Approaches to

ESP Course Design

Edited by Hasanul Misbah, M.Pd.

 What is course design?
• Course design is the process of
interpreting the raw data describing the
learning needs to create an integrated
series of teaching-learning experiences
with the aim of providing the learners a
particular state of knowledge.

• Hutchinson, 1987.
 What is course design?
In short, all theoretical and empirical
information available are composed to
produce syllabus with learning goals,
designed materials, appropriate
methodologies and evaluation
procedures.
 What is approach?
• An approach is a way, a method, a
theoretical view of how something can be
organized, learnt or produced.
 Approaches to course design
• Language-centered approach

• Skills-centered approach

• Learning-centered approach

(Hutchinson, 1987)
1. Language centered approach

• It is the simplest and more familiar kind to

English teachers.

• It is particularly common in ESP.

1. Language centered approach

• It aims to draw as direct a connection as

possible between the analysis of the
target situation and the content of the
ESP course.

• The nature of target situation

performance determines ESP course.
1. Language centered approach
Target situation

Content of the ESP Course

1. Language centered approach

• Analysing the target situation and the

content of the ESP course
• But...
• Target situation data is sometimes at the
surface level.
• The competence is a little revealed.
• The process is static and inflexible.
 2. Skills-centered approach
Foreign students in U.S. were in difficulties
reading subject texts in English and
therefore a number of ESP projects were
created with the specific aim of developing
the students’ ability to read in Engish.
The skill centered approach based on
two fundamental principles

Focusing on the Discovering the

development of process that
learners’ skill and enables the learner
strategies to use to perform well in
English for their field target situation
and profession
upgrade
 The Example of ESP syllabus for
English for Business (skills centered)
• General objective (i.e. Performance level):
• The student will be able actively
participate in a business meeting.

• Specific objective (i.e. Competence level):

The student will be able to:
- do a quick self-introduction
- present an argument
- do business presentation
• So, the skills centered approach expects
that....

• the learners gain skills and strategies

which will continually develop after ESP
course ends

• The learners become better processors

of information
 How to analyze needs based on
the skills centered approach

Discovering the Discovering potential

underlying knowledge and
competence that abilities that the
enables learners to learners bring to the
perform in the ESP classroom
target situation
3. Learning centered approach
• Learning is totally determined by the
learner.
• Teacher is as an influencer/facilitator

• Learning is a process. What learners

know and are capable is matter for the
flow of the class
• A language centered approach says: This is the
nature of the target situation performance and
that will determine the ESP course.
• A skill centered approach says: That’s not
enough. We must look behind the target
performance data to discover what processes
enable someone to perform. Those processes
will determine the ESP course.
• A learning centered approach says: That’s not
enough either. We must look beyond the
competence that enables someone to perform,
because what we really want to discover is not
the competence itself, but how someone
acquires that competence.
 Think!
1. Based on those three approaches,
which one suits you the most?
2. Do you think it is relevant to consider
learners progress during teaching
process? Why & how?
 Think!
1. What is the difference between
performance and competence?
2. Why do performance and competence
matter?
3. How to measure, find or analyse the
learners’ performance and
competence?