LG 546 MATERIALS

EVALUATION
Evaluating ESP and EAP Materials

ESP EVALUATION
Teaching

materials in English for

specific purposes tend to be
viewed as distinct and separate
from general coursebooks.
Emphasis on content and the
unfamiliarity of the content.
Differences in the roles of the
teacher and the learners and in
the design of the materials.

Materials in ESP
Characteristics

of ESP

Materials.
To

those unfamiliar with the

world of ESP the approach and
the materials can seem different
and inaccessible. However, this is
a misleading impression probably
created by the specialized and
often technical nature of the

Classroom Roles
Student

At

and Teacher Roles.

the level of much ESP

work, the roles of the
teachers and learners will be
different from those in
general courses. They will be
more equal in most cases.

Design
Design
In

and Methodology.

design, ESP materials may differ

considerably from general
coursebooks . They will generally
assume a foundation of proficiency in
general English, and from the start will
focus on aspects of English specific to
the subject area being covered.

Task based Approaches:

An

advantage of a task based

approach is that, at the end, there is a
product of a realistic nature. This not
only gives learners a feeling of
achievement, but also gives them the
opportunity to evaluate their
performance against real-world criteria
which they themselves will have,
based on their previous professional
experience.

ESP REFERENCES
Harding,

K. 2007. English for Specific

Purposes. Oxford.
Basturkmen, H. 2006. Ideas and Options in
English for Specific Purposes. NJ.
Hutchinson, T. & Waters, A. 1987. English for
Specific Purposes: A Learning Centred
Approach. Cambridge.
Orr, T. 2002. English for Specific Purposes.
Alexandria.
Pilar-Garc, M. 2000. English for Specific
Purposes: Discourse Analysis and Course
Design. Bilbao.

Evaluating EAP Materials

What

is meant by EAP?
Could be school? From age of
15+ perhaps, when students may
be studying for a specific
subject/exam. University,
College, Vocational college, so
subject makes a difference, i.e.
EAP for Law. Business, Literature,
ArtFor Hairdressers?EAP or
ESP? EAP as under the umbrella
of ESP.

Materials in EAP
Materials.
Most

EAP courses a mixture of published

and in-house produced materials.
Choice of Books.
What attracts us to a book in the first
place?
Integrated Study Skills books.
The books are integrated in the sense that
a number of study skills areas are
included, they do not focus on one or two
skills only.

Listening and Note Taking 1

Criteria

considered important in listening

and note-taking:
Appropriate level [obvious??]
Quality of sound reproduction on
cds/internet/dvds etc.
Listening exercises are like real lectures.?
Cultural appropriacy of material [for
target//learners culture???}
Does the course TEACH as well as practice
skills [i.e. strategies etc]
Note taking skills? Teachers Guide?

Listening and Note Taking

2
Answer

key? For students/teachers both?

Model notes..preferable with several
alternatives.
Transcript of spoken activities.
Rationale for methods used.
Students book and worksheets extra
flexible work etc.
Practice pre/post tests.
Enough practice material; [how much is
enough?]
Price for students/institution to pay.

Writing in EAP
Structure,

cohesion.
Description, Process and
Procedure.>>?
Definitions>>?
Exemplification>>?
Academic style>>?
Quotations and referencing>?
Proofreading>>?
Examinations>>?
And?

Dictionaries.
A

possible list of criteria may include:

UK or local price. Date and format.
Number of pages.
Level/coverage. Workbook available?
Quality?
Dictionary exercises and games?
Pronunciation system
Ease of use; Definitions; Grammatical
explanations; Illustrations [see Oxford
Photo Dictionary..]..Number of appendices;

Criteria
Criteria

for Good Materials.

The criteria for good materials must depend
as much or more upon the learners as the
teachers. The learners are the ones who are
going to be using the materials after all.
REFERENCES.
Jordan, R.R. 1997. English For Academic
Purposes.
Guse, J. 2011. Communicative Activities for
EAP. Cambridge.
Alexander, O. 2008. EAP Essentials.

Checklist for ESP/EAP Materials

1
Is

the material based on close needs

analysis?
Is subject-specialist language taught?
Are strategies for professional/academic
situation taught?
Is a collaborative approach between
teachers and students encouraged?
Is the material modular to meet the
demands of different language elements
and situations?

ESP/EAP CHECKLIST 2
Can

the material be used for

individual/home study?
To what extent do the learning activities
mirror target situations?
Is the approach task based and skills
based?
Do the activities lead to products which
can be evaluated against situational
demands?
Are objectives specified in both content
and performance terms?