Abstract:

Communicative theory realised in practice acknowledges that learning a target language can be achieved through using it, focusing on meaning rather than form. In professional context, these language learners have commonly good receptive skills (mainly reading) but do not use a target language fluently and accurately either in written or spoken modes. Their reception is based on top-down knowledge as they are familiar with the topic and using this kind of information processing they are able to get the overall gist and important details needed for their professional purposes.

English for Specific Academic Purposes (ESAP) is a language course for (commonly adult) students with specific language learning goals related to their future academic or professional contexts. These courses are preceded by a careful research into the learners’ language needs that significantly influence the course programme. Based on the needs analysis, an ESAP programme was prepared for doctoral students (both full-time and part-time) and different approaches to language education were used in teaching healthcare professionals in the previous academic year. All the approaches can be characterised as learning-centred approaches due to their focus on understanding the process of language learning and the language learners’ needs.

The study, aimed at the efficiency of the learning-centred approaches such as task-based learning, text-based learning, genre-based learning or content-based learning, was conducted in an ESAP course in 2020-2021. The healthcare doctoral students were expected to learn English for their professional purposes, either academic or vocational. Based on the needs analysis, the course was designed to meet students’ wishes and expectations and therefore different learning approaches either process-based or product-based were introduced. The impact of different approaches was measured as well as discussed with the course attendees and the results will be analysed in the paper. Although the course was planned to be live, the pandemic situation caused that the course was delivered online. Despite the fact that doctoral students could work in groups and pairs in their breakout-rooms, some limits were recognised and will be mentioned and analysed in the paper.

Keywords:

English for Specific Academic Purposes, process-based teaching, product-based teaching, learning-centred approaches.