ESP Materials Development
In the following paper we will present the theoretical underpinning of the reading
comprehension course and the process we followed before selecting the appropriate
text. The context in which the task-sheet will be employed is a reading comprehension
course in the field of Marketing at Universidad Siglo XXI. The students are in the 3 rd
year of their studies. They are proficient L1 readers and they possess a basic knowledge
of English. The objectives to be achieved in the development of the task are:
-
Presentation of basic reading strategies: students will preview the text and elaborate
a glossary.
-
Presentation and study of affixes for interpretation
-
Recognition and interpretation of the noun phrase in English.
At the beginning of the process, we searched for some definitions of the word
marketing so as to know the precise meaning of the word since we thought it may have
several interpretations. The Oxford dictionary defines marketing as: The action or
business of promoting and selling products or services, including market research and
advertising. Once we grasped its meaning, we got the syllabus of the course of studies:
*
Then, we selected the subjects we thought were the most meaningful for students.
First, we discarded the subjects regarding math and financial statistics since they deal
mainly with numbers. After having read and searched online about the remaining
subjects, we chose “Marco Legal de las Organizaciones” within which we selected the
topic of Insolvency, since we considered that knowing that law is essential in the field
of marketing. In the process of selecting the appropriate text we focused on the TAVI
approach by Dudley-Evans (1998) who claim that the text is a vehicle for information
and there is both a focus on information and on what is known by learners; therefore
there is a transfer or application of information in the closing activities. Nunan (1988)
1
offers the definition of authentic texts: “Authentic” materials are usually defined as
those which have been produced for purposes other than to teach language. In so doing,
we selected this chapter (Treatment of Corporate Groups in Insolvency) from a legal
guide (Legislative Guide on Insolvency Law) because we thought students of marketing
may find it relevant and apply the information from the text to their field of work.
According to Ian McGrath (2002) the criteria for selecting authentic texts are
relevance, intrinsic interest, cultural appropriateness, linguistic and cognitive demand
quality and exploitability, so we chose the text taking these notions into account. We
believe that a text for any course, not only ESP, should have these features in order to
make sense for the learners. As regards the source, the United Nations is a well-known
intergovernmental organization founded in 1945 which objectives include maintaining
International peace and security and promoting human rights among others. We
consider it a very reliable source. Taking into account the exploitability of the text, we
considered it leads to interesting and useful tasks in which students can grasp not only
the knowledge of language items but also knowledge about the insolvency law.
According to Dudley-Evans and St John “The carrier content must be appropriate and
the real content must match the course objectives”, so our starting point involved the
search for carrier content. In our case, the carrier content we used as a vehicle to
introduce the real content, noun phrases and affixes, was the topic of the insolvency
law.
We also considered that this extract from a Legislative guide was an appropriate
text to present the reading strategies of previewing and the building of a glossary. In this
type of texts, many instances of noun phrases and affixes can be exploited. In this
process, we tried to select the most useful and familiar phrases and affixes that they may
remember and apply in future texts without making so much effort to decode their
meaning.
In addition, we prepared a closing task in which students use information and
