ESP Project Work: Preparing Learners for the Workplace
ESP Project Work: Preparing Learners for the Workplace
Keywords: ESP, project wok, learner-centred, interaction, workplace
A. H. Abdul Raof and Masdinah Alauyah Md. Yusof
Universiti Teknologi, Malaysia
Bio Data
A. H. Abdul Raof is a lecturer at the Department of Modern Languages, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. He completed his Ph.D. in Language Testing from the University of Reading, UK. Besides Testing, his other research interests include ESP and ELT Methodology. He is currently chief editor of the refereed journal, ESP Malaysia and one of the editors of the Asian EFL Journal.
Masdinah Alauyah Md. Yusof has been teaching English at the Department of Modern Languages, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia for more than 17 years. She obtained her doctorate in Education from the University of Reading, UK. Her interests include learner autonomy, teaching methodology, ESP, materials development and writing.
Language acquisition is believed to be most effectively facilitated if it is embedded within the learners’ field of study or work. This paper describes a learner-centred activity which aims to help learners develop qualities of confidence, initiative and responsibility through interacting with practitioners at the workplace. This activity is one of the activities conducted in an English for Specific Purposes programme of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia which adopts an enculturation approach in the curriculum of the English language training programme. Data were gathered from 170 Civil Engineering undergraduates through questionnaires on their viewpoints regarding the activity and the programme as a whole. Overall findings of the study indicate positive perception of the learners towards the activity which had helped them increased their knowledge in Civil Engineering and become better learners of the English language through the interaction with practitioners in the workplace.
Category: Main Editions, Volume 8 Issue 1
