Module: LSP- level: 3L. 2018-2019/ Handout: LSP Teacher-Learner Relationship. Dr.

Khiati

The Role of the LSP Teacher

The role LSP teacher is located between that of a foreign language teacher and a subject specialist. Whereas the
subject teacher teaches only terminology, the LSP teacher is more a language teacher. This does not also mean that
the LSP teacher teaches the linguistic skills per se (reading, writing, speaking, or listening). Rather, s/he has to teach
LSP students, for instance, the comprehension strategies; structures of argumentation; text organisation that they are
likely to face when dealing with specialised texts. In parallel, the LSP teacher must have a certain subject qualification
too. LSP teachers with specialist knowledge, for instance, practise with their students, in the language class, the
necessary lexical vocabulary that they will face with the subject teacher. This ‘content and language integrated
approach’ prepares students for specialist texts. That is, familiarity with the structure and content of specialised texts
will help the LSP students better understand them even when they are confronted to new specialist texts.

The LSP teacher should be qualified in different areas:

 A very high proficiency in the target language (general and specific uses)

 Theoretical and descriptive knowledge of LSP (terminology, syntax, intercultural differences in discource and
text types).

 Subject knowledge (at least basic) of the academic disciplines whose special language is taught.

 Ability to select and prepare LSP materials to respond to the requirements and aims of the special class

The relationship between the LSP Teacher and Learner

Because the LSP teachers are more specialised in the language than in the subject, it is not surprising that the LSP
learners happen to know more about the subject than their teacher. Hence, the relationship between the LSP
teachers and their learners turns into ‘collaboration’ as the LSP teachers often need to draw on their learners’
specialist knowledge to determine both the aim and the content of the course. This relationship is different from
general language (GL) teaching where the GL teacher controls everything. That is, since LSP is learner-centred, the
learners are empowered as their needs are the centre of the course aim. In addition, they are actively involved in the
LSP classroom as their specialist subject knowledge is put into practice. As a result, the shared interest in the course
and the mutual exchange of information (i.e., the learners’ subject knowledge from one side and the teacher’s
language and institutional expertise from the other side) result into a balanced and profitable relationship between
teachers and learners.

However, the different professional and language backgrounds of learners and teachers may also lead to
misunderstandings in LSP classes. Some learners may be very brief when using the Target Language, producing
sometimes single-word utterances. The teacher, who expects the students to produce complete sentences, may
ignore that this brevity is sometimes due to the discourse conventions used in the students’ specialist field of work or
study. This is why, LSP teachers must have an understanding of the different ways of communicating in different
subject contexts of ‘special interest groups’, as Swales (1990: 24) called them. In case when the learners’ lack of
subject knowledge is the source of misunderstanding, the LSP teachers need to have a basic knowledge of their
learners’ subject to be able to spot the difficulty and prevent further misunderstandings.

Reference: http://www.aelfe.org/documents/text5-Huckin.pdf (specificity in LSP)