Introduction to an English for Specific

Purposes Curriculum for Bank Call

Center Executives
By
Eduardo Martínez Reyes

Diseño de Proyectos Educativos

Final Project

Licenciatura en Lenguas Modernas – Inglés

Facultad de Lenguas y Letras
Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro

December 2013
 Martínez Reyes |2

Index.
Introduction . . . . . . . . . 3

Justification . . . . . . . . . 5

Needs analysis . . . . . . . . 6

Observation . . . . . . . . 6

Single Interview . . . . . . . 7

Questionnaires . . . . . . . 7

Situation Analysis . . . . . . . . 11

Aims and objectives . . . . . . . 12

Syllabus . . . . . . . . . 14

Conclusions . . . . . . . . . 19

References . . . . . . . . . 20

Appendices . . . . . . . . . 21
 Martínez Reyes |3

Introduction
In the last years, the tendency of more and more specialized jobs has grown

exponentially. Better working positions need more prepared applicants in most areas

of knowledge. This includes language mastery: Engineers, doctors, nurses,

executives, and even workers are being forced to learn a new language, in order to

get or to keep their jobs. This goes with hand with the modern phenomena of

migration: when a company wishes to expand to other countries, they choose to

send their own workers to train or lead the new companies worldwide. English

became fundamental tool in almost every working environment, in a globalized

society it is the third-most-common native language in the world, after Mandarin

Chinese and Spanish (Ethologue) Being so widely spoken, it has often been referred

to as a "world language", the lingua franca of the modern era, and while it is not an

official language in most countries, it is currently the language most often taught as a

foreign language. It is, by international treaty, the official language for aeronautical

and maritime communications. English is one of the official languages of the United

Nations and many other international organizations, including the International

Olympic Committee. (Graddol). As the economies in several countries keep

developing, so does the number of English speakers in non-English speaking

countries. English teaching schools were over flooded with new students indicating

a logical fact: most schools were prepared to teach conventional conversational and

even touristic English, in courses designed to have some academic level (which

suited perfectly for students who wished to study abroad) but they became

insufficient for professionals in search of language learning to fit to their working

needs.
 Martínez Reyes |4

Syllabus needed to be adjusted according to students’ needs to make it practical

and suitable for the working environment. This is how English for Specific Purposes

is created. English teaching professionals now could focus in creating a syllabus

according to a specific market area rather than just creating a general conversational

course in the hope this would fulfill students communication needs.

What separates ESP from other specialized English teaching areas is “...the

analysis of specific language skill needs; specific genres and language related to

target market; and methodology reflecting the discipline(s) or professions to which

the language needs relate. While generally offered at the level of higher education,

ESP is also provided in the workplace or in adult education, and may be adapted for

secondary education.” (Dudley-Evans)

The most important characteristics in ESP and the one that separate it from all

other teaching forms is the needs analysis which “…is based on the activities that

the learner has to perform in English, which is only the first step. ESP goes beyond

and analyzes the genres and language involved in each skill needed and establishes

the underlying methodology of the discipline or profession of the learner.” (Dudley-

Evans) .

The following project states the first steps in my attempt of creating an ESP

course. This course will be oriented in two joined areas: banking and call center

employees. This course is been created in a non-English speaking country and it

was oriented as EFL course, directed to adult students with a variety of education

levels and English knowledge levels.

 Martínez Reyes |5

Justification
Experts calculate that the number of foreign banks in Mexico has increase

exponentially in the latest years. In 2000, 53.2% of banks in Mexico were controlled

by foreign owners or companies (Correa and Maya) bringing with them, some of their

clients who as one can guess tend to speak English, even when it is not their first

language. The result is the need of their employees to have at least, some basic

conversational skills and be familiarized with banking, online banking and economics

terminology.

In Queretaro, there are 16 banking institutions, with around 149 branch offices,

from which 109 are concentrated in the metropolitan area, with at least 2000 workers

(Oropeza). This has increased the in baking possibilities in the state and therefore,

the amount of workers who need English for specific Purposes. One bank in specific

has contributed in the offer of jobs in the city: Santander. By moving its national

offices into the city, it has created a great amount of jobs. Also it has established its

call center for user service internationally. The need of having executives capable of

managing English conversation and solving banking problems became evident.

