Syllabus Designing - Review of Literature Essay Example for Free

Syllabus Designing Review of Literature Essay English for Specific Purposes (ESP) is often underestimated because of teachers attitudes which are often characterized either by condescension or reluctance. This is manifested in the belief that often prevails among teachers that ESP is for those who cannot teach the real language. A good example of this situation is English in other departments or The Language Unit at university where teaching this component of the students program of studies is generally the responsibility of junior members of staff and where it is a slot-filling subject in the teachers time-tables. This underestimation may be due to the fact many language teachers are not aware of what it means to be an ESP teacher, and what it takes to be successful in this practice. The situation in the Tamil Nadu is even more complicated as there is not even a separation between ESP and English for General Purposes (EGP) when it comes to syllabuses and methodology, and who is better trained to teach what. Needs assessment, which is a major component of ESP, never exists, and, if does, it is never systematic, but rather based on teachers intuitions. Moreover, the methodology adopted in teaching never differs. That is, a teacher would enter a class with the same kind of methodology in mind regardless of the aims of each program. Unfortunately, programs are always put in the same basket and are always simply labelled as programs for Teaching English. As a matter of fact, English is not always just English for there are particularities that ought to be taken into consideration when designing syllabuses and practicing teaching depending on the objectives set for each situation. Definition of ESP (English for Specific Purposes) The term of ESP is generally represented as ‘English for Specific Purposes’, which emphasizes on the students’ purposes and refers to the whole range of language resources (Robinson, 1980). A definition of ESP given by Strevens (1988, p. 1 2) is that ESP needs to distinguish between four absolute and two variable characteristics namely: a. Absolute characteristics: ESP consists of English language teaching which is: designed to meet specified needs of the learners related in content (i. e. in its themes and topics) to particular disciplines, occupations and activities entered on the language appropriate to those activities, in syntax, lexis, discourse, semantics, etc. in contrast with ‘General English’. b. Variables characteristics: ESP may be, but is not necessarily: restricted as to the language skills to be learned (e. g. reading only, etc. ) taught according to any pre-ordained methodology (i. e. ESP is not restricted to any particular methodolog y – although communication methodology is very often felt to be most appropriate). Munby (1978, 1996) defined ESP in relation to ESP courses based on the analysis of the students’ language needs. His definition of ESP is still current as follows: â€Å"ESP courses are those where the syllabus and materials are determined in all essentials by the prior analysis of the communication needs of the learner† (p. 2). The interpretation of the expression ‘learner need’ deals with two different aspects of needs (Widdowson, 1984, p. 178), referring to (1) what the learner needs to do with the language once he or she has learned it. This is a goal-oriented definition of needs and relates to ‘terminal behavior’, the ends of learning. (2) [W]hat the learner needs o do to actually acquire the language. This is a process-oriented definition of needs, and relates to ‘transitional behavior’, the means of learning. In ESP, the ends of learning are as important as the means in spite of being normally goal-oriented (Hutchinson Waters, 1987; McDonough, 1984; Robinson, 1991), that is, ESP is meant â€Å"the teaching of English, not as an end in itsel f, but as an essential means to a clearly identifiable goal. † (Mackay, 1978, p. 92) The term of ‘ESP’ has thus been used by different people to mean different things (Blackie, 1979). Nonetheless, the claims for ESP normally have in common in a sense that ESP is not a new approach, but an emphasis on English teaching that should be matched to the students’ specific needs and purposes for their study of English (De Jesus, 1999; Hutchinson Waters, 1984, 1987; La Perla, 1984; Mackay, 1978; McDonough, 1984; Munby, 1978, 1996; Robinson, 1980, 1991; Strevens, 1977; Swales, 1985). Chambers and McDonough (1981) argue that the ‘specific’ in English for specific purposes should refer to both the purpose the language is being used for and the language itself. Three kinds of purposes suggested by Mackay and Mountford (1978) are: 1. â€Å"occupational requirements†, e. g. for international telephone operators, civil airline pilots, etc. ; 2. â€Å"vocational training program†, e. g. for hotel and catering staff, technical trades, etc. ; and 3. â€Å"academic or professional study†, e. g. engineering, medicine, law, etc. Accordingly, an ESP course is pertinently purposeful and is aimed at the successful performance of either occupational/vocational or educational roles (Robinson, 1980) or both. Moreover, Robinson (1991) argues that the language produced as a feature of ESP should be good enough for the job and not be necessarily native-speaker like, but be the communicative strategies and effectiveness of the non-native professional users of English. History of ESP According to Johns’ (1991) discussion, the ESP history in brief with respect to its development and expansion throughout the world has been influenced by the major theoretical and applied schools of linguistics and developed into four phases. The first phase (the 1960s and the early 1970s) was the structure-based phase of linguistic (i. . lexical and grammatical) features of academic and professional registers, for example, the language of electrical engineering and the language of law (e. g. Herbert, 1965). The second phase (the late 1970s and the early 1980s) was the discourse-based phase of register analysis where the function and purpose in discourse became more rhetorical (e. g. Trimble, 1985). The th ird phase (the integration of the discoveries in phase 1 and phase 2) was communication-based phase of systematic analyses of the target learning ituations which concentrate on Munbyian concepts of ‘notional-functional curriculum’ (Munby, 1996), namely: (a) the communicative purposes of speaker/writer; (b) the setting for language use; and (c) the mode of communication and language use. This leads to the language teaching in a communicative approach. The fourth phase (the late 1980s and the 1990s) has been focused on the strategies which learners employ to acquire the target language where the needs analysis (or needs assessment) centers on activities or procedures leading to effective teaching and learning (e. . Hutchinson Waters, 1987). Throughout the past four decades of the history of ESP, the areas of theoretical development and interest in teaching and learning of ESP, relating to the two main branches of ESP: EST and NON-EST, seem to include an interest in regis ter, discourse analysis, the specification of students’ needs (and wants), study skills, or in various methodological approaches to the development of communicative competence (Flowerder, 1990).

