In order to understand how and why I came up with this research question, I need to tell you a little bit about myself. I have undergraduate degrees from Boston College (2001) and the Conservatorio di Musica "Arrigo Boito" di Parma (2011), and a TEFL Certificate from The Boston Language Institute (2001). I am currently finishing a Master in Education in Learning, Teaching, and Curriculum with a focus in TESOL from the University of Missouri at Columbia. This website, which includes a literature review and course design, was created for my final project for Classroom Research LTC 8915. I intend for it to be useful for teachers and administrators who are pondering creating an ESP course within an existing EAP program. It, however, will be useful for anyone interested in ESP courses. It will provide information about their potential, as well as give you examples of how you can create an ESP course.
My Background
I am currently an ESL Instructor at the American Language Center, part of UCLA Extension, in Los Angeles, California. I moved to Los Angeles in 2011 from Florence, Italy, but my career teaching English as a Second/Foreign Language began in 2001.
Following my graduation from Boston College in 2001, I completed a course at the Boston Language Institute to acquire my TEFL Certificate. I left Boston and moved to Florence, Italy. I taught people of all ages and language proficiencies. I taught not only General English language courses but also ESP courses especially tailored for my clients. I still remember my first class in Florence. It was a private student who was at the pre-intermediate level, and I was thrown into my first day with little to no guidance and a textbook. I floundered through my first lesson and quickly realized that if I wanted my student to enjoy the class, I was going to have to do something and do it quickly! I set to figuring out how I could tailor the class for my student. It was clear that if I only went by the textbook, we were both going to be completely bored, so I started to supplement. I found materials that could be used in tandem with my text, and noted down subjects that interested my student. I used my student's previous knowledge to help move the class along, and before long I became quite good at assessing my students (private or class) and customizing their General English courses for them. In a sense, this is exactly what ESP is. I taught ESP classes to film producers, CEOs, military personnel, hotel management staff, and managers of many different types of businesses. It was there that I became interested in ESP and curriculum development.
Following my graduation from Boston College in 2001, I completed a course at the Boston Language Institute to acquire my TEFL Certificate. I left Boston and moved to Florence, Italy. I taught people of all ages and language proficiencies. I taught not only General English language courses but also ESP courses especially tailored for my clients. I still remember my first class in Florence. It was a private student who was at the pre-intermediate level, and I was thrown into my first day with little to no guidance and a textbook. I floundered through my first lesson and quickly realized that if I wanted my student to enjoy the class, I was going to have to do something and do it quickly! I set to figuring out how I could tailor the class for my student. It was clear that if I only went by the textbook, we were both going to be completely bored, so I started to supplement. I found materials that could be used in tandem with my text, and noted down subjects that interested my student. I used my student's previous knowledge to help move the class along, and before long I became quite good at assessing my students (private or class) and customizing their General English courses for them. In a sense, this is exactly what ESP is. I taught ESP classes to film producers, CEOs, military personnel, hotel management staff, and managers of many different types of businesses. It was there that I became interested in ESP and curriculum development.
My Research
My current teaching situation led to my research question. As I mentioned, I am currently teaching at ALC at UCLA Extension. My students are international students who have come to the United States to pursue an undergraduate degree and/or graduate degree at an American university. My colleagues and I have the great task of preparing them for university. Linguistically, they range from beginner to advanced, and we teach them the academic language and skills they will need to survive at university. I wondered though, how I could help them more. They complained about not having enough vocabulary for their majors, and expressed the desire to speak about their majors. I wondered why we weren't offering ESP classes within our AIEP to these students. Wouldn't ESP classes in Science, Medicine, Film, Engineering, etc. help them feel more prepared for their university courses? I decided to pursue researching the question: How can English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses offered within an Academic Intensive English Program (AIEP) help students in their language studies while further preparing them for academic success in their specific major at an American university?
Copyright © December 2015 by Abby Burgoyne
Copyright © December 2015 by Abby Burgoyne