new knowledge they got from the text and relate it to their prior knowledge in their field
of expertise. It is a very important activity since students show if they have acquired
complete understanding of the text. At the end of the sheet, students are required to
express their opinions about how and when they can apply this law.
Concerning the materials voice, we decided to address the students in a respectful
and formal way by using the Spanish imperative verbs such as “Lea” or “Señale”, as it
is commonly used in reading comprehension materials that we have seen and consulted
2
before, and it may be suitable for students of different ages. We decided to include
definitions and explanations, such as the meaning of “previewing” or a recommended
way of building a glossary, as a way of helping students become aware of the
importance of certain strategies and to clarify grammatical structures.
Furthermore, the design of the activities was based on a principle proposed by
Dudley-Evans and St John (1998) who state that “The use of a wide range of types
increases motivation, for both the learners and the teacher”. Variety in activity types is
essential in any language class. We organized the task-sheet in two sections: Activities
which present basic reading strategies such as previewing and the building of a personal
glossary and activities related to the meaning and interpretation of language items such
as noun phrases and affixes. Concerning the reading strategies, as the pre-reading
instruction, we followed Grabe and Stoller (2001) who claim that students should
preview the text by examining distinguishing features of the text such as the title,
subheadings, illustrations and captions. As a result, students determine the general topic
of the reading, relevant vocabulary and possible challenge. We also considered that
creating a glossary with straightforward explanations of terms at the beginning of their
work is essential. It will not only save time but also guarantee successful vocabulary
learning. Grabe and Stoller (2001) point out that students should become “word
collectors” and collect words that are “critical for comprehending the text”. The other
section presents activities which deal with elements of the language. The use of
nominalization and affixes is integrated in this task-sheet since this enables students to
become familiar with English grammar and technical words, which in turn will help
them become fluent readers and apply this knowledge into future readings.
Moreover, the text and the activities have been selected and graded carefully. As
regards linguistic appropriateness, we consider that the text is suitable for the linguistic
level of learners and the topic is related to their field of expertise. Taking into account
task difficulty, the activities are presented in a way that the degree of difficulty
increases gradually allowing them to go from simple structures to more complex ones.
In this paper we have presented the theoretical foundation for the teaching of an
ESP lesson based on reading comprehension and the development of very specific
skills. We analyzed the content of the main subjects of the course of studies. We built a
text bank and selected the most suitable text taking into consideration the TAVI
approach by Dudley-Evans and the criteria proposed by McGrath. We also analyzed and
matched the real and the carrier content. In the process of designing the activities we
3
followed the purposes stated in the task. Finally, we would like to add our personal
learning outcome as students of Didáctica Especial II. We believe that, after doing this
task, our knowledge of ESP teaching, especially, in reading comprehension courses, has
been deepened. Now we understand the reason why the process of developing materials
is very complex. We have not only become aware of the importance of studying the
results of the NA process carefully so as to develop suitable materials, but also of the
relevance of thinking of activities thoroughly in order to help students in the process of
becoming successful fluent readers.
4
Bibliography

