Đặc điểm cú pháp và ngữ nghĩa ngữ dụng học của câu hỏi có không trong tiếng anh và tiếng việt

i



I certify my authorship of the thesis submitted today entitled:
“An evaluation of the material English in Medicine for the third-year students at
Hai Phong Medical University”
in terms of Statement for thesis and Field Study Reports in Masters’ Programs Issued
by the Higher Degree Committee.
Vu Thi Hanh
June, 2009


ii



First and foremost, I would like to express my profound gratitude to Ms. Pham Minh
Tam - my supervisor, who during the preparation of this thesis has been most willing and
ready to give me valuable advice, inspiration and supervision.
I also acknowledge my sincere thanks to Mr. Le Van Canh for his interesting lessons
and suggestions.
My appreciation and gratitude are also extended to my students at Hai Phong Medical
University for their enthusiastic help in the data collection procedures; my colleagues for
their encouragement and support.
I am grateful to the authors of the reference materials whose ideas have inspired me
throughout the writing process.
Finally, I would like to convey my thanks to my family and my friends without whom
the completion of this thesis had been impossible.

iii



While ESP materials have played an increasingly important role at Vietnamese
universities, the process of ESP material design and evaluation has not become any easier
for most teachers and administrators. This thesis describes the evaluation that was
undertaken at Hai Phong Medical University for its ESP material “English in Medicine”
which has been used for the third-year students since 1996. The purpose of this study was
to evaluate the material English in Medicine in terms of Objectives, Layout, Content and
Methodology from both students’ and teachers’ perspectives. The thesis employed the
survey approach with two research methods, i.e. survey questionnaire and informal
interview. The survey results indicated that English in Medicine had such great strengths as
it met the course objectives; its subject areas covered interesting and fundamental topics
which were of students’ interest. However, the findings also revealed a lot of weaknesses
of the material. In terms of Objectives, it failed to meet students’ needs due to the lack of
listening and speaking skills. With regard to Layout, it not only had an unfavourable
format but also lacked a table of content, references… Its Methodology was another
weakness of the material due to an unbalance of the skills and inadequacy of exercises and
activities. After identifying strengths and weaknesses of the material, the thesis suggests
some improvements of the material basing on the findings of the research, such as
reediting the format, adding listening and speaking skills, providing more exercises,

adapting the activities…These improvements are expected to make consideration
contributions to the future use of the material as well as the ESP course at Hai Phong
Medical University.





iv



Certificate of originality of the thesis ……………………………………………………….i
Acknowledgements…………………………………………………………………………ii
Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………….iii
Table of contents………………………………………………………………………… iv
Abbreviations…………………………………………………………………………… vii
List of figures…………………………………………………………………………… viii
 !"  2
1.1 Rationale for the study 2
1.2 Aims of the study 2
1.3 Significance of the study 3
1.4 Scope of the study 3
1.5 Methodology 3
1.6 Organization of the study 4
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2.1 Introduction 5
2.1 An overview of English for Specific Purposes 5
2.1.1 Definitions of ESP 5
2.1.2 Characteristics of ESP courses 6

2.1.3 English for Medical Purposes (EMP) 7
2.2 Material evaluation 7
2.2.1 Definitions of materials 7
2.2.2 Definitions of material evaluation 8
2.2.3 Types of material evaluation 8
2.2.4 Purposes of material evaluation 9
2.2.5 Models for material evaluation 10


v

2.2.6 Methods of material evaluation 12
2.2.7 Criteria for material evaluation 13
2.3 Material adaptation 15
2.3.1 Purposes of adaptation 15
2.3.2 Areas for adaptation 15
2.3.3 Techniques for adaptation 16
'( ! $ )* 18
3.1 Introduction 18
3.2 The current ESP teaching and learning situation at HPMU 18
3.2.1 The context 18
3.2.2 The course objectives 18
3.2.3 The material description 19
3.3 Research question 20
3.4 Research approach 20
3.5 Participants 21
3.5.1 Population 21
3.5.2 Sampling 21
3.5.3 Description 21
3.6 Instruments 22

