Module Title: English for Specific Purposes

Module Code: ESP 1111

Year:1

Credit:10

Brief description of the module,aims and content

This twelve-week long module is geared towards developing English proficiency based on students’ areas of study with a view to helping students develop English language skills that will allow them to communicate professional skills and perform particular domain-related functions through the practice of the four language communication skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing.

Learning Outcomes

A.Knowledge and understanding

Having successfully completed the module, students should be able to:

A.1 Write different types sentences with correct punctuation)

A.2 Write a coherent paragraph

A.3. Write different type of letters

A.4 Use appropriate vocabulary in the writing process;

A.5 Listenand respond appropriately and critically in a wide range of tasks;

A.6 Read various written materials and complete different tasks;

A.7Use language functions in various situations

A.8Deliver an oral presentation in front of different audiences

A.9 Useappropriate grammar patterns to demonstrate their productive and receptive skills.

B.Cognitive/Intellectual skills/Application of knowledge

Having successfully completed the module, students should be able to:

B.1Demonstrate an understanding of written and spoken English used in their

particular domain (agro-veterinary sciences, biology, chemistry, law, economics,

business, computer sciences, social sciences, etc.);

B.2Show ability to listen for specific and general information, listen to casual and

prepared speeches, listen to radio and/or broadcasts or recorded

documentaries, listen to English speakers in various conditions; watch TV shows

in English in their content areas;

B.3 Produce a short and coherent essay, and produce a short summary of a long text;

B.4Participate actively in various group discussion and do appropriate oral presentation

on topics related to their areas of study and any other current issue;

B.5 Read critically by targeting the right information from selected reading materials

B.6 Apply grammar patterns and their rules to understand and interpret contextualised written

and oral information.

C.Communication/ICT/Numeric/Analytic Techniques/Practical Skills

Having successfully completed the module, students should be able to:

C.1 Listento speakers of English for specific information in and outside classroom;

C.2 Speak to users of English to exchangeinformation for different purposes;

C.3 Read different types of texts: skimming/scanning;

C.4 Writeshort and coherent essay-types, summary of a relatively long text, letters, minutes and reports;

D.General transferable skills

Having successfully completed the module, students should be able to:

D.1 Listento speakers of English for specific information in and outside classroom;

D.2 Speak to users of English to exchangeinformation for different purposes particularly in their areas of study;

D.3 To use skimming/scanningreading techniquesto understand different types of texts selected from their areas of study;

D.4 Write comprehensibly for different purposes.

Indicative Content

Integrated Skills approach will also be applied, i.e. it will use combined listening and speaking; reading and writing skills based on upper intermediate and advanced level materials selected from students’ areas of study; summarising and/or paraphrasing the selected sample; plus ability to explain and defend the selected information.

A.Review of grammatical structures: With Communicative and Integrated Skills approaches, grammar will be tackled, and the following advanced grammar patterns will be discussed: Revision of reply questions, neither/ either, passive/active forms; modal verbs with perfect infinitives, reporting with infinitives, reported speech with would and had, etc.

B.Listening: Listening for specific and general information, listening to casual and prepared speeches, listening to radio and/or broadcasts or recorded documentaries, listening to English speakers in various conditions; watching TV shows in English in students’ content areas;

C.Speaking: Presentations about and debates on issues related to students’ areas of study (e.g.: agro-veterinary sciences, biology, chemistry, law, economics, business, computer sciences, social sciences, medicine, health sciences, etc.);

D.Reading: Apply different reading strategies to different contextualised text types and reading International English Test- based materials; applying the three phases/tasks in the reading process (pre-reading task, while reading task, post reading task) and applying the reading techniques (reading for specific information, reading for critical thinking, skimming, scanning); spotting author’s navigation aids, (using context to guess the meaning of unknown words;skipping unknown words;using a dictionary; finding main ideas; extending the read material; making connections between parts of the text using cohesive devices).

E.Writing: Applying the writing process (Selecting the topic, Brainstorming, Planning, Writing the first draft, Editing, Writing the final draft), paraphrasing andsummarising a relatively long text, writing letters, minutes, reports, etc. )

F.Functional & Situational language: In this module, students will be introduced to appropriate functional expressions associated with situations like talking about illness and diagnosis, travelling and tourism, bookinghotelrooms, cooking and nutrition, chatting in parties, the language of banking, weather and climate, etc.

G.Other proficiency development skills:the module will combine the subject matter and English language teaching. For the same end purpose, students will develop both receptive and productive skills, and reading as well as listening activities will be based on authentic audio, audio-visual and written materials all of which derived from their area of study. In other words, students will be motivated by getting opportunity to apply what they learn in their English classes to their main field of study.

Assessment Strategy

Continuous Assessment (CA): 50% of the final grade. Calculated from take home teacher marked assignments and in class marked activities:

  1. Writing various types of paragraphs, writing formal and informal letters, memos, writing Summaries,
  2. Reading comprehension activities,
  3. Listening to pieces of authentic recordings for general and specific information,
  4. Individual and group oral presentations,

Final Examination (3 hour examination):50% of the final grade. By setting the final examination, lecturers aim at giving students the opportunity to demonstrate evidence of their understanding of the material and ability to skilfully use them rather than their ability to memorize masses of information.

Total mark for the module: 100. This is to evaluate the student’s ability to effectively use the learned listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in their content area.

Assessment Pattern

Component / Weighting (%) / Learning objectives covered
In-course assessment / 30 / -The 4 skills development.
- Communication Skills for students’ areas of study
- Integrated skills development
Mid-semester CAT / 20 / -Key areas covered in voc. & gram.
-Reading & Writing relevant to students’ areas of specialisation.
Final assessment / 50 / Through the whole process of learning

Note: The final test and CATs will be prepared at the department level.

Since the module will be learnt continuously, at the end of the year the two semesters’ results will be added up and average counted.