1 Vietnam national university, Hanoi
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES NGUYỄN THỊ NGỌC ANH DESIGNING AN ESP READING SYLLABUS FOR THE STUDENTS
OF THE TOUR-GUIDING PROGRAM AT TOURISM FACULTY,
QUANG NINH COLLEGE OF ARTS, CULTURE AND TOURISM (THIẾT KẾ CHƯƠNG TRÌNH ĐỌC HIỂU TIẾNG ANH CHUYÊN NGÀNH
CHO SINH VIÊN NGÀNH HƯỚNG DẪN KHOA DU LỊCH TRƯỜNG CAO
ĐẲNG VĂN HÓA, NGHỆ THUẬT VÀ DU LỊCH QUẢNG NINH)
M.A. MINOR THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology
Code: 60.14.10.

(THIẾT KẾ CHƯƠNG TRÌNH ĐỌC HIỂU TIẾNG ANH CHUYÊN NGÀNH
CHO SINH VIÊN NGÀNH HƯỚNG DẪN KHOA DU LỊCH TRƯỜNG CAO
ĐẲNG VĂN HÓA, NGHỆ THUẬT VÀ DU LỊCH QUẢNG NINH) M.A. MINOR THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology
Code: 60.14.10.
Supervisor: Dr. DƯƠNG THỊ NỤ HANOI - 2012

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION……………………………………………………………
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS……………………………………………………
ABSTRACT………………………………………………………………………
TABLE OF CONTENTS………………………………………………………
LIST OF TABLE AND FIGURES……………………………………………
PART I: INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………

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1.2.2.3 Method-based syllabus…………………………………
1.2.3 Approaches to ESP syllabus design…………………………
1.2.4 Steps to design a syllabus…………………………………….
1.2.5 Needs analysis………………………………………………
1.3 Theories of reading……………………………………………
1.3.1 Reading in ESP……………………………………………
1.3.2 Reading skills and strategies in ESP……………………….
1.4 Summary………………………………………………………
CHAPTER 2: THE STUDY
2.1 The teaching and learning ESP situation at Quang Ninh College of Art,

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Faculty, Quang Ninh College of Art, Culture and Tourism
3.6 Summary
PART III: CONCLUSIONS……………………………………………
1. Recapitulation
2. Conclusions
3. Limitations of the study
4. Suggestions for further study
REFERENCES.
APPENDICES ………………………………………………………
31-40

Figure 1: ESP classification by experience 7
Figure 2: ESP classification by Professional area 8
Figure 3: A language-centered approach 13
Figure 4: A skill-centered approach 14
Figure 5: A learning-centered approach 15
Table 1: Teachers’ expectations of the ESP reading course XI
Table 2: Teachers’ ranking of topics related to Vietnam and Quang Ninh tourist
attractions XII
Table 3: Teacher’s ranking of grammar and structures needed for the syllabus XIII
Table 4: The teachers’ attitudes to reading skill and exercises needed for reading
comprehension in the syllabus XIV
Table 5: The students’ rating of the objectives of the syllabus XVI
Table 6: Students’ assessment of the topics about Vietnam and Quang Ninh tourist
attractions XVII
Table 7: Students’ opinion of the reading skills and exercises needed in the syllabus
XVII

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PART I: INTRODUCTION
1. Rationale
English for Specific Purposes (ESP) plays an important role in a global community of
people speaking different languages. People with good English proficiency are extensively
needed in many areas, such as business, banking, telecommunications, tourism, etc. With
the globalization of trade and economy and the continuing increase of international
communication in various fields, the demand for ESP is expanding, especially in countries
where English is taught as a foreign language. In Vietnam, ESP has really become a
necessary and indispensable branch in English language teaching. The students who want
to get the best preparation for their future career are paying more and more attention to the
learning of ESP. Therefore, ESP is introduced in many colleges and universities as a
compulsory subject in curriculum.

1. What are the target needs from the perspective of the ESP students and the ESP
teachers?
2. What is the content of the syllabus?

4. Methods of the study
This survey research is both qualitative and quantitative. The first method by means of
questionnaires aims at identifying the needs for the ESP syllabus from the ESP students of
the Tour-guiding program. The second one is used to collect various ideas through
interviews.

