SOME INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO ESP/EAP COURSES IN POSTGRADUATE PROGRAMMES

The goal of this paper is to present some innovative approaches to course design and methods in teaching English for Specific Purposes (ESP) and English for Academic Purposes (EAP) in postgraduate programmes. The approaches are in line with priorities accentuated in the current foreign language teaching methodology, ranging from beliefs connected with the so-called postmethod concept to the necessity of rethinking English Language Teaching (ELT) goals and methods in connection with the role of English as a lingua franca. On the one hand, the approaches that have been among the most accentuated ones in the latest ELT methodology give teachers lots of freedom and flexibility, on the other hand they presuppose a high level of teacher autonomy and confidence. The latter can be supported by collaboration with partners – teachers and students – from abroad, making intercultural competence not only a required but also very natural component of the course syllabus.

The core of the paper lies in examples illustrating innovative approaches to language learning and teaching carried out at the Language Centre of the University of Pardubice, Czech Republic. They include designing new courses, modules, or methods of testing in the area of ESP and EAP. These are based on the research and experience of the local staff as well as the expertise of their partners from other universities throughout the country and abroad, e.g. in the UK, Finland or Spain.