Download Luận văn The study is aimed at researching Construction Engineering students’ evaluation on the ESP programme at Vinh University

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Questionnaire is used as an instrument to collect data for this study. I discussed with two groups of students chosen randomly to get some information about their evaluative comments and their needs before designing the questionnaire.
The questionnaire is designed without requiring informing the students’ names. The questions in the questionnaire are presented in English and then Vietnamese in the brackets. The responses for questions are mainly designed by the “multiple-choice” form.
The questionnaire (see Appendix 1) consists of three sections:
- Section 1 was designed to get the information about the learners: gender, age, the time of learning English, the thought of the importance of learning ESP, and the main purpose of learning ESP.
- Section 2 was designed to collect the information on the learners’ evaluation of the ESP for Construction at Vinh university; relating to the time allocated for the learning ESP in the courses, the contents and general evaluation.
- Section 3 was designed to gather the information about the learners’ needs.
 



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nds of exercises/tasks, teaching-learning techniques, aids, guidance/support for teaching the course, the flexibility.
- Other criteria: price, quantities, availability.
1.2.4.2. Criteria defined by Sheldon (1988)
Sheldon (1988) (cited in Hedge, 2000: 367-371) presents the list of evaluation criteria including: rationale, availability, user definition, layout/graphics, accessibility, linkage, selection/grading, physical characteristics, appropriacy, authenticity, sufficiency, cultural bias, education validity, stimulus/practice revision, flexibility, guidance, and overall value for money.
1.2.4.3. Criteria defined by Ur (1996)
Ur (1996: 184) lists as examples of general criteria and specific criteria: general criteria (i.e. clear layout and print, provides periodic review or test sections) and specific criteria (i.e. attractive and colourful illustrations (which may be particularly relevant for younger learners), vocabulary and texts relevant to topic (if the materials are intended for students of science and technology)).
1.2.4.4. Criteria defined by Tomlinson (1999)
Tomlinson (1999, cited in McGrath, 2002: 32) takes the definition of criteria a step further, suggesting four categories of specific criteria: (1) Media-specific criteria (i.e. those which related to the particular medium used. In reference to audio-recorded material, for instance, one might consider the audibility of the recording; (2) Content-specific criteria (i.e. those which related to the nature of the material, such as the choice of topics, situations or language in a business English book or the texts included and skills covered in a book focusing on the development of reading skills; (3) Age-specific criteria (i.e. the suitability of the material (e.g. visuals, cognitive challenge) for the age-group for which it is intended); (4) Local criteria (i.e. the appropriateness of the material for the particular environment in which it is to be used).
1.2.4.5. Criteria defined by McGrath (2002)
McGrath (2002: 32-33) discusses criteria for evaluation to be “from general to specific”. In his view, one way of thinking about general criteria is as headings or ways of summarizing sets of more specific criteria and the specific criteria can only be determined on the basis of individual circumstances. He sets out a possible basic set of such criteria which consists of: Practical considerations (all components available; affordable; multi-level); Support for teaching and learning (additional components (teacher’s book, tests, cassettes), suitable or self-study); Context-relevance (suitable for course (length of course, aims of course, syllabus, exam), suitable for learners (age, level, cultural background), suitable for teacher, required resources available, evidence of suitability); Likely appeal to learners (layout, visuals, topics, suitable over medium term).
In short, studying criteria is very important when an evaluation is carried out. One essential issue is that a wide variety of relevant and appropriate criteria for the evaluation of the ESP programme should be established and applied to evaluate the suitability of the programme to the learners’ needs and abilities.
1.2.5. Central questions in programme evaluation design
Nunan (1992: 196) makes a list of questions which needs to deal with some practical issues in programme evaluation as follows:
• What is the purpose of the evaluation?
• Who is the audience for the evaluation?
• What principles of procedure should guide the evaluation?
• What tools, techniques, and instruments are appropriate?
• Who should carry out the evaluation?
• When should it be carried out?