3.6.1 Questionnaires 22
3.6.2 Informal interviews 22
3.7 Data collection procedure 23
3.8 Data analysis procedure 23
3.9 Conclusive remark 23


vi


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4.1 Objectives 24
4.2 Layout 24
4.3 Content 25
4.4 Methodology 26
- $",  29
5.1 Summary of major findings 29
5.2 Recommendations 29
5.2.1 Objectives adjustments 29
5.2.2 Layout improvements 30
5.2.3 Content improvements 30
5.3.4 Methodology improvements 31
5.3 Limitations of the study 33
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vii


4

HPMU Hai Phong Medical University
ESP English for Specific Purpose
EMP English for Medical Purposes



viii


$5

Figure 1……………………………………………………………………………………16
Figure 2……………………………………………………………………………………27
Figure 3……………………………………………………………………………………27


2

6 !" 
1.1 Rationale for the study
The dilemma of choosing appropriate English for Special Purposes (ESP) materials
for Vietnamese university students is an ongoing one. According to Tran (2008) in the
report of English teaching in universities non-major in English, “82.1% ESP textbooks

used in non-major in English universities are collected and edited, which needs assessment
and evaluation” (p.10). This is the case for Hai Phong Medical University (HPMU). The
material English in Medicine for the third-year students at HPMU is also an edited
collection from various sources. It has been used at HPMU for 13 years but no evaluation
or consultation has been conducted by the university either prior to the introduction of the
material or ongoing to determine its strengths and weaknesses and to see how well it suited
the desired and attainable goals of the course. Evaluating it helps the teachers to gain good
and useful insights into the nature of the material. The teachers can also respond to the
students’ needs and maximize their learning opportunities. This is the first reason for me to
carry out an evaluation of the material English in Medicine.
Furthermore, Cunningsworth (1995) and Ellis (1997) suggest that textbook evaluation
helps teachers move beyond impressionistic assessments and it helps them to acquire
useful, accurate, systematic, and contextual insights into the overall nature of textbook
material. Textbook evaluation, therefore, can potentially be a particularly worthwhile
means of conducting research as well as a form of professional empowerment and
improvement. This is another reason for me to execute the research.
Conducting this study is a great opportunity for me to discover the teachers and
students’ perceptions about the material and gain some experience in evaluating materials.
1.2 Aims of the study
This study aims to evaluate the material English in Medicine in terms of its
Objectives, Layout, Content and Methodology from both the teachers’ and the students’
perspectives. The findings will help the teachers to adjust the exploitation of the material
as well as their teaching method so that they can make optimum use of strong points and
adapt or substitute weaker points from other medical materials.


3


1.3 Significance of the study

The study is hoped to be beneficial to both the teachers and the students at HPMU in
several ways. First, it increases the knowledge and understanding of individual English
teachers regarding the aims and purposes of the course and the coursebook. Second, it
helps the teachers understand the students’ opinion, get their feedback, therefore, can either
adjust their ways of teaching or adapt the material to provide their students opportunities
to learn.
From the perspective of methodology, it is an effective way of helping teachers to
understand and apply theories of language learning - and to achieve personal and
professional development (Tomlinson, 2001, p. 67).
From a research perspective, it highlights the necessity of doing further research on
teachers' materials adaptation to be more appropriate.
Finally, this study implies a need of institutional support to teachers in materials
development. An awareness needs to be developed among administrators of HPMU to
encourage and empower teachers of English to adapt the material. Provision of resources
and facilities would be necessary.
1.4 Scope of the study
As a minor thesis, this study limits itself to evaluating only four aspects of the
material, namely Objectives, Layout, Content and Methodology among a great number of
book evaluation criteria. Besides, the evaluation on the material objectives is done by only
the teachers, not the students as they are believed to be not qualified enough to do that or
the potential findings are of poor validity.
1.5 Methodology
This thesis employs survey research with two methods, including survey
questionnaires and informal interviews. These methods are described in detailed in chapter
3.


