Bahar Kızıltunalı has been a teacher and administrator for over 40 years. She  has been invited to take part in conferences and focus groups at many prestigious universities, including Oxford and Cambridge in the UK, and in Brazil. She has  undertaken training in Total Quality Management  and worked as a fully qualified Quality Inspector for City and Guilds for a time. She has worked closely with leading experts in the field of ELT and has a wide range of contacts within the world of ELT both in Turkey and abroad. One of her particular areas of expertise is testing. Having developed testing programmes for different institutions, she has also worked closely with many respected experts in this field. She also holds a Diploma in ELT Mangement. Email: ulku61@gmail.com

 

Background: Izmir University of Economics

Izmir University of Economics was officially established on April 14, 2001with 2 faculties, 5 schools, and 2 graduate schools pursuant to Law No.4633 published in Official Gazette No. 24373. On July 1, 2001, it moved to its current campus in Balçova with the support of Ahmet Piriştina, the Metropolitan Mayor of Izmir at the time. Starting its education journey with 288 students, Izmir University of Economics,  the first foundation university of the Aegean Region, became one of the most preferred universities across the nation, and has produced 16 thousand 200 graduates so far. A total of 464 academics, including 59 foreign nationals, work at the  university, which has almost 10 thousand students. Izmir University of Economics has made considerable progress and now offers 28 associate degree programs, 35 undergraduate programs, 30 masters programs, and 6 PhD programs.
 

Introduction

Over the past few years, English for Specific Purposes (ESP) has gained great importance, particularly within the healthcare sector and other professional education sectors. Healthcare practitioners increasingly come across situations where English communication is inevitable, particularly in international environments. Hence, in these contexts, it is essential to develop ESP courses that align with  their specific linguistic and communication requirements. This paper highlights that the development of appropriate ESP courses catering to the diverse needs of healthcare students requires needs analysis,  real-world materials, and should be continuously assessed by the healthcare students themselves. Keeping in view the needs of these future professionals during curriculum  enables educators to render a more effective curriculum that improves the linguistic abilities of students ensuring their professional development.
 

Literature Review

Needs analysis is a fundamental aspect of ESP course design. Needs analysis helps educators to design a curriculum that is both effective and relevant. Hutchinson and Waters (1987) indicate the significance of educators employing needs analysis for  determining the most essential linguistic and communication abilities. The importance of needs analysis in ESP course designing was also highlighted by Hyland (2006), who indicated that the role of  needs analysis is to confirm the alignment of course content with students’  potential professional linguistic needs.

Obtaining or designing relevant content is a major challenge faced by educators during ESP course design. In this context,  Dudley-Evans and St. John (1998) proposed that educators should ensure  the use of authentic content obtained from real-world settings for ESP course design. Basturkmen (2010) is of the view that the content used in ESP course designing may be modified by educators to cater to diverse student needs, since it is vital to ensure that communication is  accurate and relevant in every context, including healthcare. 
 

Role of ESP in higher education

Most educational institutions require undergraduate students to enroll in general English courses. Subsequently,  students who have become familiar with  general English  take ESP courses to develop  their linguistic abilities in a way that is relevant to their professions. This is the case  at IUE, where paramedics, nursing, physiotherapy and rehabilitation students are already familiar with general English when they take ESP courses. These courses enable students to grasp the terminology and polish the linguistic skills which are directly relevant to their respective professions.

However, there are many challenges associated with the development of ESP courses. Courses designed for learning General English are usually based on the use of well-established frameworks, while  ESP courses call for more precise approaches. The main challenge associated with ESP course design is the limitation of resources available. The available resources currently include materials from various  sources or textbooks that may  not fully cater for the diverse needs of students from different professional contexts. 

Students from the healthcare sector often  face stress and heavy load due to complex academic and clinical demands, and busy schedules. Under such circumstances, students tend to view ESP courses as an additional responsibility. Rather than  acknowledging the significance of ESP for their professional lives, they tend to view it as an extra burden. The situation becomes worse when students believe that they can effectively manage their profession life purely  with their professional expertise, and without any English expertise. This perception  prevents  them from investing time and efforts in ESP courses, undermining their professional development. Such perceptions and behaviors of students call for additional efforts by teachers to convince them of the significance of ESP courses in their professional lives through clear demonstration of its benefits. Teachers need to highlight how proficiency in English will benefit students during their practice in the global healthcare sector, where English is the widely used medium of communication. 

Hence, it can be said that despite the clear benefits  of ESP courses for healthcare students, it comes with a range of challenges. These include the wide variations in students’  proficiency and speaking ability,  which calls for teachers to manage students individually. Another challenge is that the  curriculum is quite rigorous. It is recommended that teachers conducting ESP courses develop a learning-oriented setting where students are encouraged concurrently to improve their general/basic English, as well as professional/advanced English to prepare them to effectively and successfully communicate during their professional practice.

 

Evolution of ESP: From product to process

As the use of the English language increased in the professional world,  the 1960s witnessed the emergence of English for Specific Purposes (ESP). English became a medium of communication and instruction in most fields, including technology, medicine and business. In its infancy, the ESP course entailed content such as  vocabulary, grammar, and the use of these skills in specific  professional registers. According to Strevens (1988), the design of ESP courses ensures the inclusion of content that addresses the needs of students from different disciplines. He emphasized that the course content focused on equipping students with linguistic abilities related to their respective categories and fields of study. 

