What’s Triggering the Change in ELT?

Education and Learning, ESP, Reflective Teaching, Teacher Development, Universidad Mariano Gálvez 0 comments

What’s Triggering the Change in ELT?

Challenges for the future with ESP

During the Universidad Mariano Galvez teacher conference on ESP and technology in Guatemala City in August 2012, I had the chance of listening to Dr. Neville Stiles discussing his insightful view on English for Specific Purposes (ESP) and ELT as well. During his plenary session Dr. Stiles (2012) posed the following question, -whose answer(s) can change our point of view of language teaching in Central America and beyond-, “What’s triggering the change in English Language Teaching (ELT)?”

Part of the answer to Stiles’ question is directly linked to the economy globalization we all are experiencing, to IT and the Internet use for educational purposes, and current employer’s needs for better English speakers at their offices. It is a fact that the world of business is carried out in English; thus, English learning is a requisite to find a job in it. Information technologies (IT) and the Internet’s language is mainly English. So, to be highly successful in this virtual environment, English is a real necessity beyond discussion. And what about employers who are looking for personnel who can use English confidently and accurately? English is indeed a language need.

The one problem countries with emerging economies are facing today, as pointed out by Dr. Stiles (2012), is that ELT is frequently provided by “untrained teachers.” This sort of teachers cannot supply but limited learning for our students at our universities or language institutes. And in some cases, to make matters worse, universities and language schools are just providing limited training to their teachers affecting the quality of education given to EFL students. Even though there is great development in terms of private schools’ teaching and ELT, ESP is still left behind since it is not the focus of instructions for high schoolers. Their curricula focus more on ELT if book series used by them are analyzed. The achievement of communication is first in high schools; then students can get out-of-school training in ESP depending on what they wish to study at the university level.

ELT is the common ground for ESP learning. As Haldar (2010) stated in his article “English for Specific Purposes: A Challenge, ”… time is coming when it (ESP) will acquire the centre, rather than existing at the periphery.” And to get to that point, universities, and why not language institutes, should shift their curricula to include more ESP training as soon as students perform in the language at an intermediate level, -B1 based on the CEFR. As proposed by Haldar (2010), more flexible curricula can allow incorporating ESP “common training” for students. That is, it is necessary to find ways to help students develop their language competence to appropriately address subject matter pertaining to their fields of study.

Why should we shift our EFL classes towards an ESPish twist? The purpose behind this “shift” is to train students to achieve English as a higher communicative level for their workplaces such as call centers, commercial schools, face-to-face customer service in the tourist industry or private enterprises as well. This “ESPish twist” can also guarantee that B1 students can move into a B2 with a higher level of mastery and competence in the language, which will allow them to work confidently and successfully. But let us not forget that teachers also need to be trained to guide students in their learning accurately.

What’s the reason behind the ESPish twist? As we have been experiencing in Latin America (and it must be pretty much the same in Asian countries), there is a greater need for ESP as countries develop and become active participants in the globalized economy of the 21^st Century. Due to this non-stop economy, international companies (employers) demand language requirements that go beyond the EFL domain; ESP in business, health, service industries, and the like are an immediate need now with a different set of language competencies beyond the EFL training.

Why should B2 EFL students be given ESP training as part of their university majors? Sumangal Haldar (2010) points out that ESP “concentrates more on language in context than on teaching grammar and language structure.” For Haldar (2010), “ESP is more amicably popular amongst such students who find this subject near to the real world of their wishes.” That is, they can go into their working environments confidently because what they practiced and learned in class, with some differences, will be experienced in their jobs. ESP can be a great complement to EFL in our university curricula to make students’ language learning experience enticing and meaningful for their future careers.

And what about teachers? Both Stiles (2012) and Haldar (2010) agree that extra training must be given to instructors to give them the chance to get fully acquainted with what ESP in ELT is all about, how to teach a class with an ESPish twist, when to introduce a topic and shifter towards an ESP approach, etc. In addition, teachers can benefit from ESPish content to make their classes more appealing to and motivating for their students.

To sum up, how can we help students tune up with the changes in English needs by companies? Some areas need to be addressed to fully accomplish a great product on the students and teachers’ sides. Please consider this to maximize teaching and learning:

· Proper EFL and ESP training for teachers

· ESP linked to CEFR language competencies

· ESPish EFL training for students

· ESPish content in English class to satisfy companies’ demands

· More working language in context to meet demands