 Martínez Reyes |6

Needs analysis
In order to accurately design a syllable to suit Baking Call Center needs, it was

necessary to create some instruments to obtain information about the degree of

English proficiency possessed by students and the one which will be our specific

goal. This section describes the instruments used to do such observation and the

consequent analysis which leads to the creating on a syllabus in ESP.

The first procedure was an observation of some areas which would need the

creation of a syllabus on ESP. Several areas were considered: engineering, baking,

services, tourism, and aeronautics.

Observation

As the city of Queretaro became an economical center in Mexico, this due to

increase of foreign companies establishing in the state. The logical result was an

increase in the banking institution within the state, providing job opportunities for

locals. One sector became the point of interest: call centers. As the banks started to

migrate to the state, so did their call centers. A work position which seemed to be not

to required many specific qualifications (the company just required high school

degrees), changed gradually to be an international position in which the training

provided by the company became insufficient. As more and more foreign clients

needed the call center services, so became evident the need to have employees

with some English proficiency, especially in banking terminology.

Also must of workers, as it has been already mentioned, just had a high school

degree (although most of them are still studying to a major degree in several areas)

and their English skills were really uneven.

 Martínez Reyes |7

Single interview

Second step was to interview a call center employee who has been working in the

company for a considerable amount of time. Mrs. Margarita Reyes has been an

employee in that call center for about six years now and could provide some more

specific data about the needs and the needed English proficiency in their position.

She commented that even when most of their work is in their native language

(Spanish), at least 15%1 of the calls received are made by foreign clients and 70% of

these are made in English. She explains the difficulty of finding a co-worker inside

the call center able to manage the call, and when they do, they do it in a really basic

level and it is obvious the lack of proficiency in English (unsteady grammar, wrong

pronunciation and wrong vocabulary). The tendency is that the personnel capable of

a least respond in basic way to these callers, do it with a really basic level of English

and they do not know most of the vocabulary needed to work with their clients.

Base in this data, the need for more tangible information became a priority; having

just the point of view a single worker was not enough to determine the real needs for

the specific market. The next step was to create an instrument to analyze deeper

individual needs.2

Questionnaires

The first step was to create a questionnaire in which the specific needs of the

target market could be analyzed as well as figure out what future needs could be

also involved in the matter. The questionnaire also included some questions referring

to students’ previous and current knowledge of English. (Appendix 1)

1
These data does not obey no any formal investigation or survey, it is the result of the respondent opinion and
personal point of view
2
It was impossible to analyze the needs of the entire call center, due to safety policies in the company. So, by
the own accord, a group of 10 people approach the author and give information about their jobs respecting
the company’s privacy policy.
 Martínez Reyes |8

The first section of the questionnaire focusses on the student’s special needs for

his job like: working positions, reasons and motivations to be in that job. The main

purpose was to find useful information to create the syllabus, focusing in present and

future needs that may appear.

4 The first section of the questionnaire

3.5
3 shows a rank of ages between 20 and
2.5
58 years old. The data reveals that the
2
1.5 Series1 course must design in such an
1
0.5 eclectical way so it may include the
0
18 - 20 20 -25 30 -40 40 and entire member in the group which can
years years years more
old old old years
old reduce the use of modern tools. It also

must fit the learning styles according to their ages.

The second chart shows some

7
mixability in the group, due to the degree 6
5
of schooling among the members. Even 4
3
when the lowest level is high school,
2
Schooling
some of them are already getting a 1
0
university degree or are about to do it. l l l y l
hoo hoo hoo rsit hoo
Sc Sc Sc ive Sc
ary ary igh Un ted
The chart shows that the classes must be t d H a
en con adu
m r
Ele Se G
focused to middle school students in

order to standardize the lessons given. Other results include the degree of

permanence in the job. 70 percent of the students reported this as an eventual job.

While the other 30 percent hopes to remain in their current position as long as

possible. This result in a higher motivation to acquire a high level of proficiency of

English focused in their working environment.