However, over time, this product-based and content-driven approach of ESP was gradually replaced by  a process-based approach. Hutchinson and Waters (1987) indicated that the process-based approach of ESP ensures that the course content is in alignment with the potential professional needs of students from multiple  disciplines. They clarified that ESP involves not simply  the instruction of English vocabulary, but  includes materials aimed at enhancing learners’ English proficiency in their specific  professional context. Hence, ESP has evolved from being focused on the product (specific vocabulary) to a more effective process-based approach aimed at enhancing learning. This evolution highlights the flexibility and the context-dependent nature of ESP. Gatehouse (2001) explained that, in ESP,   the learning of vocabulary is not purely abstract, but  extends its actual use  in real-world settings. 

 

Needs analysis: Foundation of ESP course design

Needs analysis is a fundamental aspect of ESP course design, and is of key importance in guiding  educators in designing a curriculum that is both effective and relevant. Hutchinson and Waters (1987) highlight the significance of needs analysis for educators since it enables them to determine the key linguistic and communication abilities required. This importance was also highlighted by Hyland (2006) who indicated that the role of  needs analysis was to ensure  the alignment of course content with students potential professional linguistic needs.

As an example, the ESP course for nursing and physiotherapy students should  be designed to incorporate the relevant medical terminology and the vocabulary that students may needed to communicate with  patients during practice. The educators are required to design courses which focus on  the potential scenarios of students’ interaction with patients. Such potential scenarios can be determined through needs analysis.

During my 12-year service as an ESP course developer for physiotherapy, paramedic, and nursing courses, I quickly understood the importance of obtaining regular  feedback about course content. As I gained experience, I used my knowledge to develop the content personally to ensure greater alignment of the content with students’ needs, rather than depend on source books for the relevant content. 

 

Authentic materials and Task-Based Learning in ESP

Obtaining or designing relevant content is a major challenge faced by educators during ESP course design. In this context, it has been proposed by Dudley-Evans and St. John (1998) that educators should engage with  authentic content from real-world settings for ESP course design. This type of content promotes student engagement and interest by enabling them to learn various types of texts, conversations and linguistic projects relevant to their respective fields. 

My course “English for Physiotherapy” includes content such as  patient interviews, case reports, and medical documentation to teach English students of respective disciplines. The 15-week course is aimed at equipping students with the essential relevant terminology, besides offering them insight into the form and use of vocabulary  needed when communicating and interacting with their patients in real-world settings. This approach was underlined by  Basturkmen (2010), who emphasized alignment of course content with the specific needs of students from various disciplines. Specifically, when it comes to medical and healthcare fields, students need to master the  vocabulary and terminology for effective and accurate communication during their practice as professionals. 

The approach of Task-based learning commonly used in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) offers real-world exposure to students through tasks that involve language practice . Hutchinson and Waters (1987) emphasize that student engagement in the learning process and activities is crucial in ESP, since it enables them effectively and accurately to apply and use   English in specific situations that they are likely to encounter.

In the ESP course developed for physiotherapy students, I incorporated role-plays and simulations of patient consultation to enhance student vocabulary and linguistic expertise in these genres. These also  enhanced their healthcare expertise in areas such as  displaying compassion for patients and effective communication and interaction, which are  essential for every personnel serving in the healthcare sector. 

 

Ongoing evaluation and course adaptation

This ESP course at IUE  is evaluated through the feedback of students every four weeks via questionnaires. The questionnaires focus on  the perceived effectiveness of the course tasks in meeting a student’s learning and professional requirements. The data obtained from questionnaires is used by educators to regularly modify and improve the course, and to tailor it to specific student needs. The significance of feedback can be understood by considering the example of an ESP course designed for physiotherapy students. The course designers can use this feedback to ensure  the course contents includes  realistic simulations of   patient interaction, and introduce advanced-level lessons on medical terminology. 

Students enrolled in my courses have expressed their satisfaction regarding the alignment of the course with their professional needs. As a result of the course, most  indicated a richer technical vocabulary and improved ability to comprehend and summarize educational content. In particular, the  practical element plays a crucial role in enhancing students’ professional development by connecting academic learning with the practical professional concerns. 

 

Conclusion

Students in the healthcare sector need to be proficient in advanced English to work in global healthcare settings. The ESP courses have been specifically designed to accommodate the potential linguistic needs of such students. These courses have generated much interest recently. The ESP course has a process-oriented approach which enhances  students’  English-speaking abilities  and has the potential to enable them to communicate more effectively  while serving in their respective fields. The ESP courses are made more effective through consistent evaluation and feedback, needs analyses, and the use of appropriate content. Evaluating the effectiveness of my ESP courses for nursing, physiotherapy, and paramedics students, I found these approaches to be highly effective in fostering student engagement, yielding better learning outcomes, and, thus,  preparing students for their professional practice.
 

References

Hutchinson, Tom, and Alan Waters. 1987. English for Specific Purposes: A Learning-centered

Approach. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge 

Čebron, N. (ed.) (1998). New Challenger in Teaching ESP in Slovenia – conference proceedings. Ljubljana: Društvo za tuje jezike in književnosti. 

Dudley-Evans, T., and St. John, M. J. (1998). Developments in English for Specific Purposes. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Basturkmen, H. (2010). Developing Courses in English for Specific Purposes. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.CrossRefGoogle ScholarOpenURL query

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Strevens, P. (1988) ESP after twenty years: A re-appraisal. In M. Tickoo (Ed.), ESP: State of the Art Singapore: 

SEAMEO Regional Centre, pg.1-2.

Gatehouse, K. (2001). Key Issues in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) Curriculum Development. The Internet TESL 

Journal, Vol. VII, No. 10. http://iteslj.org/

Hyland, K. (2006). English for academic purposes: An advanced resource book. London and New York: Routledge.

 

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