Leçon
Why do we teach ESP?
Conditions d'achèvement
Even if teaching ESP courses seems to be for very specific linguistic needs, it is still a bit more than that. Click on the link above to find out more about why we teach ESP and about the objectives' logic.
Objectives
Objectives in Teaching ESP
Concerning ESP, Basturkmen (2006, p. 133) explains the existence of five broad objectives, on which a specific teaching process is based and should be reached:
-To reveal subject-specific language use.
-To develop target performance competencies.
-To teach underlying knowledge.
-To develop strategic competence.
-To foster critical awareness.
The following section details these objectives.
a- Reveal subject-specific language use: this objective aims to demonstrate to the learners how the language is used in the target setting.
b- Develop target performance competencies: this objective is concerned with what learners do with language and the needed skills to be competent. In other words, “This orientation can be categorized as a proficiency objective, according to Stern’s classification (1992)” (Basturkmen, 2006, p. 135).
c- Teach underlying knowledge: the aim is to focus on developing students’ knowledge of fields of study or work in addition to their language skills. “The objective of teaching underlying knowledge can be classified as a cultural knowledge objective, according to Stern’s categorization (1992)” (Basturkmen, 2006, p. 137).
d- Develop strategic competence: “Strategic competence is the link between the context of situation and language knowledge” (Basturkmen, 2006: 139). It also enables successful and efficient communication (DIFFERENT LANGUAGE WITH DIFFERENT PEOPLE FORMAL INFORMAL AND IN SPECIFIC PLACES)
e- Foster critical awareness: “This objective can be linked to the cultural knowledge and affective objectives in Stern’s classification (1992)” (Basturkmen, 2006, p. 143), and it aims at making students conscious and culturally aware of the target situation.
It is evident that great similarity exists between the objectives established by Stern (1992) for language education and the ones stated by Basturkmen for ESP context. The teaching /learning process associated to appropriate methodology may result in mastery of language by correctly using it in the context.