English Majors: Missions and Practices

Chao-ming ChenChair Professor of USC

What are the missions?

• English Professionals – To educate our students to become English

teachers or professionals– To train them to become translators/interpreters– To develop them into global talents in various

fields

• English as a discipline– Literature, culture, linguistics, English education,

translation/interpretation

英文系大調查：問卷共發出 126份，其中有 6校已廢系。在 120所英語文相關系所中，回收之有效樣本為 74份，回收比例為 62%。各系教學重點目標

• 有 79.7%的系所以「英語教學」為教學重點目標，其次為「觀光旅遊及會展」（ 48.6%）、「文學」（ 32.4%）。

各系教學重點目標 (2)

• 進一步做交叉分析，除了「英語教學」之外，依學校性質不同，教學重點也有差異。一般大學較著重於「文學」、「語言學」；公、私立科大則都重視「觀光」、「外貿」。

英語系畢業生應達到之英語能力

• 41.9%系所預期學生具備 CEFR B2的英語能力

• 31.1%系所預期學生具備 CEFR B1的英語能力。

英語系畢業生應達到之英語能力 (2)

• 進一步做交叉分析，公立大學 /科大主要希望學生之英語力能達到 B2等級。

• 私立科技大學則以 B1等級為主。• 也不乏有私立大學與私立科技大學希望學生英語能力能達到 C1等級。

英語系學生應兼具之能力• 整體而言，除了英語能力外，有 70.3%的系所希望學生兼具「問題解決力」、「英語之外的其他專業能力」占 58.1% 、 48.6%為「跨領域學習力」。

英語系學生應兼具之能力 (2)• 公立一般大學最重視「批判思維力」 (23.6%)

• 公立科技大學最重視「英語之外的其他專業能力」 (29.6%)及「問題解決力」 (29.6%)

• 私立一般大學首重「跨領域學習力」 (25.0%)

• 私立科技大學或專科學校則強調「問題解決力」 (31.6%)

2013 Survey of HR Personnel:Some Qualities for Global Talents

• Critical thinking • Problem-solving • Being with oneself and with the society • Eloquence in expressing one’s ideas • Effective communication in the global

communities • Global mobility (accommodation skills)• Specialty and general knowledge

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Job Responsibilities for International Staffs

• Negotiating • Making contracts and agreements • Translating documents• Collecting information• Organizing conferences and exhibitions • Recruiting international business • Paying visits • Receiving international guests (presentations) • Research and Development • Sales and Marketing • Daily International Communication and Routines • Others

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International Staffs

• Specialty – Language – Interdisciplinary abilities – Specialty in global context

• Global Perspectives and Visions– Capabilities to recognize and evaluate international information – Capabilities to know about international or regional

organizations – Capabilities to be aware of international relations

• Personality and Social Abilities – Global mobility – Capabilities to conduct cross-cultural communication – Capabilities to keep international care

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Global Mobility• Specialty in Global Context• Language for International Communication• Cross-cultural awareness• Adaptive abilities

Core Competencies • Language competence

– B1, B2 or C1• Interdisciplinary abilities

– Journalism, Marketing, Management, Hospitality, Tourism, MICE, Diplomacy, Public Administration, etc.

• Specialty in global contexts– Global Tourism, International Marketing, etc.

• Critical thinking• Problem-solving• Global mobility

What are our strategies?

• Language training courses: 4 (or 5) skills– Reading– Oral communication, Grammar and writing– Translation training

• Literature and Culture• Linguistics and TESOL• English for Specific Purposes (ESP)?

• Are we still applying the traditional (or classical) way to educate our students?

• Is English study a discipline?

A Paradigm Shift in English Education:EIL and ESP

• A debate on the nature of studying English– fundamentalism vs. instrumentalism

• Career-oriented or academic-oriented• Management by objectives

– What are the objectives of English study?• For communication purposes

– Global English or Native-speaker English• Critical thinking and problem-solving

– Using the language, not studying the language

What is ESP?A learning-centered approach

• “… there is a consensus within the project to focus on the teaching of reading strategies with the use of authentic materials and the use of the native language in spoken classroom discourse. The teaching of grammar is based on the minimum necessary for understanding academic texts. The emphasis is largely on a general content to cover common problems (such as reading strategies), rather than specific courses according to the student’s subject specialism” (summary of Brazilian ESP Projects, quoted in Hutchinson and Waters, p. 15)

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ESP as an ApproachESP is not a matter of teaching “specialized varieties”of English.ESP is not different in kind from any other form of language

teaching.ESP is not just a matter of science words and grammar for

Scientists, Hotel words and grammar for Hotel staff and so on.

ESP is an approach to language learning, which is based on learner need.Why does this learner need to learn a foreign language?

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Course DesignSome questions:

Why does the student need to learn?

Who is going to be involved in the process? (students, teachers, sponsors, inspectors, etc.)

Where is the learning to take place?

When is the learning to take place?

What does the student need to learn?

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Needs Analysis Target situation analysis framework

Why is the language needed? (for study, for work?)How will the language be used? (speaking? Face to face?

lectures?)What will be the content areas be? (medicine, biology,

commerce?)Who will the learner use the language with? (native

speakers or non-native, expert or student?)Where will the language used? (hotel, office, library,

meetings or abroad?)When will the language be used? (frequently, seldom,

often?)

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ESP Policy: Objectives-oriented

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Subject learning and career typeScience, hotel management, nursing, etc.

Learning’s KPIachievement evaluation, real life’s use of the

language

ESP Models• ESP and Freshman English (EGP-type

ESP)• Language learning accompanied by

subject teaching: for business, humanities, social sciences (2+1)

• Subject learning accompanied by language learning: for science, medicine, engineering (1+2)

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A New Model:To teach English through problem-solving

To assess the learner’s needs• To define or determine the purpose of learning the language• To decide the steps of learning• To re-design the structure of the English course

To clarify the purposes of the English class• Competency or proficiency• Achievement• Communication • Life experience or social (communication) practice

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Adjustments in Language Policy:Adjustments in Language Policy:To To manage the English education by the English education by

objectives objectives

• Language proficiency index will be established. (Using Can-Do List)• Ex. 3 minutes’ introduction, 15 minutes’

presentation (Q&A), a novel, a 10 pages’ paper

• Students will develop English skills for future jobs.

• Curriculum design will be driven by specific learning needs.

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ESP: A New Dimension in English Department

A new methodology?A new subject area?What is an English teacher?Are we ready for the change?

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英語文相關科系畢業生主要從事的工作類型

• 主要從事「英語文教育」（ 86.3%），其次是「國貿商管」 (49.3%)、「觀光旅遊工作」 (43.8%)。

ESP Practice:To assess English proficiency

• Training for life-time competence– Problem-solving and critical thinking in English and

Chinese

• Q & A