Dudley-Evans, T. and M. J. St. John; 1998. Developments in English for Specific
Purposes. CUP.

Grabe, W. and Stoller. 2001. Reading for Academic Purposes: Guidelines for the
ESL/EFL teacher. In Celce Murcia, M. Teaching English as a second or foreign
language (Third Edition). Heinle & Heinle.

McGrath, Ian. 2002. Materials Evaluation and Design for Language Teaching.
Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press Ltd.

Nunan, D. 1988. Syllabus Design. Oxford University Press.

UES
21
syllabus.
Retrieved
August
5th, 2014,
from
UES
21
webpage:
http://www.21.edu.ar/carreras/licenciatura-en-marketing/plan-estudio.html

UNCITRAL, United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (2005, April 15).
Legislative
Guide
on
Insolvency
Law.
Retrieved
August
7th, 2014,
from
http://www.uncitral.org/pdf/english/texts/insolven/05-80722_Ebook.pdf
5
Guia de lectura 1
Actividades de estrategia de lectura
Objetivos:
-
Estrategia de lectura: Técnica del vistazo (previewing)
-
Estrategia de lectura: palabras transparentes y construcción de un glosario
A/CN.9/582/Add.2
United Nations
General Assembly
Distr.: General
15 April 2005
Original: English
United Nations Commission
on International Trade Law
Thirty-eighth session
Vienna, 4-15 July 2005
[…]
Insolvency law
Possible future work in the area of insolvency law
Addendum
Treatment of corporate groups in insolvency
The following extract from the UNCITRAL Legislative Guide on
Insolvency Law is provided, for ease of reference, in support of the
proposal contained in document A/CN.9/582/Add.1.
UNCITRAL Legislative Guide on Insolvency Law
Part two, chapter V
C.Treatment of corporate groups in insolvency
1.
1
Introduction
It is common practice for commercial ventures to operate
through groups of companies and for each company in the group to have a
separate legal personality. Where a company in a group structure becomes
82.
6
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
insolvent, treatment of that company as a separate legal personality raises a
number of issues that are generally complex and may often be difficult to
address. In certain situations, such as where the business activity of a company
has been directed or controlled by a related company, the treatment of the
group companies as separate legal personalities may operate unfairly. That
treatment, for example, may prevent access to the funds of one company for the
payment of the debts or liabilities of a related debtor company (except where
the debtor company is a shareholder or creditor of the related company),
notwithstanding the close relationship between the companies and the fact that
the related company may have taken part in the management of the debtor or
acted like a director of the debtor and caused it to incur debts and liabilities.
Furthermore, where the debtor company belongs to a group of companies, it
may be difficult to untangle the specific circumstances of any particular case to
determine which group company particular creditors dealt with or to establish
the financial dealings between group companies.
83.
Three issues of specific concern in insolvency proceedings
involving one of a group of companies are:
(a)
The responsibility of any other company in the group for the external
debts of the insolvent company (being all debts owed by the insolvent company
except for those owed to related group companies, i.e. “intra-group debts”);
(b)
The treatment of intra-group debts (claims against the debtor
company by related group companies); and
(c)
Commencement of insolvency proceedings by a group company
against a related group company.
84.
Reflecting the complexity of this topic, the discussion that
follows is intended only as a brief introduction to some of these issues.
Insolvency laws provide different responses to these and other issues, which
may be distinguished by the extent to which a law allows the veil of
incorporation to be lifted. Some laws adopt a prescriptive approach, which
strictly limits the circumstances in which group companies can be treated as
other than separate legal personalities and the corporate veil lifted or, in other
words, the circumstances in which a related company can be responsible for the
debts of an insolvency group member. Other laws adopt a more expansive
approach and give courts broad discretion to evaluate the circumstances of a
particular case on the basis of specific guidelines. The range of possible results
in the latter case is broader than under those laws adopting a prescriptive
approach. In either case, however, it is common for insolvency laws to address
these issues of intra-group liability on the basis of the relationship between the
insolvent and related group companies in terms of both shareholding and
management control. One possible advantage of addressing these issues in an
7
insolvency law is to provide an incentive for corporate groups to continuously
monitor the activities of companies within the group and take early action in
the case of financial distress of a member of that group. Treating companies as
other than separate legal entities, however, may undermine the capacity of
business, investors and creditors to quarantine, and make choices about, risk
(which may be particularly important where the group includes a company with
special requirements for risk management, such as a financial institution). It
may introduce significant uncertainty that affects the cost of credit, in
particular when the decision about responsibility for group debts is made by a
court after the event of insolvency; and involve accounting complexities
concerning the manner in which liabilities are treated within the group.
45
50
85.
Although a variety of approaches are taken to these very
complex issues, it is important that an insolvency regime address matters
concerning corporate groups in sufficient procedural detail to provide certainty
for all parties concerned in commercial transactions with corporate groups.
Alternatives to direct regulation of corporate groups in insolvency would
include providing sufficient definition in other parts of the insolvency law to
allow application of these provisions to corporate groups, such as the use of
avoidance or subordination provisions with respect to related parties.
55
60
Actividades de estrategia de lectura
1- Previewing o Tecnica del Vistazo
Observe el paratexto (título, logos, gráficos, imágenes) y responda las
siguientes preguntas:
a)
¿Cuál es la fuente del texto?
_______________________________________________________________
b)
Elija la opción correcta: ¿De qué tipo de texto se trata?
Un artículo periodístico
Un fragmento de un documento legal
Un documento histórico
c)