5. Scope of the study
This study is limited to design an appropriate ESP reading syllabus about the famous
destinations in Quang Ninh and Vietnam for the second-year students of the Tour-guiding
program at Quang Ninh College of Arts, Culture and Tourism.

6. Design of the study
The study contains three main parts:
Part I: Introduction present the rationale, aims, research questions, methods, scopes, and
the design of the study.
Part II: Development consists of three chapters:
- Chapter 1 reviews the literature related to ESP, ESP syllabus design and reading
theories.

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- Chapter 2 describes the study including its background, subjects, and instruments for
collecting and analyzing data for the findings of the study.
- Chapter 3 proposes a reading syllabus based on the findings of this study.
Part III: Conclusion provides recapitulation, conclusions, limitations of the study and
suggestions for further research.


speaking skill that is very necessary for tour guides. However, no research so far has been
implemented to design a reading syllabus for the students of Tour-guiding program which
is expect to contain information on most popular sites of Vietnam and Quang Ninh.
Therefore, it is an urgent need to do a research to put these ideas about this reading
syllabus with suitable task into practice.
In this chapter, an attempt is made to review the theories related to all basic aspects for
designing and ESP reading syllabus, including theories of ESP (definitions and types),
theories of syllabus (definitions, types and approaches to ESP syllabus design) and theories
of reading (reading skills and strategies).
1.5 An overview of ESP
1.5.1 Definition of ESP
It is not easy for most teachers and students of English to give an exact definition of ESP.
Even great scholars of language define ESP from various approaches.
Hutchinson and Waters (1987) defined ESP as follows:
English for specific purposes (ESP) is one important branch of the EFL/ ESL (English as a
Foreign Language/ Second Language) system that function as the main branch of English
Language Teaching (ELT). Therefore, ESP is not a particular kind of language or
methodology, but rather an approach to language learning whereby the content and method
are based on the learners’ particular needs to learn the language.
Richards, Platt and Webber (1994) affirm that ESP course “is fixed by the specific needs
for a particular group of learners”. Likewise, Widdowson (1983) argued that the distinction
between ESP and EGP (English for General Purpose) is not the problem of specificity of
purpose but “the way in which purpose is defined and the manner of its implementation”.
Strevens (1988) works out a more detailed definition of ESP, which make a distinction
between four absolute characteristics and two variable characteristics. The absolute
characteristics are that ESP consists of ELT which is:

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 designed to meet the specified needs of the learner;
 related in content (that is in its themes and topics) to particular disciplines,

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1.5.2 Types of ESP
ESP has traditionally divided into two main areas: English for Academic Purposes (EAP)
and English for Occupational Purposes (EOP). Robinson (1991) devises a tree diagram for
ESP (Figure 1), which divides EAP and EOP according to when they take place while
Dudley-Evans and St John (1998) divide EAP and EOP according to discipline or
professional area (Figure 2). On the other hand, in the “tree of ELT” of Hutchinson and
Waters (1987), ESP is broken down into three branches: English for Science and
Technology (EST), English for Business and Economics (EBE), and English for Social
Studies (ESS). Each of the subject’s areas is further divided into two branches: EAP and
EOP. However, they find out that there is not a clear-cut distinction between EAP and EOP
because “ people can work and study simultaneously; it is likely that in many cases the
language learnt for immediate use in a study environment will be used later when the
student takes up, or returns to a job”. Therefore, it is important for ESP teachers to study
various types of ESP to have an overall picture of the group of learners they are going to
work with.

Figure 1: ESP classification by experience
(Taken from Robinson, 1991:3-4)

ESP
EOP
EEP/EAP
Pre-experience
Simultaneous/ in service
Post-experience
For study in a
specific
discipline
As a school

English for
(Academic)
Science and
Technology
English for
(Academic)
Medical
Purposes
English for
(Academic)
Legal
Purposes
English for
Management,
Finance and
Economics

English for
professional Purposes
English for
Vocational Purposes
English
for
Medical
Purposes

English
for
Business
Purposes

language is used the designer can choose and present language content. This feature makes
the situational syllabus be used practically in context. Another advantage is that it will
motivate the learners because it is “learner rather than subject centered” (Wilkins,
1976:16). However, language used in specific situations may not transfer to other
situations. This is one of the limitations of this kind of syllabus. Moreover, it is effective
only if the designer can predict accurately the situation in which the learners will find
themselves. Gaps in students’ grammatical knowledge may appear incidentally when using
a situational syllabus.
1.6.2.1.3 Notional/Functional syllabus

