TEACHING ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSE

CHAPTER 10

“MATERIAL DESIGN”

Arranged By:

Ayu Prameswari (1513042049)

Dwi Fitri Arnaz (1513042025)

Resty Rahmawanti (1513042045)

Yudha Aulia Ramadhanti (1513042073)

Class : A

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

FACULTY OF TEACHER TRAINING AND EDUCATION

LAMPUNG UNIVERSITY
 I INTRODUCTION

According to Tom Hutchinson & Alan Waters Lancaster (1986), “English for Specific
Purposes is teaching which has specified objectives”. English Language world got a long well
enough without it for many years, so why has ESP became such an important part of English
Language Teaching? In ESP students hope by learning ESP can serve as a guide to all present
and future and inhabitant of ESP, revealing both the challenges and pleasures to be enjoyed
there and the pitfalls to be avoided. The writer make this book in order we will not only
explain our reason for writing it but will also be able to presents a plan of the itinerary we
shall follow, the ESP is related to learning central approach because in development ESP has
paid scant attention to the questions of how people learn, focusing instead on the question of
what people learn. Besides, ESP divided into several focuses there are ESP for Science and
Technology (EST) divided into two English Academic Purposes (EAP) English for
Occupational Purposes (EAP). In English Academic Purposes (EAP) there is English for
Medical Studies, and English for Occupational Purposes (EAP) there is English for
Technicians. English for Business and Economics (EBE) divided into two are EAP there is
English for Economics and EOP English for Secretaries. In English for Social Sciences (ESS)
divided into two EAP there is English for Psychology and EOP (English for Teaching).
However, in ESP will discuss into several chapters such as the origin ESP, The Development
of ESP, ESP: Approach not Product, Language Description, Theories of Learning, Needs
Analysis, Approaches to Course Design, The Syllabus, Materials Evaluation, Materials
Design, Methodology, Evaluation and Orientation.
 II. MATERIAL DESIGN

1. Defining objectives
We can start by asking ourselves the question: What are materials supposed to do? In
defining the purpose of the materials, we can identify some principles that will guide
us to the actual writing of the materials.
a. Materials provide a stimulus to learning process.
Good materials don’t teach but rather encourage learners to learn.
Good materials contain:
Interesting text
Enjoyable activities
Opportunities for learners to use their knowledge and skills
Content which both learners as well as teacher can overcome

b. Materials help to organize the teaching-learning process.

By providing a way through the complex mass of the language to be learnt. Good
materials should provide a clear and understandable unit structure that will guide
teacher and learners.

c. Materials contain a view of the nature of language learning.

Good materials should truly reflect what you think and feel about the learning
process.

d. Materials reflect the nature of the learning task.

Materials should try to create a balance outlook that both reflects the complexity
of the task, yet makes it appear manageable.

e. Materials can have a very useful function in broadening the basis of teacher
training by introducing teachers to new techniques.

f. Materials provide models of correct and appropriate language use.

 This is a necessary function of materials, but it is all too often taken as the only
purpose, which the result is the materials become simply a statement of language use
rather than a vehicle for language learning.

2. A materials design model

a. Input
This maybe a text, dialogue, video-recording, diagram or any piece of
communication data, depending on the needs you have defined in your analysis.
The input provides a number of things:
Stimulus material for activities
New language items
Correct models of language use
A topic for communication
Opportunities for learners to use their information processing skills
Opportunities for learners to use their existing knowledge both of the
language and the subject matter

b. Content focus
Language is not an end in itself, but a means of transferring information and feelings
about something. Non-linguistic content should be exploited to generate meaningful
communication in the classroom.

c. Language focus
Our aim is to enable learners to use language, but it is unfair to give learners
communicative tasks and activities for which they do not have enough language
knowledge. In language focus, learners have the chance to take the language to pieces,
study how it works and practice putting it back together again.

d. Task
The ultimate purpose of language learning is language use. Materials should be
designed to lead towards a communicative task in which learners use the content and
language knowledge they have built up through the unit.
 These four elements combine in the model as follows
The primary focus of the unit is task
The language and content are drawn from the input and are selected
according to what the learners will need in order to do the task.
It follows that an important feature of the model is to create coherence in
terms of both language and content throughout the unit.
This provides the support for more complex activities by building up a fund
of knowledge and skills.

