IT SPECIALTY STUDENTS’ PRAGMA-PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE IN KAZAKHSTANI ESP CLASSES

Abstract

The article focuses on the study of IT specialty students' pragma-professional communicative competence (PPCC) in Kazakhstan. The study aimed to identify students’ perception of ESP teachers’ performance and challenges in forming IT specialty students’ pragma-professional communicative competence. The study was conducted using a mixed-methods approach, with both quantitative and qualitative data collected from 508 IT students and 36 teachers from four universities in Kazakhstan. A survey and focus group interviews were used to collect data on the students’ perceptions and teacher’s views of teaching ESP. After the students’ interview responses, the most commonly shared students’ perception of ESP teacher’s performance was divided into 4 items such as teaching method, content, teaching materials and assessment policy. Most of the students emphasize the need to improve the teaching methods and add sphere (IT) related topics into ESP classes since they found that teaching materials are not up to date and sphere (IT) related.  The result of the analysis of responses on teachers’ view on teaching goals of ESP, it was revealed that teachers are aware of the importance of using major (IT) specific terms, topics, and activities in ESP classes to develop PPCC.  However, they emphasize only general English goals as ESP teaching goals since there are some difficulties in incorporating ESP goals. They claim that class size, students' major (specialty) and level differences have a huge impact on incorporating the ESP goals. Therefore, they have to teach general English rather than ESP to their students. The significance of this paper is it provides insight into how Kazakhstani EFL teachers view the teaching goals of ESP and students’ perceptions of ESP in the formation of PPCC. The study leads to several educational recommendations. First, the university program should strengthen the focus on teachers' awareness of teaching goals of ESP and obedience of the ESP syllabus. Second, ESP classes should be divided into levels and spheres of different groups. Third, professional development programs should be arranged for all ESP teachers to enhance their ESP knowledge and support them with teaching materials.