Señale ¿Qué características cree que corresponden a este texto?
Objetividad
Subjetividad


Dirigido a un lector común
Dirigido a un público en particular


8
d)
Leyendo el titulo “Treatment of Corporate Groups in Insolvency”
responda en español con no más de 5 palabras ¿De qué cree que trate el
texto?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
Previewing o Tecnica del Vistazo: Se basa en predecir o anticipar el tema de
un texto a partir de la observación del paratexto (título, subtítulos, logos,
gráficos) y el análisis del formato del mismo.
Si anticipa el tema y comprende el formato de un texto, activará sus
conocimientos previos relacionados con el mismo y se preparará mejor
para abordar y asimilar nuevos conceptos.
2- Palabras transparentes y construcción del glosario
a) Lea el titulo del la parte 2, capitulo 5 y provea un equivalente en español
para el mismo.
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
b) ¿Pudo hacerlo sin recurrir al uso del diccionario?
SI

NO


c) Las palabras treatment, corporate, groups e insolvency son palabras
transparentes. Señale la opción correcta: ¿Por qué cree que se denominan
transparentes?
Son iguales en español e inglés

Su similitud con el español nos permite entenderlas rápidamente

Son cortas y no tienen importancia en el texto

9
Palabras transparentes: son palabras que en dos idiomas (en este caso español
e inglés) tienen una escritura o sonido muy similar y cuyos significados se
corresponden.
Ubicar palabras transparentes en un texto le permitirá leerlo con fluidez y
abordarlo con confianza.
d) Lea las líneas 1 y 12. Provea el equivalente en español y la función
gramatical de:
commercial ventures
__________________
______________
shareholders.
__________________
______________
f) ¿Pudo hacerlo sin recurrir al uso del diccionario?
SI

NO

g) ¿Cree que son palabras de aparición frecuente en el texto?
SI

NO

Un GLOSARIO es una lista de palabras definidas o comentadas que pertenecen
a una misma disciplina o campo de estudio. Tiene la función de ayudar a recordar
y reconocer palabras o expresiones frecuentes en textos de su especialidad.
Crear su propio glosario le ayudará a agilizar la lectura y comprender los
conceptos desarrollados en diferentes textos.
Se recomienda:
Ordenar la lista alfabéticamente para agilizar su uso
Escribirlo a mano ya que así se recuerdan más fácilmente
las palabras
Agregar qué tipo de palabra es (como sustantivo, verbo,
adjetivo)
Anotar como referencia del contexto el número de página y
línea en donde aparece la palabra o frase.
No incluir preposiciones (como in, on, at, with), nexos
lógicos (como although, because) o palabras transparentes
10
3- Actividad de comprensión
a) Lea nuevamente el texto y responda “verdadero” (V) o “falso” (F)
1- Cuando una compañía miembro de un grupo es declarada insolvente, el
tratamiento a seguir por lo general es simple.
_______
2- En caso de declararse insolvente una compañía miembro de un grupo,
existen tres tipos de procedimientos a seguir
_______
3- Todas las leyes abordan de la misma forma el tratamiento de la insolvencia
________
4- Es importante que las leyes de insolvencia provean un procedimiento a
seguir detallado y completo.
________
Actividades de elementos del lenguaje
Objetivos:
-
Presentación de la frase sustantiva
-
Estudio de prefijos y sufijos frecuentes
1- La frase sustantiva
a) La siguiente frase ha sido extraída de uno de los subtítulos “corporate
groups”. Elija la opción que corresponda a su equivalente en español.
a- Grupos corporativos
b- corporaciones de grupos
b) La siguiente frase ha sido extraída de la línea 3 “group structure”. Elija la
opción que corresponda a su equivalente en español.
a- Grupo de estructura
b- Estructura de grupo
11
c) En ambas frases encierre en un círculo la palabra que lleva el significado
principal.
Corporate groups
Group structure
Ambas frases son FRASES SUSTANTIVAS. La palabra que
encerró en un cirulo se llama núcleo.
d) Señale solo una opción ¿Qué función cumplen las palabras que señaló
como núcleo?
verbo 
adjetivo 
sustantivo

