English Majors:
Missions and Practices
Chao-ming Chen
Chair Professor of USC
What are the missions?
• English Professionals
– To educate our students to become English
teachers or professionals
– To train them to become translators/interpreters
– To develop them into global talents in various
fields
• English as a discipline
– Literature, culture, linguistics, English education,
translation/interpretation
英文系大調查：問卷共發出126份，其中有6校已廢系。在120所英語文相關系所
中，回收之有效樣本為74份，回收比例為62%。
各系教學重點目標
• 有79.7%的系所以「英語教學」為教學重點目
標，其次為「觀光旅遊及會展」（48.6%）、「文學」
（32.4%）。
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
次數
百分比 %
英語教學
觀光旅遊
及會展
文學
語言學
翻譯
外貿
其他有關
英語專業
59
36
24
22
21
21
9
79.7
48.6
32.4
29.7
28.3
28.3
12.2
百分比
各系教學重點目標(2)
• 進一步做交叉分析，除了「英語教學」之外，
依學校性質不同，教學重點也有差異。一
般大學較著重於「文學」、「語言學」；公、
私立科大則都重視「觀光」、「外貿」。
英語系畢業生應達到之英語能力
• 41.9%系所預期學生具備CEFR B2的英語能力
• 31.1%系所預期學生具備CEFR B1的英語能
力。
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
CEFR B2
CEFR B1
其他
CEFR C1
次數
31
23
18
2
百分
比%
41.9
31.1
24.3
2.7
百分比
英語系畢業生應達到之英語能力(2)
• 進一步做交叉分析，公立大學/科大主要希
望學生之英語力能達到B2等級。
• 私立科技大學則以B1等級為主。
• 也不乏有私立大學與私立科技大學希望學
生英語能力能達到C1等級。
英語系學生應兼具之能力
• 整體而言，除了英語能力外，有70.3%的系所
希望學生兼具「問題解決力」、「英語之外的其他專業
能力」占58.1%、48.6%為「跨領域學習力」。
百分比
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
次數
百分比 %
英語之外的
問題解決力 其他專業能
力
跨領域
學習力
批判思維力
教學能力
創意力
博雅能力
其他
52
43
36
34
21
20
4
2
70.3
58.1
48.6
45.9
28.4
27
5.4
2.7
英語系學生應兼具之能力(2)
•
•
•
•
公立一般大學最重視「批判思維力」 (23.6%)
公立科技大學最重視「英語之外的其他專業能力」(29.6%)及「問題解決力」(29.6%)
私立一般大學首重「跨領域學習力」(25.0%)
私立科技大學或專科學校則強調「問題解決力」(31.6%)
2013 Survey of HR Personnel:
Some Qualities for Global Talents
•
•
•
•
•
Critical thinking
Problem-solving
Being with oneself and with the society
Eloquence in expressing one’s ideas
Effective communication in the global
communities
• Global mobility (accommodation skills)
• Specialty and general knowledge
2015/4/13
9
Job Responsibilities for
International Staffs
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Negotiating
Making contracts and agreements
Translating documents
Collecting information
Organizing conferences and exhibitions
Recruiting international business
Paying visits
Receiving international guests (presentations)
Research and Development
Sales and Marketing
Daily International Communication and Routines
Others
2015/4/13
10
International Staffs
• Specialty
– Language
– Interdisciplinary abilities
– Specialty in global context
• Global Perspectives and Visions
– Capabilities to recognize and evaluate international information
– Capabilities to know about international or regional
organizations
– Capabilities to be aware of international relations
• Personality and Social Abilities
– Global mobility
– Capabilities to conduct cross-cultural communication
– Capabilities to keep international care
2015/4/13
11
Global Mobility
•
•
•
•
Specialty in Global Context
Language for International Communication
Cross-cultural awareness
Adaptive abilities
Core Competencies
• Language competence
– B1, B2 or C1
• Interdisciplinary abilities
– Journalism, Marketing, Management, Hospitality,
Tourism, MICE, Diplomacy, Public Administration, etc.
• Specialty in global contexts
– Global Tourism, International Marketing, etc.
• Critical thinking
• Problem-solving
• Global mobility
What are our strategies?
• Language training courses: 4 (or 5) skills
– Reading
– Oral communication, Grammar and writing
– Translation training
• Literature and Culture
• Linguistics and TESOL
• English for Specific Purposes (ESP)?