 Martínez Reyes |9

The questionnaire revealed that all of the prospects are developing in the

Customer help area. That means helping clients to solve most common problems

such as:

 Account balances
 Stopping a check
 Hear recent transactions
 Order Statements
 Renew or change information
 Make Payments
 Check status inquiries
 Transfer money funds
Other specific needs are going to be added as the course marches on.
6 About English background, the
5
analysis showed that must of the
4
participants placed themselves in a
3
basic-intermediate level. The
2
reported that that they are capable
1
to understand basic conversations
0
Currently Studied 1 Studied 3 Studied and common vocabulary. The
studying year ago years ago. more than
3 years ago.
graphic shows the time what

passes since the last time the studied English, being the older group the one with

more time without studying English in any way or form.

The questionnaire also shows that the frequency of English used in their jobs is

frequent but not absolutely necessary to perform their basic tasks. It also shows

that even when speaking and listening are quite important, the most helpful ones

are writing and reading, more information is then required to establish the plan of
 Martínez Reyes |10

action to take with the group. The next step followed was interviews with all (or

almost all of the prospects).

Second Questionnaire

The second questionnaire tries to give the prospect a better chance to openly

express their specific needs about the course. Plus it provides the author with a

better overview of the individual interests from prospects.

The questionnaire showed that must of prospects are willing to take a course and

they expect to have the minimum tools required to understand the capacitation

provide to them in their jobs (such as terminology, and understating of the

computer procedures, which are named in English, in order to facilitate the

access and response time during a call) and be able to solve the most common

needs from clients (listed above). It also revealed that the preference of the time

and frequency for the course was once a week (Saturdays), in morning for 4

hours.

Some relevant comments include the importance of good pronunciation as an

improvement in fluency and accuracy when speaking, an issue stated in most of

the surveys.
 Martínez Reyes |11

Situation Analysis
Due to the characteristics of the needs of the prospects and the nature of their

jobs, it is necessary a brief analysis of the situation where the course will take place.

Their jobs need to follow a strict confidentiality level. As bank workers, students

have access to internal procedures from the bank and great knowledge of bank’s

information which, if revealed, could lead to penal actions from the superiors. All

information in the course: grammar, vocabulary, situations, and topics must be

provide as a general course for financial English and not directly applied to the

current working place. Though some ideas may be taken from students’ needs, no

direct information about the bank is required and should not be discussed during

class.
 Martínez Reyes |12

Aims and Objectives

This section describes the aims and objectives for the learners and instructor in

this syllabus to achieve. The section states the aims in general forms in terms of

general language skills, it tries to include all five skills in language: speaking,

listening, writing, reading and understanding.

The major goal of this curriculum is that students will be able to understand

language for Banking and Financial Call Center when spoken or written to them, and

to produce language when addressing clients, trainers orally to achieve clients’

satisfaction and personal development. The specific aims follow:

Students in the course will:

1. Improve their ability to understand and produce oral and written English as

used with colleagues, trainers and specially clients.

2. Give general knowledge to develop within the financial area in their current or

any future job.

3. Develop knowledge about English language and American culture in order to

understand clients, as well as trainers’ background and interact with them.

Objectives

Speaking 1. Students will be able to communicate accurately with clients

in order to clarify any problems during a phone call to the

working place.

2. Students will improve their fluency and pronunciation, as

well as volume and naturalness in order to have provided

clients with a good service experience.

 Martínez Reyes |13

3. Students will be able to express information while talking

with clients.

4. Students will be able to manage phone conversations and

used formal English while talking with clients

Listening 1. Students will be able to understand client’s needs

complaints and desires in order to provide a complete

service during a phone call.

2. Students will be able to understand financial and banking

related vocabulary to achieve accuracy when interacting

with clients and being trained.

Reading 1. Students will be able to identify core vocabulary words in

financial and banking manuals and handouts.

2. Students will be able to grasp general information in

document related to their area of interest (financial and

banking texts).

Writing 1. Students will be able to spell words related to financial and

banking correctly.

2. Students will be able to write small notes about situations in

calls that need to be reported.

 Martínez Reyes |14

Syllabus
This section details the syllabus created in ESP for Financial and Banking to be

taught. It is important to clarify that the following syllabus was meant to be followed by

the teacher, a Spanish version of it will be hand to students as soon as the course starts

(though the English version could also be delivered if the teachers wishes to do so). The

course is planned as once a week course with four hours classes. In order to have to

some freedom in the administration of the classes, the dates were omitted and replaced

for the sequential order listed in a numerical order, that is, “class 1”, “class 2”.

