Report
on ESP Materials Development: Industrial Hygiene and Security
Introduction
In
the following paper, we will report the
perceived rationale of the tasks designed for an ESP reading comprehension
course. First, we will state the objectives of the task. Then, we will describe
the context in which the task sheets will be used. After that, we will describe
the text selection, the design of the activities and we will provide the
theoretical background that supports the principles for materials development
on foreign language acquisition. Finally, we will reflect on the learning
outcomes of this activity.
Objectives
The objectives of the task were:
·
Presentation of the
reading strategy: scanning.
·
Presentation of a verb
tense form for recognition/ interpretation.
·
Focus on logical
connectors: presentation of one or two frequently used in texts from that
subject specialism, with a focus on the logical relationship expressed.
Context
As regards the context, the task
involved the preparation of material for an ESP reading comprehension course
delivered in Spanish for the students of the Industrial Hygiene and Security
field in the UTN (the National Technological University). The students were in
the fourth year of their course of studies and they were false beginners in the
L2 but proficient L1 readers. According to Dudley Evans and Saint John,
students’ L1 efficiency allows the ESP teacher “to draw on students’ knowledge
of the content” and “generate genuine communication in the classroom”
(1998:13). In fact, students’ expertise in the field would help them activate
their background knowledge and use it in the comprehension of academics texts.
Text Selection
Concerning the process of text selection, we had to consider
the objectives of the course, students’ needs, and their expertise in the field,
the authenticity of the text and the presence of suitable carrier content for
the real content. Furthermore, we followed Ian McGrath criteria for the
selection of authentic texts (2002: 106) since “good texts (...) contain
interesting content (...)[and] are multiple exploitable because they lend
themselves readily to the task.” (2002: 107) Moreover, as said by McGrath
“authenticity is important because it gives learners a taste of the real world,
an opportunity to rehearse in a sheltered environment.” (2002: 105) Therefore,
in order to select a text that would be relevant for the students’ course of studies;
we looked for the syllabus of the Industrial Hygiene and Security track. Since
we could not find a description of the different subjects they had but only the
list of subjects, we talked to Industrial Hygiene and Security students who
could tell us the main topics of their studies. In so doing, we discovered that
mining was a very important topic since it was present all along their studies
and it was intrinsically related to other topics like ergonomics, hygiene 1, 2
and 3 among others. Thus, the starting point for our worksheet was the
exploration of good carrier content.
In
our case, we had to find a text suitable for presenting a verb tense form and
logical connectors. After reading many texts about Industrial Hygiene and
Security, we found a journal called Mining Environmental Management published
in December 2008 which was relatively updated and provided new information.
According to Tomlinson, “materials should achieve impact” that is to say, the
text should be up-dated, original and it should provide new information
(Tomlinson “in Lauria 2006”). Hence, we checked that the text selected was
relevant and appropriate to the objectives and students’ needs, that it
“contain[ed] examples of the [specific] language features” (McGrath 2002: 107)
we needed to present and that it added novelty to the reading task. Moreover,
as the text was long we had to select only the first part of it but we neither
changed it nor edited it.
It is worth mentioning that we followed the TAVI approach
to texts, that is, we considered the Text as a Vehicle of Information since
authentic material was selected, and much more importance was given to the
strategy of scanning and to the preparatory and follow-up activities, as well
as to the links between meaning and form. This was done in an appealing and
achievable way to make learners feel comfortable not only during the class but
also outside the class. What is more, we had focused on the content of the text
and its originality.
In
addition, we took into account Grabe and Stoller’s keys for successful readings,
since we considered that students’ motivation should be enhanced and kept while
performing reading activities through the selection of a good text which
“complement[ed] students’ intellectual levels and [was] at appropriate levels
of difficulty.” (2002:2012)
Materials
Design
Dudley
Evans and Saint John stated “when the real content and carrier content are
matched, the next stage is to draft activities” (1998:177). They referred to
the importance of adjusting the materials to the specific objectives. We
designed activities which were appropriate for the context. We also considered learners’
prior knowledge of their field of specialization and existing learning
strategies as way of enhancing the process of reading in a foreign language. The
main aim for the creation of this reading task was developing effective reading
strategies. The worksheet contained a text along with the presentation of a
reading strategy, pre-, while-, and post-reading activities, as well as the teaching
of grammar items such as logical connectors and a verb tense.
Each
activity was designed with clear rubrics in the L1 so that students could
easily follow what they had to do. Besides this, well-stated rubrics allow
autonomous learning since students can complete the activities on their own if
they miss a class. As Dudley-Evans and Saint John expressed, “for self-study
and reference, materials need to be complete, well laid out and self
explanatory” (1998:172). For this, rubrics addressed students in a polite way
by using the Spanish form “usted,” since it is widely used in reading
comprehension materials; as it can be appropriate for students of different
ages, as it is the case of university students. Our material was appealing to
learners so that they were engaged in the completion of tasks because
“materials should achieve impact” (Tomlinson: 1998). It presented colourful
explanations and examples in L1. We had also included lots of white spaces and
some illustrations in order “to help students feel at ease” ( Tomlinson: 1998).
Our pre-reading task aimed at providing students with
certain information that could prepare them to approach the text. By
identifying the title, the author and the source, they could predict what the
text was going to be about and build their own expectations. Regarding the
while-reading task, the true or false exercise served as a guidance to read and
make sense of the text. It favoured, what Grabe and Stoller (213) call
purposeful and strategic reading. For instance, students can approach the text
with a clear objective in mind and the exercise will draw students´ attention
to some important information. The exercise on logical connectors helps
learners become acquainted with complex structures of two logical connectors
that might hinder their comprehension of the selected text or future ones. In
addition, the context determined the teaching of the present perfect tense
because students might have already learnt the other present tenses. Finally,
the post-reading task gives readers the possibility of putting into practice
what they had learnt about the detrimental consequences of mining. In this
case, “post-reading instruction extend[ed] ideas and information from the text
while ensuring that the major ideas (...) [were] well understood” (Grabe and
Stoller 2001:213). This was done by comparing the main ideas from the text to
mining activities in Argentina. This gradual approach to the text was suitable,
not only because of the level of difficulty, but also because it helped
students to gradually get involved with the text without feeling overwhelmed or
confused.
In respect of the models of reading applied by the students in performing the
activities, we may affirm that the activities proposed required that students
process the text through the combination of two models of reading. When looking
for specific or detailed information from the text, a top-down model of reading is suitable, for example, during the pre-,
while- and post reading stages; when having to reflect upon the logical
connectors and the present perfect form, a bottom-up
model should be used. These different types of exercises brought variety to the
material and made the tasks more challenging and avoided mechanical activities.
Conclusion
“If the heart of learning to read is the act of
reading itself, then the heart of reading instruction is the set of tasks that
students engage in to achieve learning goals” (Grabe and Stoller 2001:213)
To conclude, we would like to reflect on our learning
outcome after the process of designing a set of activities for a reading
comprehension course in English. First, the selection of an appropriate
authentic text that could suit the learners’ level and the language items we
needed to present was not an easy task and it was fundamental in the success of
the activities. Second, the layout of this material demanded a lot of time from
us delving into the theory of ESP, gathering together, discussing, creating and
editing activities. This task has been very significant to our training as
future teachers since it has given as an insight into materials development.
Even though it is a challenging task, teachers should be creative and provide
learners with interesting activities that engage them in reading in a foreign
language autonomously to find information which is useful and enlightening for
academic purposes.
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario