Agenda
I- Aims of the presentation
II- ESP at the University: Reading-comprehension courses.
III- Theoretical Framework
IV-Different Levels of Reading-comprehension courses
V- Conclusions
to provide a brief description of the
approach towards ESP courses at the
National University of Salta
to analyze the rationale for the design
of the materials for such courses to exemplify how those courses are
taught
I- Aim of this presentation
Approach towards ESP at UNSa1- Students’ exposition to L2 from 32 to 64 hs.
a semester (depending on the Study Program)
2- Students usually required to study form texts published in English e.g. monetary theory (Economy), new trends in thermodynamics (Engineering), soil renovation (Agriculture)…
3- Students’ L2 specific need understanding information in English
READING-COMPREHENSION
Reading-comprehension
The act of understanding what is being read
An intentional, active, interactive process that occurs before, during and after a person reads a particular piece of writing
When a person reads a text s/he engages in a complex array of cognitive processes ability to comprehend or construct meaning from the text
The reading skill and learning Reading is a means to gain access to
information and to learn content Learning and memory depend on the person’s
ability to process new data
“good readers know a variety of ways to organize information for learning” (Santa,1996:1),
organizational strategies “goal directed and know how to attack print to
create meaning” (Ibid)
III- Theoretical Framework: Some principles for these reading-
comprehension courses
Principles of CALLA (Cognitive Academic Language Learning Approach)
Principles of the Content-based approach
Principles of the Task-based approach
Cognitive Academic Language Learning Approach (CALLA) instructional model for second and foreign
language learning,
Chamot and O'Malley, 1990’s,
to learn content and information in the target
language,
achieved through the development
of learning strategies
Major Components of CALLA 1. lessons focusing on high-priority topics from
content areas;
2. development of the language needed to handle
the content topics; and
3. application of learning strategies for the
acquisition of content and language in L2.
These target learners (students at UNSa) are given the input
(reading texts) in L2, while the rubrics of the facilitating
tasks and the final output is given/retrieved in L1
The Content-based and the Task-based Approaches
Content-based instruction:
“…‘content’ in content-based programs represents material that is cognitively
engaging and demanding for the learner” (Met, 1999:150)
topics: vary according to the students’ area of study (e.g. General Physics,
Thermodynamics, Chemistry and Mathematics, as areas of study in the field of
Engineering)
Task-based approach:
learning a foreign language involves the completion of tasks
activities prove understanding of a text
IV-Different Levels of Reading-comprehension courses
There are generally 2 levels
The first level course English I:
- students are provided with tools:
to learn main grammar topics & discoursal features understanding of
the structure of L2
to acquire basic reading comprehension techniques
The second level course English II:
- students are provided with tools:
to develop reading strategies to handle texts related to the fields of their
academic instruction and,
to learn content in L2.
The reading materials Texts selected
original and authentic related to the specific study areas of target learnersfollow a specific type & contain the grammar topics to be taught (especially for the 1st level course)
Reading-comprehension activitiesCreated by the teacherOf different types that reflect real comprehension /not only extraction of literal information.
Course Syllabus Design based on Hatim’s text
typology Course contents for “Seminar of Technical English” (Seminario de
Inglés Técnico) . School of Economics- UNSa
Unidad 1- Lectura de textos expositivos con predominio de estructura descriptiva. Ejemplo: índice de un libro.
Problemática gramatical y discursiva: la frase nominal: su estructura (núcleo y modificadores).El sustantivo y sus plurales. El adjetivo y palabras en función de adjetivo. Afijos. Importancia de la jerarquización de la información en el texto (tipografía, enumeración y organización del texto)
Unidad 2- Lectura de textos expositivos con predominio de estructura descriptiva (clasificación, definición; descripción)
Problemática gramatical y discursiva: la oración (frase nominal + frase verbal). Oración simple. Oraciones compuestas (por coordinación y subordinación). Formas verbales: tiempos presente. Voz activa y voz pasiva. Pronombres. Participio “pasado”. Formas –ing. Relaciones lógico-semánticas: orden espacial, comparación, ejemplificación, adición. Conectores lógicos. Referentes.
Unidad 3- Lectura de textos expositivos con predominio de estructura
narrativa. Ejemplo: biografías, historia de investigaciones hechas en el pasado, etc.
Problemática gramatical y discursiva: Formas verbales: tiempos pasados: Simple Past Tense, Present Perfect Tense y Past Perfect Tense (voz activa y pasiva). Relaciones lógico-semánticas temporales y causales. Marcadores de tiempo. Conectores lógicos.
Unidad 4- Lectura de textos instructivos. Ejemplo: instructivos para llenar formularios.
Problemática gramatical y discursiva: Modo Imperativo. El infinitivo. El infinitivo de propósito. Verbos auxiliares modales. Relaciones lógico-semánticas: orden espacial, secuencia cronológica, causa-efecto, adición. Conectores lógicos. Marcadores de espacio y de secuencia.
Unidad 5- Lectura de textos expositivos con predominio de estructura/ trama conceptual (argumentativa).
Problemática gramatical y discursiva: Relaciones lógico-semánticas de causa-efecto, contraste, ejemplificación, adición. Conectores lógicos. Oraciones condicionales.
V- Conclusions:
- ESP at UNSa target students’ specific L2 needs reading-comprehension
- Appropriate approaches relate learning of content , the L2, and development of reading-comprehension skills
- Material design appropriate theory and practice reading materials in agreement with the learner’s specific areas of studies.
-
The acquisition of knowledge
(published in L2) and its application
take place when learners are able to
incorporate new information into their
conceptual framework of a subject
matter. In order to achieve this goal,
the students need to become
competent readers.
THANKS FOR YOUR THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION!ATTENTION!
Gustavo ZaplanaGustavo Zaplana
[email protected]@gmail.com