MATERIAL DEVELOPMENT FOR ESP: A CASE OF AN IN-HOUSE COURSE BOOK FOR MEDICAL ENGLISH

Fatemeh Ranjbaran Madiseh

DOI Number
-
First page
435
Last page
445

Abstract


The need for enhancing English proficiency is one of most significant issues tackled daily by many medical students in EFL contexts across the world. In the ESP context, the teacher has numerous roles in order to fulfill the needs of the learners, including that of a needs analyst, syllabus designer, material developer, practitioner, evaluator, and is also in charge of setting goals and objectives for the course. While ESP learners are more enthusiastic and demanding in their specialized field, it is essential to consider their opinions and set their needs first when developing material. Interests, target and proficiency levels of ESP learners usually differ, therefore, ESP material should be tailored to meet the needs of such an audience. With the rising need for more adequate content and a more efficient textbook for the Medical English II course at Iran University of Medical Sciences, this case study follows the process of developing an ESP course book for this means. Key elements of material development in the ESP context are put forth, followed by selection of content, developing exercises and activities, pilot testing the book and getting feedback from students and ESP experts, revising and implementing changes, and finally the outcome of such an endeavor. The results of this study can be beneficial on a global scale, for students in the field of medicine, instructors on the lookout for appropriate teaching content, and practitioners in the realm of material development.


Keywords

EFL context, ESP, material development, medical students, needs analysis

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References


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