4

1.6 Organization of the study

The study consists of five chapters.
Chapter 1 – Introduction – presents the rationale, aims, significance, scope and
methodology of the study.
Chapter 2 – Literature review – provides a theoretical basis for the study. First, it
surveys the literature on the theories of the basic concepts such as English for Specific
Purposes and English for Medical purposes, regarding the definition, characteristics and
development. Second, it reviews material evaluation in terms of definition, types, purposes,
models, criteria and method. The last part of the chapter presents the issues involving
material adaptation which serve as a base for the improvements recommended at the end of
the study
Chapter 3 – Methodology – includes an overview of the approach used in conducting
the study. It also provides a thorough description of the data collection procedure as well as
the analytical procedure.
Chapter 4 – Results and Discussion – reports the findings of the survey and discusses
the prominent aspects.
Chapter 5 – Conclusion – summarizes the study, recommends the improvements to
the material and acknowledges the limitations of the study.




5

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2.1 Introduction
According to Swales (1985, as cited in Low, 1987, p.21), there are very few published
works about the effectiveness of coursebooks in use. Teachers, material designers and
education researchers tend to be less reflective about what is happening when one textbook
is used. In Vietnam, evaluation of textbooks used in primary and secondary schools seems
to attract more attention than the evaluation of coursebooks for university students. In

recent years, in-use coursebooks have started to be evaluated, but as far as I am concerned,
these evaluations are just impressionistic overview.
Almagro and Luisa (2005) highlight that the lack of agreement in this field is obvious:
the terminology used to define the different criteria varies greatly, these criteria are not
constant, the elements making up each criterion do not always coincide, and the
thoroughness in defining the content of each of these criteria varies from one proposal to
another. All these factors result in a lack of a firmly consolidated base in the field of
evaluation of teaching materials. The situation is aggravated in the field of ESP, because in
addition to the circumstances described, there is also a lack of evaluation proposals.
This chapter, however, makes an effort to provide a theoretical basis to evaluate
English in Medicine in terms of its Objectives, Layout, Content and Methodology.
2.1 An overview of English for Specific Purposes
2.1.1 Definitions of ESP
Despite the fact that it is an approach which has been widely used over the last three
decades, there has been considerable recent debate about what ESP means (Anthony,
1997).
Hutchinson and Waters (1987) theorize, "ESP is an approach to language teaching in
which all decisions as to content and method are based on the learner's reason for learning"
(p. 19).
Dudley-Evans (1998) gives an extended definition of ESP in terms of 'absolute' and
'variable' characteristics:


6

Absolute Characteristics
• ESP is defined to meet specific needs of the learners
• ESP makes use of underlying methodology and activities of the discipline it serves
• ESP is centered on the language appropriate to these activities in terms of grammar,
lexis, register, study skills, discourse and genre.

Variable Characteristics
• ESP may be related to or designed for specific disciplines
• ESP may use, in specific teaching situations, a different methodology from that of
General English
• ESP is likely to be designed for adult learners, either at a tertiary level institution or
in a professional work situation. It could, however, be for learners at secondary
school level.
• ESP is generally designed for intermediate or advanced students.
• Most ESP courses assume some basic knowledge of the language systems
The division of ESP into absolute and variable characteristics is very helpful in
defining what is and is not ESP. From the definition, we can see that ESP can but is not
necessarily concerned with a specific discipline, nor does it have to be aimed at a certain
age group or ability range. ESP should be seen simple as an 'approach' to teaching, or what
Dudley-Evans describes as an 'attitude of mind'.
2.1.2 Characteristics of ESP courses
According to Carter (1983), there are three features of ESP courses: a) authentic
material, b) purpose-related orientation, and c) self-direction. The use of authentic content
materials, modified or unmodified in form, is indeed a feature of ESP. Purpose-related
orientation refers to the simulation of communicative tasks required of the target setting.
Finally, self-direction is the characteristic of ESP courses in that the " point of including
self-direction is that ESP is concerned with turning learners into users" (Carter, 1983, p.
134).


