ESP and Proficiency Levels at Work
5 reasons to improve
our workers’ English Performance
After reading the article ‘Los dudosos “English language Proficiency Benchmarks”’ by Gerardo
Barboza (2012) on Semanario Universidad,
a local weekly publication in Costa Rica, and mulling over his concern
about the levels of English achieved nationwide, part of the answer to why
Costa Ricans have not accomplished a higher level of English based on the CEF
is related to the lack of serious ESP [English for Specific Purposes] training –for
students and teachers- and the lack of student commitment to learn the target
language to succeed in their work fields.
ESP is goal directed (Robinson 1991), but it looks like teachers and students alike do
not envision the ultimate goal. If our students need to use English at work, this
extrinsic motivation may drive them to achieve a given CEF level. However, if
students are just studying their major, -at a university level here in Costa
Rica-, students see English as a subject to pass rather than a subject to learn
the language to succeed in their future jobs. Have we overtly stated what our
ESP/CEF expectations are for students and prospective professional workers? I’d
say “nope!”
ESP is based on needs analysis (Robinson 1991; Guillet
2000). ESP, if compared to regular English classes, must specify exactly what
it is that workers have to do through the medium of English at work. Our students
are now mostly trained in “regular” English away from a previous needs analysis
containing the language and skills we want them to have in a given work
position. To help students get a given ESO/CEF level, courses must be designed
to really fulfill the set of language competences required in accordance with
university major exit profiles and company jobs, something is not exactly
happening today.
ESP learners
are (young) adults (Robinson 1991; Guillet 2000), but the target group many
transnational enterprises have in mind to recruit down here in Costa Rica is
the students graduating from high school. If university students ignore the
crucial decision to work in an English medium company, they are making the
wrong one. If university majors do not include ESP courses in their curricula,
they are overlooking the fact that professional workers do not need regular
conversational English but specific language skills and competences. The same
applies for language learners with governmental scholarships who study in
language schools.
ESP
(prospective) workers may need specialist language. Have
student/workers been trained to acquire specific specialist language skills
and/or competences? I do have deep doubts concerning this issue; then learners
apply for jobs they can’t perform since they lack what is needed –languagewise-.
Commercial school or university curricula should engage students/workers in
learning (or being trained in) what they will face at their “future”
workplaces.
And what about
the ESP metrics at work? Although ESP language courses exist, companies requiring
EFL/ESL-speaking workers should have a more open communication with
universities and schools who “train” them. It is no secret that to succeed in
one of these companies a high level of proficiency is needed, but if workers
are not previously trained, how can they aim at getting good reviews in their
metrics? The equation is rather simple, ESP language competences = good
metrics!!!
To sum up, and as stated by Metsheng (2009), “I have
observed that university students do not invest as much time in learning
English as they do in learning their specialist subjects.” English is just a
subject to pass and not to profit from envisioning the future. On the other
hand, peer pressure to not use English outside the classroom has always been an
issue out of ignorance and lack of language empowerment to achieve real
language competences for one’s workplace scenarios.
ETo
fully develop and comprehend this teaching issue, it’s advisable to research and
expand these areas:
1
|
English for
Specific Purposes (ESP)
|
2
|
CEF vs. ESP
levels
|
3
|
ESP and
language competences
|
4
|
English
Language Proficiency Benchmarks
|
5
|
ESP metrics at
work
|
Professor
Jonathan Acuña-Solano
ELT
Instructor & Trainer based in Costa Rica
Freelance ELT Consultant for OUP in Central America
For
further comments or suggestions, reach me at:
@jonacuso – Twitter
Other blogs I often write for my students at the
university are:
1. Barboza, Gerardo (21/Nov/2012) Los dudosos “English Language Proficiency Benchmarks, Semanario
Universidad No. 1972, page 22
2.
Guillet,
Andy (2000) What is EAP?, published
at http://www.uefap.com/articles/eap.htm
3.
Metsheng,
Nigussie (2009) The Challenges of
teaching EAP in EFL contexts. Published at
4.
Robinson,
P. (1991). ESP Today: A practitioner’s
guide. London: Prentice Hall.
ESP and Proficiency Levels at Work
ESP and Proficiency Levels at Work
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