Of Mice of Men :: Essays Papers

Mice of Men The novel Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, is about two ranch hands, George and Lennie. George is a small, smart-witted man, while Lennie is a large, mentally- handicapped man. They are trying to raise enough money to buy their own ranch, by working as ranch hands. During the setting of the story, they are at a ranch whose owner’s name is Curley. It is in this setting that the novel reveals that the main theme is death and loss. Lennie accidentally killing all of his pets establishes that the theme of this novel is death and loss. These pets consist of mice, dogs, kittens, etc. Lennie loves to feel and pet animals, but he does not know his own strength. He kills them without really noticing what he has done, until George tells him that he did something wrong. After being scolded, Lennie is very remorseful about what he did. Once, after being yelled at Lennie says, â€Å"I pinched their heads a little and then they was dead- because they were so little (13).† Lennie’s remorse is probably more for upsetting George than it is for actually killing the animal. Another way that death and loss is evidenced by this novel is when Lennie killed Curley’s wife. When Lennie is in the barn (after killing his new puppy) Curley’s wife came into the barn and came on to Lennie. Lennie not knowing what was happening let her lull him into touching her hair. To Lennie it was like petting any other animal. Curley’s wife became flustered when Lennie became scared and would not let go of her hair. She started to scream and Lennie tried to cup her mouth, which concluded in him killing her. Lennie was truly remorseful after this action. Soon after killing her Lennie can be heard saying to himself, â€Å"I done a bad thing. I done another bad thing (121).† The final confirmation of the death and loss theme occurred to George, not Lennie. After going to the place where George had told him to go if anything went wrong, Lennie lays and waits in the brush for George to come get him. What Lennie wasn’t expecting was George to come with a posse of ranch hands with him.