7

Hutchinson and Waters (2007) also point out that traditional ESP course design has
two major drawbacks: firstly, the development in the learner of a capacity to communicate
is neglected, and secondly, there is a failure to analyze and take into account the realities of
the ESP learning situation.

2.1.3 English for Medical Purposes (EMP)
English for Medical Purposes is a subset of English for Specific Purposes education
that most often focuses on teaching aspects of medical English, particularly terminology.
Hull (2004)
Hull also offers characteristics of Medical English. Often referred to as English for
Specific Purposes but the language of medicine is quite unique. It is fraught with technical,
academic language and replete with slang, colloquialisms, abbreviations and acronyms. It
has its own rules and structure. Health professionals must read, write, interpret, give
directions, etcetera using a wide, wide variety of abbreviations and acronyms that are
extremely career-specific. Medical English is also contextual. Doctors and nurses use
academic and technical language interspersed with common speech and workplace jargon.
It rarely focuses on complete or proper sentence structure.
With regard to the level of Medical English, Hull believes that it is of advanced
English, so it cannot be taught at the level of or in the same methods of basic English
language teaching. She assumes that all EMP learners are health professionals or in the
midst of health studies at the college or university level. Therefore, career-specific, highly
technical language must be contextually based. The goal of learning English at this level is
not to learn grammar and structure primarily, but to acquire and use the language of
practice and social relations within the career.
Though there is not much information about EMP, Hull’s description creates a
detailed picture of EMP that can assist in teaching and developing EMP materials.
2.2 Material evaluation
2.2.1 Definitions of materials
Tomlinson (1998) defines: “Materials are anything which is used to help to teach
language learners. Materials can be in the form of a textbook, a workbook, a cassette, a


8

CD-Rom, a video, a photocopied handout, a newspaper, a paragraph written on a

whiteboard: anything which presents or informs about the language being learned”.
In this thesis, the “material” are not any materials for learning and teaching language.
It refers to a set of medical texts and lessons collected from various sources used as the
coursebook for the third year students at HPMU.
2.2.2 Definitions of material evaluation
A number of researchers express their point of view regarding the definition of
material evaluation.
According to Dudley (1998), “evaluation is a whole process which begins with
determining what information to gather and ends with bringing about the change in current
activities or influencing future ones” (p.128).
Material evaluation is “a process not a final product” (Nunan, 1998) with “attempts to
measure the value of materials” (Tomlinson, 1998, p.3).
Hutchinson and Waters (1987) define: “Evaluation is basically a matching process:
matching needs to available solutions” (p.97). They also note that evaluation is really a
matter of judging the fitness of something for a particular purpose. “Given a certain need,
and in the light of the resources available, which out of number of possibilities can
represent the best solution. There is no absolute good or bad – only degrees of fitness for
the required purpose”.
Although each researcher has his/her own way of giving opinions on evaluation they
still come to the agreement that evaluation is a process of collecting data giving judgments
based on the collected data, and the most importantly, evaluation must include action.
2.2.3 Types of material evaluation
Regarding types of material evaluation, Tomlinson (1988) indicates that for each
dimension of evaluation, there are certain types of evaluation. These dimensions include:
approach, purpose, focus, scope, the evaluators, the timing and types of information.
Cunningsworth (1995) points out that there are three types of material evaluation, i.e.
pre-use evaluation, in-use evaluation and post-use evaluation. This classification is similar
to Ellis (1997) with different names, i.e. Preliminary, Formative and Summative

