Cooking for the ESP Class

Simona Petrescu

BESIG Conference, Sitges, November 2015

Steps

Outcome

Design an ESP lesson

Outcome? (learner ability)

Steps? (to take the learner

through)

A lesson for HR professionals•Outcome: HR professionals devise action plans / performance management

•Steps:

Words

• Problems, remedial actions• Neglect an issue, run out of resources, overrate …,

miscalculate…• Maximize profits, monitor expenses, map out a

strategy etc

Structures

• Interpret figures, identify problems, recommend action

• Motivation is sinking because we have neglected the issue of SD, so we need to map out a strategy for next year.

Speak• Perform the task „Devise action plans“

Lesson steps: rationale / theory1. Focus on form and Focus on content

content form content + form

Lesson steps: rationale / theory2. Declarative vs Procedural knowledge

PPP in my model: P1 moved back to Help Page (2nd mind map, incl language)

P2 consists in matching: discourse move <=> lg structure;

fast-track to proceduralization

no „rules“; no jargon / metalanguage

Lesson starts Class work

Lesson ends /

Help Page

„Outcomes“ – how are they generated?• Consider / adjust for: profession, role, industry; Learner• Map the learner‘s business process (similar to a management consultant)• Identify communicative tasks in the BP• Analyse the communicative tasks

• Internal flow? Steps? Components addressed?• Words?• Structures?

• Link 1 task to 1+ lesson(s); the task => the „outcome“ / the lesson goal• Teach towards the outcome / the task consistently in the same steps

(content, words, structures, task performance)

Transfer: English for relocation

Travelling

• Check in• Ask for

directions

• …

Settling in

• Meet my neighbours

• Shop • Open a

bank account

• …

Starting work

• Introduce myself

• Talk about my experience

• …

…

Why a business-process syllabus?• Why focus on tasks? – emerge directly from NA – facilitate acquisition of procedural knowledge - directly• Why the learner‘s (business) process? – systematic; generative – transferrable – relevant

Bonus: provides a template for carrying out the NABonus: face validity / customers

Why a content-words-structure-perform lesson?• Intuitive: that is how we grapple with conveying a message in a foreign language (what to say? What words? How to put the words together?)

•Cyclic: message – language – (enhanced) message•Systematic; easy to replicate; all adult contexts / learning needs are mappable on a process (see relocation language programme)

•Streamlined: no ballast•Outcome-focused, learner-focused (learner‘s desired outcomes)

sim.petrescu@googlemail.com