ERIC Number: ED424782
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1998-Jan-31
Pages: 5
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Student Recommendations for ESP Curriculum Design.
Yoshida, Kin'ei
A bilingual (Japanese/English) electronic mail survey of over 1,100 computer science students at the University of Aizu elicited recommendations for content and design of a curriculum in English for Special Purposes (ESP). Features students preferred included these: a four-skills introductory course during the first year; materials encouraging deep thinking; course instruction that is immediately applicable; balance of language and technical training; out-of-class opportunities for English use; student placement by skill level; electives suited to student needs and interests at each skill level; class size limited to 10-15 students; instruction becoming more discipline-specific over time; student choice of teacher and teaching style; more but shorter classes; freedom to design or select assignments; English-only areas at the university; exchange programs; self-paced courses; some short, intensive courses; more English writing assignments across the curriculum; and the option to test out of courses, for high-ability students. Recommendations for features to avoid included: non-motivating courses and materials; native language use in class; artificial English speaking activities; lazy students; heterogeneous grouping; too-difficult or -easy assignments and grading; large discussion classes; non-discipline-related course material; underqualified teachers; too-busy teachers; overemphasis on drills and exercises; and course decisions without student input. The questionnaire is appended. (MSE)
Descriptors: Class Size, Computer Science, Course Content, Curriculum Design, Difficulty Level, Electronic Mail, English for Academic Purposes, English for Special Purposes, Foreign Countries, Grouping (Instructional Purposes), Higher Education, Instructional Materials, Language Skills, Questionnaires, Relevance (Education), Second Language Instruction, Skill Development, Student Attitudes, Student Placement, Surveys
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Japan
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A