9

Evaluation respectively. The first type, pre-use evaluation is carried out before a course
begins in order to select the most relevant and suitable materials for a particular group of
learners. This is probably the most difficult kind as there is no actual experience of using
the coursebook. In-use evaluation is a kind of evaluation for suitability, involving
“matching the coursebook against a specific requirement including the learners’ objectives,
the learners’ background, the resources available, etc” (Cunningsworth, 1995, p.14). The
third type, post-use evaluation refers to an assessment of a textbook’s fitness over a period
of continual use. Evaluation of this kind can be practical in helping to decide whether to
use the same textbook on future occasions.
From different perspective, Cunningsworth (1995) has another classification -
impressionistic overview and in-depth evaluation. The impressionistic overview can only
afford us a general introduction to the material, but not enough detail to ensure a good
match between the content of the textbooks and the requirements of teaching/learning
situation. The in-depth evaluation is suitable if we want to examine how specific items and
different aspects of language are dealt with.
2.2.4 Purposes of material evaluation
According to Cunningsworth (1995), through evaluation, we can assess whether the
coursebook is the most appropriate for the target learners at various levels and in various
teaching settings.
Robinson (1991) states that evaluation can be used as part of quality control. Through
evaluation, we can know about the advantages and disadvantages as well as the
effectiveness of the being used materials.
Apart from its contribution to the evaluation of the effectiveness of materials, Torres
(1993) adds an additional benefit: it can afford general insights into how teachers use
materials, and therefore suggest directions both for materials development and professional
development activities.
Alderson (1992) set out a list of purposes of material evaluation as follows:
- to decide whether materials have had the intended effect

- to identify what effect materials have had


10

- to vindicate a decision
- to justify future courses of action
- to compare approaches/methodologies
- to identify areas for improvement in future use
- to show the positive achievements of teachers and students
- to motivate teachers
- to allay suspicions among parents or sponsors
2.2.5 Models for material evaluation
With regard to the material evaluation process, Hutchinson and Waters (1987)
recommend a four – step macro-evaluation presented in the following model.











These authors advise to present the criteria for objective and subjective analyses in a
check list, and the evaluators should supplement other criteria they think important to them
in the process of evaluating. Then, follow the three steps: 1) identify the evaluator’s
requirements; 2) analyze the material; 3) comparing findings those two aspects by

awarding points. Total the points and analyze the result. However, the two researchers note

On what bases will you judge material?
Which criteria will be more important?

What realizations of the criteria do you
want in your course?


How does the material being evaluated
realize the criteria?


How far does the material match your
needs?



11

that the highest number of points does not necessarily indicate the most suitable material,
as the points may be concentrated in one area.
Ellis (1997) suggests a Micro-evaluation model which is probably clearer and more
detailed:
1. Choosing a task to follow;
2. Describing the task with specification of input, procedures, language activities, and
outcome;
3. Planning the evaluation with reference to the dimensions above;
4. Collecting information before, while and after the task was used, and what and how
the task was performed;

5. Analysis of the information collected;
6. Findings of the evaluation and making recommendations for future teaching; and
7. Writing the report.
He points out the advantage of this model is that it can be more manageable than a
macro evaluation. Nevertheless, this type of evaluation can only be conducted when the
materials are being used in the classroom.
Littljohn (1998) suggests a preliminary framework for material analysis and
evaluation as follows:


12

Within the scope of this study, the model of Hutchinson and Waters seems to be the
most appropriate to follow.
2.2.6 Methods of material evaluation
There are three methods of evaluation according to McGrath (2002): the
impressionistic method, the checklist method, and the in-depth method.
The impressionistic method is concerned to obtain a general impression of the
material. This is wide-ranging but relative superficial (Cunningworth, 1995, p.1). The

- The cultural context
- The institution
- The course (proposed aims,
content, methodology, measures of
evaluation)
- The teachers
- The learners


From analysis
- What is their explicit nature?
- What is required by users?
- What is implied by their use?
To description:
- aspects of design
- aspects of publication


How appropriate are the respects of design and the
aspects of publication to the target situation of use?



