Course Design Models In English For Specific Purposes

This thesis first introduces ESP definition, classification, origins, present situation, and then explores its course design. As a branch of English teaching, ESP has the history of about forty years and has been more and more internationalized with the development of English as a communication instrument. To meet the needs of various learners, course design plays a very important role in ESP.Before the presentation of ESP course design models come the theoretical foundations of its course design: linguistic and learning theories and needs analysis. Linguistic study is closely associated with ESP, provides rich language analysis for ESP course design and promotes the ESP developments both in practice and in research. This thesis describes the relationships between linguistic study and ESP developments from the following points: structural grammar, TG grammar, register analysis, notional/ functional grammar, discourse analysis, target situation analysis, study skills analysis, genre analysis.Apart from linguistic theories, learning theories also promote the ESP developments. It is learning theories that lead to ESP entering its fifth stage-learning needs analysis. Relations between learning theories and ESP are described from the following points: behaviorism, mentalism, cognitive theory, emotional factor, learning and acquisition.The fifth part of the thesis discusses needs analysis. Munby's and Hutchinson and Waters' needs analysis are analyzed. Munby's needs analysis basically refers to analyzing the linguistic features of target situations. Hutchinson and Waters' needs analysis includes analyzing target needs and analyzing learning needs. Questions frameworks for analyzing these two needs are listed.Thus the thesis identifies three kinds of models for ESP course design, based on linguistic and learning theories and needs analysis. They are the language-centred model, the skills-centred model, the learning-centred model. The process of course design involves needs analysis, syllabus design, materials selection, methodology identification, evaluation procedures design.Finally, the thesis has a look at the roles of ESP course designers. ESP course designers may take up the following seven key roles: researcher, needs analyst and syllabus designer and materials provider, teacher, collaborator, evaluator. It is pointed out that course designers are needed to be trained to be capable of their work.The thesis takes China's ESP situation into account and aims to provide constructive guidance for its ESP course design.