ESP and Reading

Hirvela, Alan

doi:10.1002/9781118339855.ch4

Cited by 17 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…These findings corroborated Hirvela’s (2013) emphasis on using an appropriate approach to teach reading which focusses on developing reading strategies and draws on purposeful reading. In addition, current literature recommends a shift from using text to teach linguistic knowledge to viewing text as a source of information.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 62%

“…In addition, current literature recommends a shift from using text to teach linguistic knowledge to viewing text as a source of information. Hirvela (2013) supported the importance of equipping students with the knowledge of discourse structure and rhetorical features of their discipline-specific genres and the reading strategies which enable them to read quickly and efficiently, extract the information they need based on their reading purposes and discard unimportant parts.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 98%

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Engineering Students’ Motivation to Learn Technical English in ESP Courses: Investigating Iranian Teachers’ and Students’ Perceptions

Pazoki

Alemi

2019

RELC Journal

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Needs analysis is the key step to designing relevant and useful courses in English for Specific Purposes (ESP), but finding ways to deliver needs in a motivating and interesting way is also paramount. Therefore, investigating students’ motivation to learn ESP is central in needs analysis. Few studies have investigated needs from the perspective of ESP learners’ motivation. Focussing on engineering fields at three Iranian state universities, this study aimed to identify factors that affect engineering students’ motivation for learning technical English in ESP courses. Using a mixed method design, this study was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, semi-structured interviews with 40 undergraduate students helped to identify motivational variables, select a theoretical framework and develop instruments for the second phase. In the second phase, a survey using a 28-item questionnaire with 152 students, semi-structured interviews with 60 students, in-depth interviews with eight ESP practitioners and non-participant observation in seven ESP classes were done in parallel. Principal Component Analysis on survey data resulted in five motivational components of main sources of engineering students’ motivation to learn technical English: 1) ideal-self, 2) ought-to self, 3) instrumentality promotion motivation, 4) learning conditions, and 5) learning experience. These components were in agreement with Dӧrnyei’s L2 Motivational Self-system. Further quantitative and qualitative data analyses revealed that long-term goals and the practicalities of using technical English in every day life promote motivation more than a sense of obligation to learn technical English. Moreover, the results showed that Engineering students had negative attitudes towards elements of ESP learning experience, which best explained the reasons for students’ low motivation. The findings also supported the significant effect of academic levels on motivation. The factors that motivated students call for modifications in ESP courses which are discussed as pedagogical implications.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 62%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Engineering Students’ Motivation to Learn Technical English in ESP Courses: Investigating Iranian Teachers’ and Students’ Perceptions

Pazoki

Alemi

2019

RELC Journal

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“…Subsequently, the research shifted to the study of the discoursal elements within a specialized text, which could lead the way ESP readers process and understand the target texts (Trimble, 1985;Widdowson, 1979). This changing tide of research, according to Hirvela (2013), had the major pedagogical implication that the primary goal of ESP reading instruction is to equip students with the ability to identify and make use of the discoursal devices within the texts and extract relevant information with the needs to read in varying contexts. Current ESP reading research centers on investigating whether ESP reading instruction can link the learning of reading skills to the rhetorical and communicative situations in which the target texts are embedded (Belcher, 2006;Paltridge, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Current ESP reading research centers on investigating whether ESP reading instruction can link the learning of reading skills to the rhetorical and communicative situations in which the target texts are embedded (Belcher, 2006;Paltridge, 2012). Based on this conceptual framework, ESP reading literature has seen increasing numbers of scholars exploring the effects of genre-based approach and discourse analysis on ESP readers' acquisition of professional reading competence (Hirvela, 2013;Northcott, 2013;Sadeghi et al, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Second-Language Reading Process for Professional English: A Case Study

Chen¹

2021

ELT

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Although much research on English for specific purposes (ESP) has been conducted, little focus has been placed on investigating the mechanisms involved in ESP readers’ comprehension process. This case study explored the reading process that characterizes a competent ESP reader’s comprehension. A juris doctor student attending a major university in the United States was selected for the case study. Qualitative data were gathered through a semi-structured interview, recall protocol, and document analysis, and were thematically coded. The findings revealed the following: (a) The professional domain determines the major purposes of ESP reading. (b) Institutional demands and inadequate L2 proficiency within the target discourse prevent background knowledge in the first language (L1) from being transferred to L2 texts are the major sources of comprehension difficulty. (c) Three strategies can be used to overcome such difficulties. First, schemata (background knowledge) in L1 can facilitate comprehension and enhance the reading process. Second, genre knowledge learned in L1 can be used to dissect the information structure of L2 texts. Finally, the use of L1-based materials can help to overcome the comprehension difficulties arising from the L2 material. The implications for L2 reading instruction and future ESP reading research are discussed.

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“…The intention of such texts, according to publishers, is to help EAL students to gain access to, and develop a proficiency in the language of mechanical engineering (Fontenelle 2013). However, EAL students enrolled for courses in English for science and technology (EST), like mechanical engineering, experience far greater constraints with gaining access to knowledge as reading in EST demands much more than texts in English for general purposes (EGP) (Hirvela 2013).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transcending Solely Print - based Texts through Blogging – A Multimodal Approach

Rodrigues¹

2017

Alternation

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Students are often exposed solely to print-based texts as the primary sources of communication. In South Africa, English Additional Language (EAL) students struggle to engage conceptually with English-medium academic material and, in most cases, they transition to other forms of engagement such as imagery. This study from which this article derives explores the use of various modes of communication such as audio, imagery, and reading text in a scaffolded language that EAL students can better associate with. As literacies change to simultaneously incorporate new ways of communication, this paper examines the impact a blog could have on how EAL students understand text across a variety of different methods of communication. This study employs multimodality (Kress 2010). A case study design approach is used with a small sample of Extended Curriculum Programme first-year mechanics students and their lecturer at a South African university of technology. From the findings, the author reflects on mediating teaching and learning strategies to promote conceptual understanding of course material. Furthermore, the findings contribute to the debate that aims to find viable solutions for suitable teaching and learning practices to promote learner-centeredness in EAL contexts in higher education.

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ESP and Reading

Cited by 17 publications

References 39 publications

Engineering Students’ Motivation to Learn Technical English in ESP Courses: Investigating Iranian Teachers’ and Students’ Perceptions

Engineering Students’ Motivation to Learn Technical English in ESP Courses: Investigating Iranian Teachers’ and Students’ Perceptions

Second-Language Reading Process for Professional English: A Case Study

Transcending Solely Print - based Texts through Blogging – A Multimodal Approach

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