• What is the time frame and budget for the evaluation?
• How should the evaluation be reported?
It is useful to studying Nunan ‘s (1992) central questions in programme evaluation design before evaluating so that all factors that need evaluating will be covered.
1.3. LEARNER-CENTEREDNESS IN ESP
1.3.1. Learner-centered approach
Hutchinson and Waters (1987: 19) state ESP as “an approach”, not as “a product” to stress the commonality of the language and learning in which the learners are centered. The learner-centered approach is based on the principle that learning is totally determined by the learner. Learning is seen as a process in which the learners use what knowledge or skills they have in order to make sense of the flow of new information. Learning, therefore, is an internal process, which is crucially dependent upon the knowledge the learners already have and their ability and motivation to use it. Learning should be seen in the context in which it takes place. Learning is not just metal process; it is a process of negotiation between individuals and society. Society sets a target (in the case of ESP, performance in the target situation) and the individuals must do their best to get as close to that target as is possible (or reject it). The learners will certainly determine their own route to the target and the speed at which they travel the route, but that does not make the target unimportant. The target still has a determining influence on the possible routes. Hutchinson and Waters (1987:19) emphasize that ESP is understood properly as an approach to language learning, which based on learner need.
Historically, approaches to course design were developed from language-centeredness to skill-centeredness and then to learner-centeredness. Hutchinson and Waters (1987: 72-76) make a comparison about the approaches to course design to show the embracing feature of the learner-centered approach: A language-centered approach only determines the ESP course as the nature of the target situation performance; A skill-centered approach determines the ESP course as the nature of the target situation performance and looking behind the target performance data to discover what processes enable someone to perform; A learner- centered approach determines the ESP course as the nature of the target situation performance, looking behind the target performance data to discover what processes enable someone to perform, and looking beyond the competence that enables someone to perform, because what we really want to discover is not the competence itself, but how someone acquires that competence.
1.3.2. Learner-centered courses
The learner-centered courses are different from other courses. These courses pay greater attention to the process of learning and they allow for learners’ preference on what should be taught.
Brumfit (1984: 7) states that an ESP course is a direct factor concerning with purposes of the learners: “First, it is clear that an ESP course is directly concerned with the purpose for which learners need English, purposes for which are usually expressed in functional terms. ESP fits firmly within the general movement towards ‘communicative’ teaching of the last decade or so”. Any learner learns for his or her own purposes. He or she wants to learn what he or she needs. That appears more clearly in ESP learning. The ESP learners aim to learn about their specific fields.
Hutchinson and Waters (1987: 16) distinguish ESP courses by the general nature of the learners’ specialism and they divide ESP into three large categories basing on the learners’ specialism: EST (English for Science and Technology), EBE (English for Business and Economics) and ESS (English for the Social Sciences).
Nunan (1988) develops the learner-centered courses within an adult ESP context basing on the principles of learner-centeredness. He assumes that “in most learning context, it is impossible to teach learners everything they need to know in classes. Little class time therefore must be used effectively to teach those aspects of the language which the learners consider to be ‘mostly urgently required’” (Nunan, 1988: 3).
Schleppegrell (1994: 233)’ opinion about the learners in an ESP course is to bring to class a reason for learning English and a real life context for its use; the learners should have knowledge of the specific vocation the course is addressing and well-developed learning strategies.
In summary, chapter I has presented an overview of ESP and evaluation. The purposes for evaluation, criteria for evaluation central questions in programme evaluation design and the learner-centered in ESP imply that those are issues to carry out a programme evaluation in which the learners are centered.
CHAPTER 2: AN OVERVIEW OF ENGLISH FOR CONSTRUCTION AT VINH UNIVERSITY
Chapter 2 provides background information about English for Construction at Vinh University, including in the teaching and learning situation, a description of current ESP programme for Construction and the learners at Vinh University.
2.1. THE TEACHING AND LEARNING SITUATION OF ENGLISH FOR CONSTRUCTION AT VINH UNIVERSITY
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