So topics can be easily related one to the other, which is why the appeared joined

but with the note of having enough time to deliver the class.

Evaluation

There will be three evaluation instruments:

1. Oral quizzes 30 %

2. Written Quizzes 30 %

3. Classroom assessment. 40%

Oral quizzes

A group of questions or situations will be provided to each student, who, in pairs,

will discuss or answer the questions. In this evaluation we will evaluate:

1. Communication: Ability to comprehend, interacts, and makes himself or herself

understood, volume, and pronunciation.
2. Grammar: Accurate use of grammar structures.
3. Vocabulary: Correct and effective use of vocabulary
4. Fluency: Speed, flow, naturalness, and comfort with the words
 Martínez Reyes |15

Written quizzes

Written quizzes will be applied after oral quizzes. This would evaluate: listening,

reading, spelling, grammar.

Classroom assessment

This will evaluate, class participation, interaction, self-correction, peer-correction

and group correction. Also the ability to understand and make one’s self understood.

Students must attend to at least 80 % of the hours previous the exam in order to be

able to apply the exam.

 Martínez Reyes |16

Lesson Title Learning Objectives. Target vocabulary Grammar

1 Personal  Ask and provide First, Last (surname) and full

personal names. Alphabet (review). Simple present and simple past of
(2 information
information. Numbers and phone
classes) Be, (review)
 Share email numbers, ZIP Code,
address and Common e-mail characters, Possessive adjectives.

phone numbers. Address (street, avenue,

 Confirm address boulevard, city, country)

 Check birth dates

.
2 Phone  Formal Greetings. Dial tone, operator, star key,
(2 class) conversations.  Formal pound key, switchboard, to Simple present and present

introductions. dial, to hang up the phone. continuous (review)

 Basic telephone To put (one) through, “Could Can vs. could

expressions. you hold on?” “Could you

 Institutional wait? Thank you for calling to

greetings. ___, (one’s name) speaking.

 Interrupting and How can I help you? Just a

restarting a minute,

conversation
 Martínez Reyes |17

3 Banking  Talk about past ATM, Bank Balance,

(2 events. Charges, Statement, Bounce, Simple Past and past continuous.
classes)  Talk about users’ Cash, checkbook, debt,
basic banking expense, insurance, interest,
concepts. loan, NSF (not sufficient
found), payee, tax, traveler’s
check, withdraw.

4 Within a call  Use infinitives to Abandoned Call, Answered

1 class center. give reasons. Call, Automatic call Infinitives

 Ask and give distributor, Beep Tone, Should, could and need to for

advice. Benchmarking, Calls in advice and suggestions

 Talk about call- Queue, Customer Service,

center operations. Delay Time, Escalation
Protocol, Off-Peak.

5 The process  Talk about errands Account Agreement, Account

1 class within a bank. and solving Holder, Annual Percentage Causatives get and have
problems. Rate (APR), Annual
 Talk about things Percentage Yield (APY),
you do yourself Annuity. Automatic Bill
and things you get Payment, Balance Transfer,
 Martínez Reyes |18

done somewhere Cashier's Check, Credit Card

else. Account Agreement, Credit
 Talk bank Card Issuer, Insufficient
procedures Funds,

6 Frauds and  Speculating Internet dating, Online “job”

1 class scams. about current scam, Online trading, Used of modals must, can and
events. skimming, phantom caller, could to speculate

 identity theft, fraudster,

phishing, spyware, Trojan,
viruses, worms,
7 Going over the  Talk about
1 class bank statement. previous Present Perfect Simple.
experiences and Affirmative, negative and
events. interrogative.

 Reading and Use of already, yet and still

interpreting a
bank statement.
 Martínez Reyes |19

Conclusions
The present project is has been of great used in order to fully understand all the

process required to create an ESP course. Although this project is just a small part of

the work that it takes to create a syllabus it has showed the following:

Needs analysis is fundamental when developing an English program, not only for

ESP courses, but in general terms. Making classes students’ needs focused leads

to a more meaningful learning process and may help to create autonomous

learners.