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Wilkin (1976) suggests that this kind of syllabus has a main concern about the teaching of
meaning and the communicative use of patterns. That means it expresses what people
communicate through language and its content is selected from an analysis of the learner’s
need to show certain meaning. Therefore, the content of the notional/functional syllabus is
a list of the functions or notions that are performed when language is used. The
notional/functional syllabus takes the communicative facts of language into account
without losing sight of grammatical and situational factors, but the lack of clear criteria
causes a lot of issues in choosing and grading function and form.
1.6.2.1.4 Topic syllabus
This kind of syllabus is designed basing on content rather than grammar, functions or
situations. The syllabus designer selects the topics or themes on the basic of the perception
on their importance to the target students. According to Robinson (1991), topic syllabus
motivates the students and it is the starting point for the “real syllabus” of the language
forms, tasks or whatever the course designers wish to focus on. This kind of syllabus has
advantage of serving the multiple interests of students in a classroom and offering a focus
on content while still adhering to institutional needs for offering a language course (Brown,
1994: 222). Topic syllabus also shows drawbacks besides the above advantages. Finding
the balance, grading and defining the semantic construct are the main difficulties for
designers.

form each theory and trusting also in the evidence of your own experience as a teacher.
Thus, to what extent has an integration of the various approaches taken place? Does the
syllabus specification include all aspect? If yes, how is priority established? These
questions must also form part of the criteria when designing or accessing your own
syllabus.” Therefore, when designing a syllabus the designer must have the right choices.
1.6.3 Approaches to ESP syllabus design
There are three main types: language-centered approach, skilled-centered approach and
learning -centered approach.
1.6.3.1 Language-centered approach
This simple process is not only familiar to English teachers but also popular in ESP. Its
main focus is the connection between the analysis of the target situation and the content of
ESP course. This is a logical and direct process but there are some weaknesses. Firstly,
although its starting point is learners’ needs, only a restricted area of the language is
taught, which doesn’t meet the students’ demands. Secondly, it is said to be static and
inflexible. Thirdly, other learning factors are not paid enough attention because of the
completely dependence on the target situation. Finally, the finding of the analysis of target

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situation is only at the surface level which hides more competence that underlines the
performance. Figure 3: A language-centered approach

1.6.3.2 Skilled-centered approach
This approach provides a basis for discovering the underlying competence that enables
people to perform in the target situation. It also enables the course designer to discover the
potential knowledge and helps learners to develop skills and strategies. The objective of
this process is to make learners into better processors of information. However, according
to Hutchinson and Water (1987) the drawback of this approach is that it still sees the

required to cope in target
situation

Identify
target
situation
Theoretical
view of
language

Write
syllabus
Select texts
and write
exercises to
focus on skills
or strategies
in syllabus
Establishing
evaluation
procedures
which require
the use of
skills/strategies
in syllabus

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Figure 5: A learning-centered approach


attitudes/wants/potential of
learners
Identify needs/
potential/constrains of
learning /teaching situation
Identify skills and
knowledge needed to
the function in the
target situation
Write syllabus/materials to exploit
the potential of the learning
situation in the acquisition of the
skills and knowledge required by
the target situation
Evaluation
Evaluation

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for which a learner or group of learner requires a language and arranging the needs
according to priority” (Richards, Platt, and Webber, 1986: 189). Also, Bachman and
Palmer (1996:102) points out another detailed definition “needs analysis, or need
assessment, involves the systematic gathering of specific information about the language
needs of learners and the analysis of this information for purposes of language syllabus
design”.
Concerning the types of needs, Hutchinson and Waters (1987) distinguish between target
needs and learning needs. The first one comprise necessities ( what the learner has to know
in order to function effectively in the target situation), lacks (the gaps between target and
existing proficiency of the learner), and want (the learners’ view on their needs. The
second type is a cover term for all the factors connected to the process of learning like
attitude, motivation, awareness, personality, learning styles and strategies.