3. A material design model: sample materials

The basic model can be used for materials of any length. Every stage can be covered
in one lesson, if the task is a small one, or the whole unit might be spread over a series
of lessons. In this part, we will show what the model looks like in practice in some of
our materials.
 This material is intended for lower intermediate level students from a variety of
technical specialism. The topic of the blood circulation system can be of relevance to
a wide range of subjects. Apart from the general interest that any medical matter has,
the lexis is of a very basic type that is generally applicable both literally and
metaphorically (e.g. heart, artery, pump, collecting chamber, oxygen). Really, there
are only two specific terms used, such as ventricle and auricle. So, the text is rather
viewed as an illustration of the general principles of fluid mechanics than as a medical
text.
 As the unit title indicates, language is approached through an area of content.
The topic represents a common form of technical discourse – describing a circulatory
system – although in this case, presented from an unusual point of view.

The starter plays a number of important roles:

a. It creates a context of knowledge for the comprehension of the input.
b. Comprehension in the ESP classroom is often more difficult than in real life,
because texts are taken in isolation. In the outside world a text would normally
appear in a context, which provides reference points to assist understanding
(Hutchinson and Water, 1981).
c. It activates the learners’ minds and gets them thinking. They can then approach
the text in an active frame of mind.
d. It arouses the learners’ interest in the topic.
e. It reveals what the learners already know in terms of language and content. The
teacher can then adjust the lesson to take this into account.
f. It provides a meaningful context in which to introduce new vocabulary or
grammatical items.
This section practices extracting information from the input and begin the process of
relating this content and language to a wider context.

Steps 1 and 2 are not only comprehension checks. They also provide data for the later
language work (step 5 and 6) this is an example of unit coherence.

Learners should always be encouraged to find answers for themselves wherever

possible.

It is possible to incorporate opportunities for the learners to use their own knowledge
and abilities at any stages. It is particularly useful to do this as soon as the basic
information contained in the input has been identified, in order to reinforce
connections between this and the learners’ own interests and needs. Here for example,
 the learners are required to go beyond the information in the input. They have to relate
the subject matter to their own knowledge and reasoning powers, but still using the
language they have been learning.

This section gives practice in some of the language elements needed for the task. These may
be concerned with aspects of sentence structure, function or text construction. The points
focused on are drawn from the input, but they are selected according to their usefulness for
the task.
Further input related to the rest of the unit in terms of subject matter or language can
be introduced at any point in order to provide a wider range of contexts for exercises
and tasks. This helps learners to see how their limited resources can be used for
tackling a wide range of problem (see also step 7).

Learners need practice in organizing information, as well as learning the means for
expressing those ideas.

Earlier work is recycled through another activity. This time the focus is more on the
language form than the meaning.

Language work can also involve problem solving with learners using their powers of
observation and analysis (Hutchinson, 1984).
There is a gradual movement within the unit from guided to more open-ended work.
This breaks down the learning tasks gives the learners greater confidence for
approaching the task.

The unusual type of input gives the opportunity for some more imaginative language
work.
 Here the learners have to create their own solution to a communication problem. In so
doing they use both the language and the content knowledge developed through the
unit. The learners, in effect, are being asked to solve a problem, using English, rather
than to do exercises about English. Given the build-up through the unit, the task
should be well within the grasp of both learner and teacher.

The task, also provides a clear objective for the learners and so help to break up the
often bewildering mass of the syllabus, by establishing landmarks of achievement.

The unit can be further expanded to give learners the chance to apply the
knowledge gained to their own situation. For example, a project for this unit could ask
the learners to describe any other kind of enclosed system (e.g. an air conditioning
system) in their own home, place of work or field of study.

4. Refining the Model

A number of possible refinements to the model can be seen in the unit above. We can
relate these points to the nucleus of the model to provide an extended model like this:

Figure 30 : An expanded materials model

5. Materials and the Syllabus
In chapter 7 we know although one feature might be used as the organizing
principle of syllabus, there are in fact several syllabuses operating in any course. We
have argued that the course design process should be much more dynamic and
interactive. We noted also when dealing with needs analysis in chapter 5 that we must
take account not just of the visible features of the target situation, but also of
intangible factors that relate to the learning situation, for example learner
involvement, variety, use of existing knowledge, etc. A model must be able to ensure
adequate coverage through the syllabus of all the features identified as playing a role
in the development of learning. In addition to having an internal coherence, therefore,
each unit must also relate effectively to the other units in the course. There needs to
be coherence between the unit structure and the syllabus structure to ensure that the
course provides adequate and appropriate coverage of syllabus items.
Figure 31 illustrates in a simplified form how the unit model relates to the
various syllabus underlying the course design. Note, however, that identifying
features of the model with syllabus features does not mean that they only play a role
in that position, nor that other factors are not involved in that position. The diagram
aims to show the main focus of each element in the materials.

