Reading-comprehension courses.

III- Theoretical Framework

IV-Different Levels of Reading-comprehension courses

V- Conclusions

to provide a brief description of the

approach towards ESP courses at the

National University of Salta

to analyze the rationale for the design

of the materials for such courses to exemplify how those courses are

taught

I- Aim of this presentation

Approach towards ESP at UNSa1- Students’ exposition to L2 from 32 to 64 hs.

a semester (depending on the Study Program)

2- Students usually required to study form texts published in English e.g. monetary theory (Economy), new trends in thermodynamics (Engineering), soil renovation (Agriculture)…

3- Students’ L2 specific need understanding information in English

READING-COMPREHENSION

Reading-comprehension

The act of understanding what is being read

An intentional, active, interactive process that occurs before, during and after a person reads a particular piece of writing

When a person reads a text s/he engages in a complex array of cognitive processes ability to comprehend or construct meaning from the text

The reading skill and learning Reading is a means to gain access to

information and to learn content Learning and memory depend on the person’s

ability to process new data

“good readers know a variety of ways to organize information for learning” (Santa,1996:1),

organizational strategies “goal directed and know how to attack print to

create meaning” (Ibid)

III- Theoretical Framework: Some principles for these reading-

comprehension courses

Principles of CALLA (Cognitive Academic Language Learning Approach)

Principles of the Content-based approach

Principles of the Task-based approach

Cognitive Academic Language Learning Approach (CALLA) instructional model for second and foreign

language learning,

Chamot and O'Malley, 1990’s,

to learn content and information in the target

language,

achieved through the development

of learning strategies

Major Components of CALLA 1. lessons focusing on high-priority topics from

content areas;

2. development of the language needed to handle

the content topics; and

3. application of learning strategies for the

acquisition of content and language in L2.

These target learners (students at UNSa) are given the input

(reading texts) in L2, while the rubrics of the facilitating

tasks and the final output is given/retrieved in L1

The Content-based and the Task-based Approaches

Content-based instruction:

“…‘content’ in content-based programs represents material that is cognitively

engaging and demanding for the learner” (Met, 1999:150)

topics: vary according to the students’ area of study (e.g. General Physics,

Thermodynamics, Chemistry and Mathematics, as areas of study in the field of

Engineering)

Task-based approach:

learning a foreign language involves the completion of tasks

activities prove understanding of a text

IV-Different Levels of Reading-comprehension courses

There are generally 2 levels

The first level course English I:

- students are provided with tools:

to learn main grammar topics & discoursal features understanding of

the structure of L2

to acquire basic reading comprehension techniques

The second level course English II:

- students are provided with tools:

to develop reading strategies to handle texts related to the fields of their

academic instruction and,

to learn content in L2.

The reading materials Texts selected

original and authentic related to the specific study areas of target learnersfollow a specific type & contain the grammar topics to be taught (especially for the 1st level course)

Reading-comprehension activitiesCreated by the teacherOf different types that reflect real comprehension /not only extraction of literal information.

Text TypesClassification of texts provided by Hatim (2001)

Course Syllabus Design based on Hatim’s text

typology Course contents for “Seminar of Technical English” (Seminario de

Inglés Técnico) . School of Economics- UNSa

Unidad 1- Lectura de textos expositivos con predominio de estructura descriptiva. Ejemplo: índice de un libro.

Problemática gramatical y discursiva: la frase nominal: su estructura (núcleo y modificadores).El sustantivo y sus plurales. El adjetivo y palabras en función de adjetivo. Afijos. Importancia de la jerarquización de la información en el texto (tipografía, enumeración y organización del texto)

 Unidad 2- Lectura de textos expositivos con predominio de estructura descriptiva (clasificación, definición; descripción)

Problemática gramatical y discursiva: la oración (frase nominal + frase verbal). Oración simple. Oraciones compuestas (por coordinación y subordinación). Formas verbales: tiempos presente. Voz activa y voz pasiva. Pronombres. Participio “pasado”. Formas –ing. Relaciones lógico-semánticas: orden espacial, comparación, ejemplificación, adición. Conectores lógicos. Referentes. 

Unidad 3- Lectura de textos expositivos con predominio de estructura

narrativa. Ejemplo: biografías, historia de investigaciones hechas en el pasado, etc.

Problemática gramatical y discursiva: Formas verbales: tiempos pasados: Simple Past Tense, Present Perfect Tense y Past Perfect Tense (voz activa y pasiva). Relaciones lógico-semánticas temporales y causales. Marcadores de tiempo. Conectores lógicos.

Unidad 4- Lectura de textos instructivos. Ejemplo: instructivos para llenar formularios.

Problemática gramatical y discursiva: Modo Imperativo. El infinitivo. El infinitivo de propósito. Verbos auxiliares modales. Relaciones lógico-semánticas: orden espacial, secuencia cronológica, causa-efecto, adición. Conectores lógicos. Marcadores de espacio y de secuencia.

Unidad 5- Lectura de textos expositivos con predominio de estructura/ trama conceptual (argumentativa).

Problemática gramatical y discursiva: Relaciones lógico-semánticas de causa-efecto, contraste, ejemplificación, adición. Conectores lógicos. Oraciones condicionales.

V- Conclusions:

- ESP at UNSa target students’ specific L2 needs reading-comprehension

- Appropriate approaches relate learning of content , the L2, and development of reading-comprehension skills

- Material design appropriate theory and practice reading materials in agreement with the learner’s specific areas of studies.

-

The acquisition of knowledge

(published in L2) and its application

take place when learners are able to

incorporate new information into their

conceptual framework of a subject

matter. In order to achieve this goal,

the students need to become

competent readers.

THANKS FOR YOUR THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION!ATTENTION!

Gustavo ZaplanaGustavo Zaplana

guszaplana@gmail.comguszaplana@gmail.com