Adopt the materials
Reject the materials
Adapt the materials
Supplement the materials
Make the materials a critical object


13

method involves glancing at the publisher’s description on the back cover, the content
page, book layout and visuals.
The checklist method is the use of a list of items which is referred to for comparison,
identification or verification. It is considered systematic, cost effective, convenient and
explicit.
The in-depth method looks at the kind of language description, underlying
assumptions about learning or values on which the materials are based (McGrath,2002). It
focuses on specific feature (Cunningworth, 1995), close analysis of one or more extracts
(Hutchinson, 1987).
Each of these methods has strengths as well as limitations. Therefore, it is a good idea
to take an integrated approach in evaluating materials.
2.2.7 Criteria for material evaluation
As mentioned at the beginning of Chapter Two, criteria for material evaluation are not
constant, the elements making up each criterion do not always coincide. Various writers
have presented their evaluation checklists. As illustrated by Cunningsworth (1995, pp. 7-
15), coursebooks should correspond to learners’ needs; help to equip learners to use
language effectively for their own purposes; facilitate students’ learning process; have a
clear role in mediating the target language and the learner.
Sheldon (1998) presents a set of criteria including: rationale, availability, user
definition, layout, accessibility, linkage, selection, physical characteristics,
appropriateness, authenticity, sufficiency, cultural bias, educational validity, stimulus,

revision, flexibility, guidance, and overall value for money.
Hutchinson and Waters’ checklist focuses on the audience (age, sex, professional
field, educational background…); the aims, the content; the methodology, price and the
availability.
Ur (1991) provides us 19 items in assessing a coursebook in general, for example,
clear instruction and fluency practices in all four skills.
However, Sheldon (1988) suggests that no general list of criteria can ever really be
applied to all teaching and learning contexts without considerable modification. Similarly,


14

Cunningsworth (1995) states, the selection procedure is intended as a “framework, not a
straitjacket” (p.5) and any procedure should be modified to suit personal circumstances. In
my particular teaching context with this particular coursebook, I have therefore chosen
four general criteria: Objectives, Layout, Content and Methodology with the specific
criteria as mentioned below.
The first aspect to consider is how well the objectives of the textbook match the
objectives of the course. Ur (1996) identifies the need for thorough coverage of the course
objectives in the textbook - the textbook needs to address a reasonable number of course
objectives to make it a worthwhile purchase for both teacher and students - A book that
addresses at least half of the course objectives is a good one.
The next aspect needs to be examined is the Layout of the material. Matthews (1985)
suggests the layout should be clear and attractive. The units should be well-labelled with
subdivisions clearly marked and easy to follow, sufficient room for students to write in
their books. Furthermore, Liz (1998) says that the Layout of a textbook refers to its
organization and presentation of language items and activities.
Pertaining to Content, Hutchinson and Waters (1987) recommend to evaluate the
following aspects: topics (subject-matter areas), language points, text-types, macro-skills
and micro-skills proportion, level of knowledge, organization and sequence of content. In

ESP, it is crucial to evaluate whether the subject-matter of the material is of students’
interest and up to their expectation as it plays an important part in motivating students to
learn.
Finally, it is absolutely essential to determine whether or not the methodology of a
book will reinforce the institutional aims as well as conform to the classroom context when
evaluating any textbook (Brown, 1995; Cunningsworth, 1995). According to
Cunningsworth (1995), the methodology of a coursebook should be considered in the
following specific criteria: appropriate approach to the learning situation; learner
involvement matching students’ learning styles and expectation; suitable techniques used
for presenting/practising new language items; ways of teaching different skills and
developing communicative abilities. Besides, the material should include advice to