adverbio

e) En las mismas frases subraye a las palabras que modifican al núcleo.
Corporate groups
Group structure
f) Señale una o más opciones ¿Qué función cumplen las palabras que
modifican al núcleo?
verbo 
adjetivo 
sustantivo

adverbio

12
En la FRASE SUSTANTIVA el núcleo siempre es un sustantivo
mientras que los modificadores pueden ser sustantivos o
adjetivos
g) Lea las siguientes frases extraídas del texto y provea su equivalente en
español:
Línea en el texto
En inglés
En español
1
commercial ventures
6
business activity
11
debtor company
21-22
22
external debts
insolvent company
2. Prefijos y sufijos
a) Observe las siguientes palabras extraídas del texto y responda
Línea en el texto
¿Qué tienen en común?
4
Insolvent
8
Unfairly
16
Untangle
51
Uncertainty
13
En inglés, al igual que en español, las palabras pueden cambiar
su significado al combinarse con diferentes prefijos. En este
caso, dos de los prefijos más comunes en inglés IN~ UN~
modifican el significado de la raíz al referirse a lo opuesto.
b) Lea nuevamente las palabras del ejercicio a) y provea su equivalente en
español:
Línea en el texto
En inglés
En español
4
Insolvent
8
Unfairly
51
Uncertainty
c) Las siguientes palabras son las mismas del ejercicio b). Señale la función de
la palabra (verbo/adjetivo/sustantivo/adverbio) cuando está SIN prefijo y luego
cuando está CON prefijo.
Sin prefijo
Función
Con prefijo
Solvent
Insolvent
Fairly
Unfairly
Certainty
Uncertainty
Función
d) ¿El significado de la palabra, cambió con el prefijo?
SI

NO

14
Generalmente en inglés los prefijos cambian el significado de la
palabra, mientras que no modifican la función (o categoría) de la
misma.
e) Observe las siguientes palabras extraídas del texto y responda:
Línea en el texto
¿Qué tienen en común?
7
Related
31
Distinguished
7
Treatment
43
Management
50
Requirements
44
Continuously
49
Particularly
15
Al igual que en español, las palabras en inglés pueden estar
formadas por una raíz y un sufijo. Algunos de los más comunes
son:
~ed: “que tiene las características de ~”
~ment: “acción o resultado de ~”
~ly: “de la manera mencionada por la raíz”
f) Provea el equivalente en español para las palabras del ejercicio e)
Línea en el texto
En inglés
7
Related
31
Distinguished
7
Treatment
43
Management
50
Requirement
44
Continuously
49
Particularly
En español
16
g) Las siguientes palabras son las mismas del ejercicio e). Señale la función
de la palabra (verbo/adjetivo/sustantivo/adverbio) cuando está SIN sufijo y
luego cuando está CON sufijo.
Sin sufijo
Función
Con sufijo
Relate
Related
Distinguish
Distinguished
Treat
Treatment
Manage
Management
Require
Requirement
Continuous
Continuously
Particular
Particularly
Función
h) ¿El significado de la palabra, cambió con el sufijo?
SI

NO

17
Generalmente en inglés los sufijos modifican la función (o
categoría) de la palabra, pero no modifican el significado de la
misma.
Actividad de cierre
1) ¿Cree usted que la información contendía en este fragmento de guía legal
clarifica la situación de una empresa declarada insolvente? Responda haciendo
referencia al texto en no más de 5 líneas.
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
2) Complete los siguientes cuadros con información extraída del texto.
Aspectos concernientes a
procedimientos de
son
insolvencia en uno de los
miembros de un grupo
Leyes de insolvencia
enfoque
18