 using cohesive and discourse mark;
 predicting, inferring and guessing;
 identifying main ideas, supporting ideas and examples;
 processing and evaluating the information during reading;
 transferring or using the information while or after reading
The above skills serve for various purposes, therefore selecting a suitable skill for your
own purpose is recommended.
1.3.2.2 Reading strategies
There is a wide range of strategies that help students read quickly and effectively. Teachers
should consider their students characteristics, the demand of the text and the goals of
reading instruction to identify the most suitable strategies in their own teaching context.
Janzen and Stoller (1998:256) provided an excellent starting point for the strategy selection
process in which ten broadly applicable reading strategies are indicated: identifying a
purpose for reading, previewing, predicting, asking questions, checking predictions or
finding an answer to a question, connecting text to background knowledge, summarizing,
connecting one part of the text to another, paying attention to text structure and rereading.
Although the strategies listed above can be used with most students and most texts, the
teachers should consider their student characteristics, the demands of the text and the goals
of reading instruction to identify which of these may be most appropriate.
1.8 Summary
This chapter presents theories of designing an ESP reading syllabus. The different
definitions and types of ESP, the definition, types and approaches of syllabus and the
reading theories are component issues discussed in this chapter.

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On the basis of this literature review, a topic-based syllabus with integrated approach
would probably be the most appropriate syllabus for students of Tour-guiding program at
Tourism Faculty, Quang Ninh College of Art, Culture and Tourism.

CHAPTER 2: THE STUDY

assigned to teach the second ESP course, English for local vestiges and tourist attractions, I
found that designing a reading syllabus to meet the demands of our students is of great
importance.

2.2 The teaching staff of the English Division
There are 10 teachers at Faculty of English. Most of them are still very young and half of
them have finished MA degrees. They are very enthusiastic in teaching. Moreover, they
always try their best to make the lesson interesting and attractive to the students. However,
they are inexperienced in teaching ESP because nobody has worked as ESP teacher before.
Also, they have to teach both GE and ESP. Thus, they face with many obstacles in terms of
knowledge for the specific field of tourism. This problem is more serious for ESP teacher
at our college because they have to teach different ESP courses to students at different
majors.
2.3 The students
The subjects of this study are the students of tour-guiding program who come from
different parts of Quang Ninh province, from remote areas to villages to towns to the city.
That is the reason why their English proficiency varies although most of them have
experience at least 3 years learning English at high schools. After one and a half of year
learning GE and ESP with the help of situation-based textbook, their English is still not
good enough to meet the requirements of the syllabus. With the passive learning style
influenced by the traditional method of teaching, the students find it is very hard for them
to acquire and develop their English communicative competence. However, these students
always try their best to pass exams. Many of them come into class with the great interest of
learning English, especially ESP, because all of them are aware of the importance of this
subject in their future jobs.
2.4 The study
2.4.1 The subjects
The subjects of the study are 10 teachers of English Faculty, 3 teachers of Tourism Faculty
and 100 students of Tour-guiding program coming from 2 classes of the faculty.
2.5.2 Instruments for collecting data

teachers of Tourism Faculty were conducted at some appointments.
2.5.4 The findings
The statistics from the questionnaires for 10 teachers of English Faculty and 100 students
of Tour-guiding program as well as the results of the interviews with 3 teachers of Tourism

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Faculty will be presented. Expectations about the ESP reading course, topics, grammatical
structures, reading skills and exercises needed for the course are the main items in this part.
2.5.4.1 Needs perceived by the teachers of English Faculty
Section 1: Teachers’ expectations of the ESP reading syllabus
Teachers’ expectations of the ESP reading syllabus are specified by 6 objectives. The
teachers were asked to rank them in order of importance from the most important to the
least important. An option is designed for the teachers to add their own objectives which
are not mentioned in the questionnaire. As can be seen from the table (Appendix 4) the
teachers highly agree with the objectives listed. The majority of the teachers (50%) the
objective with the first priority is item 5(comprehend written materials related to
Vietnamese tourist attractions). Item 1(introduce the most popular features of Vietnam and
Quang Ninh tourism to tourists) and item 3(build up a wide range of English terms about
nationwide and local tourist attractions)are both ranked in the second position with the
percentage of 40 % for each. The third priority is given to item 2(translate materials related
to Vietnam and Quang Ninh tourist attractions at the basic level).
The chart below shows 3 top priorities of the teachers’ expectations of the ESP reading
syllabus.
0
10
20
30
40
50
Objective