Bitstream

Some of them were top heavy structure, lot of dimensions in the organization etc. Jim sole cleared all these issues very intelligently. He started a team building process and the task and targets Of the company were made clear to everybody. According to Jim, he wanted the person who is able to take decisions and manage the people. Though Jim himself was in favor of selecting from his lot of people, but for the new venture in network printing, he thought that a person, who has some prior experience in the similar fields like VARY and network printing, would be more suitable.The key was to get the right brain t right place and matching personal goals with the job requirements that will make better chances of success. According to Sole, a person with positive attitude, intellectual curiosity, variety of experience, flexible, comfortable in handling situations, looking for fresh challenge was required. A person who can oversee the tail end of the development process and making sure that the product is the one what the customer needed. Also the person should be seasoned and who can leverage the resources Bitterest has developed.Options available as suitable candidate: The first candidate for the job IS William Wendell. He has the right kind of experience that is required, both in VARY and printing industry but not much of it. As per the remarks from Peter, he is â€Å"very political† and â€Å"very focused on own career†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ. According to me the later characteristic matches with the requirement as the success of the project, as this will sync with his own career advancement. The first remark is somewhat disturbing as for Bitterest a person who is a team leader and group worker is required.This will not disturb the team already there at Bitterest. The second option is Fred Fallow. According to me he is young and dynamic, but the experience is not that much for the job. He has variety of experience also. According to Peter remark, he is work hard and play hard kind of person. At times these types of persons are good but in certain situation they have casual approach that can lead to big problems. The third option is Chris Cowan. He has a lot of experience but according to me he is too old for this new project.At this level of experience, stubbornness comes in the attitude that will harm the new project as well as the teams developed by Jim. Even Peter remarks also tell that he is sometimes abrasive and headstrong. The last option is Mitchell Madison. Similar to Chris he has also tons of experience and in fact he is working as UP for the last 12 years or so. He can also develop similar attitude as Chris. As the remarks of Peter say that he is already getting almost $30000 more than what Bitterest is planning to offer.Preferred choice: According me the best suited candidate for the above post is William Wendell. He is young and having suitable work experience in both VARY and printing industry. Also he is career cautious that will add up for the success of the project. This is a developing field and he will surely want to do the best in this field. Though the danger is from his political side, but I think it may get tramline when he will join bitterest, where the culture is of team work. Apart from this he has all criteria matching with what desires.

