Natapon Kidrai 4436733 SCAL/M

SCLG 633 Aspects of English for Specific Purposes

Reflective Notebook: December 19, 2001

Reflective Notebook

In designing an ESP course, there are many factors to consider.

Until now, I come to know that we, as both a teacher and a course
designer, have to consider many things. Prior to taking this MA course, I
only knew that designing a course involves the amount of students, the
content, length of the course, the level of the learners, and materials
preparation. Methodology, the roles of the learner and the teacher were
out of my mind. Even learning needs was nothing I was familiar with.
Now that I am now taking the second semester of this MA course, I
realize that there are many more factors involving in designing a course.
Taking one step out of the course design, the methodology used, the roles
of the learner and teacher, learning needs, learning strategies, and
syllabus type are the areas course designers have to consider. Recently, I
notice that the use of learning needs has become an important issue. The
methodology employed and materials used have become into focus. The
thing I seem to take into my consideration first when talking about the
roles of the ESP teacher is that personnel functioning as a teacher.
Variables and constraints of course design influence the role of teachers
much. For example, the length of the course will limit the teacher to
adjust content with time limitation. The sequences of content influence
the teacher to adjust and use the appropriate methodologies and type of
syllabus. As a teacher, one would never think that a teacher has to cope
with course design. But for an ESP teacher, he obviously has to consider
these things. Of course, an ESP teacher is more than a teacher. He must
work as a facilitator. The word might not be well defined to a language
teacher. The area the ESP teacher has to cope with is more varied, based
both upon the specialist of the teacher and the specialism of the learner.
This makes the teacher more broad-minded in listening and accepting
other people’s opinion.
While the roles of the teacher have been changed, those of the
learners are as well changing to be more receptive. As I could see, the
learner has to be well receptive. He has to act as a decision-maker at the
same time as he seeks for the information that is new to him. ESP courses
are designed for those who are specialized in one or more areas, not in
GE. Of course, there are still factors waiting to be considered when
designing an ESP course.