• Are we still applying the traditional (or
classical) way to educate our students?
• Is English study a discipline?
A Paradigm Shift in English Education:
EIL and ESP
• A debate on the nature of studying English
– fundamentalism vs. instrumentalism
• Career-oriented or academic-oriented
• Management by objectives
– What are the objectives of English study?
• For communication purposes
– Global English or Native-speaker English
• Critical thinking and problem-solving
– Using the language, not studying the language
What is ESP?
A learning-centered approach
• “… there is a consensus within the project to focus on the
teaching of reading strategies with the use of authentic
materials and the use of the native language in spoken
classroom discourse. The teaching of grammar is based on the
minimum necessary for understanding academic texts. The
emphasis is largely on a general content to cover common
problems (such as reading strategies), rather than specific
courses according to the student’s subject specialism”
(summary of Brazilian ESP Projects, quoted in Hutchinson and
Waters, p. 15)
2015/4/13
ESP International Conference
17
ESP as an Approach
ESP is not a matter of teaching “specialized varieties”of
English.
ESP is not different in kind from any other form of language
teaching.
ESP is not just a matter of science words and grammar for
Scientists, Hotel words and grammar for Hotel staff and so on.
ESP is an approach to language learning, which is based on
learner need.
Why does this learner need to learn a foreign language?
2015/4/13
18
Course Design
Some questions:
Why does the student need to learn?
Who is going to be involved in the process?
(students, teachers, sponsors, inspectors, etc.)
Where is the learning to take place?
When is the learning to take place?
What does the student need to learn?
2015/4/13
19
Needs Analysis
Target situation analysis framework
Why is the language needed? (for study, for work?)
How will the language be used? (speaking? Face to face?
lectures?)
What will be the content areas be? (medicine, biology,
commerce?)
Who will the learner use the language with? (native
speakers or non-native, expert or student?)
Where will the language used? (hotel, office, library,
meetings or abroad?)
When will the language be used? (frequently, seldom,
often?)
2015/4/13
20
ESP Policy:
Objectives-oriented
Subject learning and career type
Science, hotel management, nursing, etc.
Learning’s KPI
achievement evaluation, real life’s use of the
language
2015/4/13
21
ESP Models
• ESP and Freshman English (EGP-type ESP)
• Language learning accompanied by
subject teaching: for business,
humanities, social sciences (2+1)
• Subject learning accompanied by
language learning: for science, medicine,
engineering (1+2)
2015/4/13
22
A New Model:
To teach English through problem-solving
To assess the learner’s needs
• To define or determine the purpose of learning the language
• To decide the steps of learning
• To re-design the structure of the English course
To clarify the purposes of the English class
•
•
•
•
Competency or proficiency
Achievement
Communication
Life experience or social (communication) practice
ETA Conference
2015/4/13
23
Adjustments in Language Policy:
To manage the English education by objectives
• Language proficiency index will be established.
(Using Can-Do List)
• Ex. 3 minutes’ introduction, 15 minutes’
presentation (Q&A), a novel, a 10 pages’ paper
• Students will develop English skills for future
jobs.
• Curriculum design will be driven by specific
learning needs.
ETA Conference
2015/4/13
24
ESP: A New Dimension in
English Department
A new methodology?
A new subject area?
What is an English teacher?
Are we ready for the change?
2015/4/13
25
英語文相關科系畢業生
主要從事的工作類型
• 主要從事「英語文教育」（86.3%），其次是「國貿商
管」(49.3%)、「觀光旅遊工作」(43.8%)。
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
百分比
次數
平面
語言
觀光
文學
英語
華語 電子
學
國貿
餐飲
國際 或 國際
文化
旅遊 秘書
相關
文
文 傳播
其他 翻譯
外交
相關
商管
服務
事務 傳統 會展
藝術
工作
工作
教育
教育 媒體
工作
媒體
63
36
32
22
18
6
百分比 % 86.3 49.3 43.8 30.1 24.7 8.2
6
6
5
4
3
3
1
1
1
1
8.2
8.2
6.8
5.5
4.1
4.1
1.4
1.4
1.4
1.4
ESP Practice:
To assess English proficiency
• Training for life-time competence
– Problem-solving and critical thinking in English
and Chinese
• Q&A