The Issue Of Human Rights - 1495 Words

Human rights are a basic right for every living person on Earth. Regardless of differences, every person has the right to basic needs in order to sustain their life. A current issue in Florida involves a law, HB 401, which will be active in July of this year that affects members of the LGBT community as well as those who wish to practice exercising their religious freedoms. Choosing to live life with morals and values that are highly ethical might differ from person to person. One group should not be allowed to interfere with the basic human rights of another group in order to further their own agenda. Non-biased members of communities could assist both groups in working together to find a peaceful solution that respects everyone s basic human rights. Human rights are a hot topic in the news in Florida presently. In the Florida state legislature, a bill is being proposed that, if passed, will become law in July of 2016 and could well deny some individuals access to services that provide basic human rights. Among these services is housing, medical care and possibly even restaurants serving food. The bill that is in question is HB 401 – Protection of Religious Freedom. This law will allow business owners, medical providers and anyone who chooses to deny basic rights individuals based on moral opposition due to religious beliefs, including members of the LGBT community or any other community whose ideals the provider s religion classifies as morally wrong. It specificallyShow MoreRelatedThe Issue Of Human Rights1444 Words   |  6 Pageswho are on a waiting list. When the subject of human rights is discussed, one ethical question can be asked. Is volunteering to sell an organ by choice or for financial purposes unethical? Wha t if a person wanted to sell their organ and in return was able to get free life insurance or give money to their family upon their own death? If organs are used for science right now, what is stopping the sale of organs to those who really need one such an issue? The sale of organs should be legalized becauseRead MoreThe Issue Of Human Rights Essay2466 Words   |  10 PagesHuman rights are those rights which should be available to every single individual. Throughout history, induced abortions have been a source of great debate and controversy since ethical, religious, political and personal issues coincide. Two great contrasting views have arisen as a result of this. The â€Å"pro-life† view supports the rights of an unborn child measuring life of the foetus from the moment of conception. On the contrary, the â€Å"pro-choice† view prioritises the mother’s right to abortionRead MoreThe Issue Of Human Rights2179 Words   |  9 PagesHuman rights are inherent; they refer to the basic standards of treatment that all people should be entitled to. They are based on a fundamental belief that all human beings have inherent dignity and worth, allowing citizens to make their own decisions, thus promoting equal opportunities for all people to develop to their full potential . In order to ascertain as to whether or not civil procedure provides adequate protections of these rights within an Australian context, it is essential to firstRead MoreThe Issue Of Human Rights949 Words   |  4 PagesHuman rights are perhaps the only concept which has remained the focus of many debates in the modern world. The mere thought that all humans across the world irrespective of their culture, religion and race are equal and deserve equality is perhaps the reason why it holds such significance among people. â€Å"There is something deeply attractive in the idea that every person anywhere in the world, irrespective of citizenship or territorial legislation, has s ome basic rights, which others should respectRead MoreThe Issue Of Human Rights948 Words   |  4 Pages The subject of human rights is a topic that most countries around the world are familiar with and approach in varied ways. The United States of America has a democratic form of government that receives its power from its people, which is in stark contrast to the theocratic system in Iran whose power comes from a group of cleric’s interpretation of the Quran. The U.S. was founded upon a document known as the Constitution of the U.S. and Bill of Rights, while Iran’s government is wholly set forthRead MoreThe Issue Of Human Rights1256 Words   |  6 PagesIn this paper I will focus on the subject of human rights. The recognition of human rights is widely seen as abstract, yet human rights affect daily lives worldwide. We can understand human rights and its initial role on politics through the example of higher rule denying citizens everyday rights, worldwide. In part icular, I will compare and contrast the theoretical perspectives of liberalism and realism, and assess that human rights can best be examined through liberalism due to its ability to bringRead MoreHuman Rights Is A Global Issue Essay1622 Words   |  7 Pages1 Human Rights play a role in everyone s life, but not everyone recognizes it. Human rights means being able to hold hands with the person you love without feeling shame, work where you are qualified to work without your skin color or sexual orientation being the reason you cannot; it means having the right to be human, making choices and mistakes. I hear and see these type of things every day; people being ignorant and neglecting the notion that all humans are equal. I often witness people inRead MoreThe Issues Affecting Human Rights759 Words   |  4 PagesQ1 Introduction The introduction will contain the definition of concepts used. There will be a discussion here on the situation of natural disasters in international human rights law. This section will conclude with an outline of the following sections. Issue The issues affecting human rights will be highlighted. These include: †¢ Sub-standard led to poor people being more affected by the earthquake than rich people; †¢ The lack of security in the camps have led to sexual assault; †¢ The camps areRead MoreHuman Rights Issues in China783 Words   |  3 Pagesthe surrounding world, but China has always been a very independent nation. One of the most controversial topics that is discussed worldwide being Human Rights, China has been known(notorious for) to disregarding them, even though there are International Human Rights Laws. The Chinese government has developed a system of internal laws regarding human rights, but don’t enforce them on their own citizens. As a result of this, the people of China don’t mind. It is an important part of Chinese culture toRead MoreIntensification of the Human Rights Issue in China1110 Words   |  4 PagesThe human rights issue in China is intensifying as China exercises limitations on dissidents and activists. Different reports on TV have clearly shown the restrictions towards issues as faith and religion as well as other issues related to the rights. In spite of the fast socio-economic change and the development that the technology is bringing, China is and continues to be a one-party, authoritarian state that obliges people not to be free. The freedoms of expression, the freedom to exercise