Polona Vičič
Preparing materials for ESP teaching
Abstract
ESP is an important area in English Language Teaching today: there is a large variety
of professions for which tailor-made courses and materials are of utmost importance
for effective and task-based learning. Consequently, the role of ESP teachers at
least to some extent differs from the role of General English teachers. It usually
involves needs analysis and syllabus design in addition to materials selection (Hutchinson
and Waters, 1994). Undoubtedly, all these tasks are equally demanding and contribute
to the success of the ESP teaching/learning process, with materials selection coming
last as a kind of practical result of effective course development. This paper first
presents some aspects of ESP that are decisive for materials selection, as well as
materials adaptation and/or writing. The second part outlines the guidelines I followed
when preparing the English in Logistics electronic materials for first-year students,
and the paper concludes with a presentation and interpretation of the results of
a questionnaire designed to gather student opinion on these materials.
Keywords: English for Specific Purposes (ESP), general business textbook, subject-specific
materials, tailor-made materials.
