Abstract:

The CEFR Companion Volume elaborated on the concept of mediation, presenting illustrative descriptor scales that refer to a number of aspects such as communication and learning as well as social and cultural mediation. Although the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) developed the concept of mediation, it seemed to be reasonable to calibrate a number of descriptors that describe the abilities and skills of language learners at different levels of proficiency due to the fact that mediation combines reception, production and interaction.

English for Specific Academic Purposes contrasts with academic courses provided to university students whose major is English or general courses in the content and aims of the course. The difference is based on the students’ specific needs that should be identified by means of needs analysis. The concept related to specific vocabulary mapped on to general grammar has been broadened by the development of four communicative modes typical for ESAP. Apart from reading and writing academic texts related to specific scientific disciplines, it is important to focus on the way these texts are used in the target community. Therefore it is necessary to focus on developing language learners’ sociolinguistic and sociocultural competences.

Our research is based on the questionnaires distributed to university students attending ESAP courses in their doctoral studies with the aim to obtain detailed information about their previous language education. To design a course, it was necessary to be aware of their way of learning, influenced either by traditional or modern teaching. Their attitude to reading a text word by word, translating sentence by sentence, focusing on isolated words and grammatical rules rather than the message that is conveyed put forward the idea that it is necessary to change students’ approaches to language learning and the use of English for real-life purposes.

The article will present the data achieved from the questionnaires. After an analysis of the data, a number of activities will be piloted and evaluated with the aim to draw up a set of tips for tackling the discovered problems.

Keywords:

EASP, reading skills, mediation, sociolinguistics.