We have made wide use of models throughout this chapter. At this point it is
useful to make a cautionary distinction between two types of model, since both are
used in the materials design process:
a) Predictive. This kind of model provides the generative framework within which
creativity can operate. The unit model (Figure 26) is of this kind. It is a model that
enables the operator to select, organize and present data.
a) Evaluative. This kind of model acts as feedback device to tell you whether you
have done what you intended. The syllabus/unit interface model (Figure 31) is of
this kind. Typically it is used as a checklist. Materials are written with only
outline reference to the S/UI. Then when enough material is available, the S/UI
can be used to check coverage and appropriacy.

If the models are used inappropriately, the materials writers will almost certainly be so
swamped with factors to consider that they will probably achieve little of worth.
6. Using The Model: A Case Study
There was a model of learning which has been presented before. In this
section, this will show how to use that kind of model. But here, we found some
difficulties, such as:
a. The text is mostly descriptive so that nothing students can do except reading and
writing only.
b. The text contains specific vocabularies that only can be explained by realia.
However it is not available in the ESP classroom.
c. Students don’t have general language that is used to connect to the specific
vocabularies.
The further need analysis is conducted to fix the difficulties of the model. The
results are:
a. The general technical topic should be explained to students in order to make
students become able to connect to the specific subject.
b. The assumption of teacher if students know nothing or little about a specific
matters, but they only know some general words about that specific matter.
c. Connecting the specific subject to another is useful. Teacher can connect the topic
of a specific subject to another subject that is more general to make it easier to
understand and to teach a new and specific knowledge.

After having the new results, for the revision of need analysis there’re some guidelines
to use the model of learning well. The guidelines are:
a. Stage 1
Stage 1 is a stage to find the text. Here a good text to be a model is required to be
occurred naturally, suit to the students’ need and interests, ad it generates some
exercises and activities.
b. Stage 2
Stage 2 is a stage to assess the text. The purpose is to assess the potential of the
text to be a classroom activity.
c. Stage 3
 In stage 3 we have to go back to the syllabus and think about the match of the task.
Is it a kind of activity that will useful for the learners?
d. Stage 4
Decide the language structure, vocabulary, and functions that appropriate to the
task and useful for the learners. Here we identify name of parts, present active, etc.
e. Stage 5
Think about the exercises to practice the items you have identified. We should
consider three things: transfer activity, reconstruction activity, and write other
description.
f. Stage 6
In this stage, we should go back to the input. If possible, try what we have made to
the students then ask to ourselves, can it be revised?
g. Stage 7
In this stage, we should go back from stage 1 until 6 with the revision we have.
Analyze again from stage 1. The revision can bring good improvements, such as:
having new task, the original task is useful too, having a number of exercises,
having a good realistic setting to practice the material.
h. Stage 8
We need to check new material against syllabus and amend accordingly.
i. Stage 9
Here we try the material in the classroom.
j. Stage 10
In using the material in the classroom, we can revise it for the further development.
There’s no such thing as a perfect material, a revision is always needed.
 III. CONCLUSION : OTHER OPTIONS

We have presented and shown how to operate a model which puts into learning
practice a learning-centered approach materials. However, we should stare that for a
number of reasons meterials writing is best regarded as the last resort, when all
possibilities of providing have been exhauted.

a. We have noted that there is much common ground betwen learners of apparently
very different subject specialism. Thus you should first question whether the
learers’ needs are significantly different from those of other groups in your
institution.
b. You may not find one course which completely fits the bill, but a judicious
selection of units from two or more courses may cover the needs of many
students.
c. Even if the first two alternatives fail to provide exactly what you want, you can
still trying adapting existing material.
d. The final possibility is to try and reduce the area of the course tha will require
new materials.

For those who, in the end, feel they have to write new materials, here are a few hints :

a. Don’t re-invant the wheel. Use existing materials as a source for ideas.
b. It’s better to work in a team, if only to retain your sanity.
c. Don’t set out to write the perfect materials on the first draft. Materials can always
be improved.
d. Don’t underestimate the time needed for materials writing. It can be a very time-
consuming business.
e. Pay careful attention to the appearance of your materials. If they look boring and
scruffy, they will be treated as such.
f. Good luck!.
 REFERENCES

1. ( Cambridge Language Teaching Library) Tom Hutchinson, Alan Waters English

For Specific Purposes Cambridge University Press ( 1987)
2. https://www.slideshare.net/Melikarj/materials-design-hutchinson, accesed on
Monday, April 16th, 2018 at 1.00 am