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students on study skills and learning strategies and give them responsibility for their own
learning.
These criteria may be inadequate, but in my context, they are the most important ones.
2.3 Material adaptation
2.3.1 Purposes of adaptation
No textbook is perfect. Any textbook should be used judiciously, since it cannot cater
equally to the requirements of every classroom setting (Williams, 1983, p.251). That is
why a textbook should be adapted. Teachers, with direct personal knowledge of their
classroom teaching, should see textbooks as their servants instead of masters; as a resource
or an “ideas bank” which can stimulate teachers' own creative potential (Cunnningsworth,
1984, p.65). Adapting materials helps teachers to maximize the value of the book for the
benefit of their learners. Hence they can improve it so that it is suitable for the particular
situation. (Apple and Jungck, 1990; Shannon, 1987).
2.3.2 Areas for adaptation
McDonough and Shaw (1993) identify the possible areas to adapt as follows:

• Lack of grammar coverage in general;
• Lack of practice of grammar points of particular difficulty;
• Reading passages contain too much unknown vocabulary;
• Comprehension questions are too easy;
• Subject matters are inappropriate for learners;
• Photographs and other illustrative materials are not culturally acceptable;
• Amount of material is too much / too little to cover;
• Lack of guidance of teachers on group work and role play;
• There are no vocabulary list or a key to exercises.
However, they also note that more areas could be added to this list, depending on the
actual contexts.


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2.3.3 Techniques for adaptation
There are various ways to adapt materials. Tomlinson (1998) suggests the following
options:
• Omission: the teacher leaves out things deemed inappropriate, offensive and
unproductive… for the particular group.
• Addition: where there seems to be inadequate coverage, the teachers may decide to
add material, either in form of texts or exercise material.
• Reduction: where the teacher shortens an activity to give it less weight or emphasis.
• Extension: where an activity is lengthened on order to give an additional dimension.
(For example, a vocabulary activity is extended to draw attention to some syntactic
patterning).
• Rewriting/modification: teachers may occasionally decide to rewrite material,
especially exercise material, to make it more appropriate, more communicative, more
demanding, more accessible to their students.
• Replacement: texts or exercise material which is considered inadequate for whatever

reason may be replaced by more suitable material.
• Re-ordering: Teachers may decide that the order in which the materials are presented
is not suitable for their students. They can then decide to plot different course through
the materials from the one writer has laid down.
The overview of adaptation is illustrated in the following framework proposed by

McDonough and Shaw (1993).



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MATCH OR CONGRUENCE


External Criteria Internal Criteria

need to



Localize Personalize Individualize etc


by means of


TECHNIQUES

adding deleting modifying simplifying re-ordering

applied to

Content Areas



Language Texts Skills Classroom etc
Practice management

Figure 1: An adaptation of framework by McDonough and Shaw (1993)

This chapter has addressed key notions about ESP and examined issues in material
evaluation and adaptation. These issues, where possible, have been supported by academic
literature. It is my hope that they serve as a consolidate basis to carry out the study in the
next chapter.



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6'
3.1 Introduction
This chapter includes a justification for the approach the author used in conducting
the research. It also provides a thorough description of how I collected the necessary data
as well as the analytical procedure to draw conclusions based on the collected information.
In the first section I give a detailed description of the current context at HPMU. In the next
sections, I put forward an explanation of my understanding of the methods used in this

research. and their advantages.
3.2 The current ESP teaching and learning situation at HPMU
3.2.1 The context
The students at HPMU learn English for two years and a half (20 credits in total).
After two years of studying general English (with the coursebooks: Headway Elementary
and Pre-intermediate (published by Oxford University Press in 1993), they learn Medical
English (05 credits) in the last semester. By the time, they have just finished some basic
subjects such as maths, biology, epidemiology… so they have not got much background
knowledge of the field. They are therefore at a disadvantage of struggling to learn both the
language and the content at the time.
During this course of medical English, the students have only one class per week (3
periods) in large classes (about 50 students a class). The material is English in Medicine
which will be described in the following section. At the end of the course, they have a 90-
minute written test. However, their test results are quite low (about 30 percent of the
students fail and the majority of the rest get mark 5-6 ) although all the test questions are
taken from the course book.
3.2.2 The course objectives
The main objectives of the course is set out by the English Department of HPMU as
follows:
At the end of the course, the students should be able to:
• name the organs in human body