ESP also promotes motivation, by looking at real useful situations; students gain

confidence and understand the importance of the language.

ESP can also open a new market to English teachers and not just rely in the

school methods were, sometimes, is not objective oriented.

 Martínez Reyes |20

References
Beare, Kenneth. "About.com." 2013. English as 2nd language: Banking and Financial Industry. 16
November 2013.
<http://esl.about.com/od/businessenglishvocabulary/a/lx_bankstocks1.htm>.

Correa, Eugenia and Claudia Maya. 2000. PDF. 29 November 2013.

<http://www.redcelsofurtado.edu.mx/archivosPDF/correa3.pdf>.

Dudley-Evans, Tony. «An Overview of ESP in the 1990s.» 01 de January de 1998. ERIC: Institute of
Education Sciences. PDF. 20 de November de 2013.
<http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED424775.pdf>.

Ethologue. 29 de April de 1999. 1 de December de 2013.

Global Response. Contact Center Lexicon. 2013. 15 November 2013.

<http://www.globalresponse.com/resource-center/the-call-center-glossary/>.

Graddol, David. «http://www.britishcouncil.org/de/learning-elt-future.pdf.» 15 de April de 2007. The

British Council. 30 de November de 2013.

Hutchinson, Tom and Adam Waters. English For Specific Purposes: A learning-centred approach.
Glasgow: Cambridge University Press, 1991. PDF.

KiwiBank. 2013. 10 Decembe 2013. <http://www.kiwibank.co.nz/about-us/>.

Maher, Mackenzie. "How to Read your Bank Statemen." 2013. IGrad Intel. Website. December 2013.
<http://www.igrad.com/articles/how-to-read-your-bank-statement>.

McCarthy, Michael, Jeanne McCarten and Helen Sandiford. Touchstone: Teacher's Edition. New York:
Cambridge University Press, 2008.

Office of the Comptroller of the Currency: U.S Departament of Treasury. Dictionary of Banking Terms
and Phrases. 2013. 15 November 2013.

Oropeza, Alejandra. «Querétaro posee alta bancarización.» El Economista (2013). 22 de November

de 2013. <http://eleconomista.com.mx/estados/2013/08/18/queretaro-posee-alta-
bancarizacion>.

Quizzlet. Personal Finance Chapter 7 Vocabulary: Banking Services - Where to Stash Your Cash. 2013.
14 November 2015. <http://quizlet.com/12298606/personal-finance-chapter-7-vocabulary-
banking-services-where-to-stash-your-cash-flash-cards/>.

Vocabulary: Banking and Money. 2013. 15 November 2013.

<http://www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/vocabulary-lesson-
banking.php#.UqT8jtLuKzA>.
 Martínez Reyes |21

Appendices
Appendix 1

Cuestionario sobre necesidades del idioma inglés para trabajadores en un “Call Center”

Edad: _________

Último grado de estudios: ______________________________.

Información Laboral

1. ¿Cuánto tiempo lleva laborando en la empresa?

2. ¿Cuál fue el motivo para entrar a dicha empresa?

3. ¿Dentro de sus planes de desarrollo profesional contempla la posibilidad de una carrera en

el mismo rubro?

4. ¿Cómo clasifica su empleo actual?

a) Es un empleo definitivo b) Es un trabajo eventual

5. ¿Cuáles son las funciones en su puesto?

Conocimientos de Inglés

1. ¿En qué medida considera que es necesario el uso del idioma inglés dentro de sus

funciones?

a) Muy necesario b) Necesario c)Poco necesario d) Nada necesario

2. ¿Qué tan frecuente es el uso del idioma Inglés en su área de trabajo?

a) Muy frecuente b) Frecuente c) Poco frecuente d) Nada frecuente

3. ¿Conoce la nacionalidad de la mayoría de los clientes que atiende diariamente?

a) Sí b) No

4. En caso afirmativo, ¿Cuál es la mayoría de las nacionalidades de sus clientes?

5. ¿Qué habilidades del idioma inglés son más necesarias en su puesto?

 Martínez Reyes |22

a) Hablar y escuchar b) Leer y escribir c) Todas las anteriores

6. ¿Tiene conocimientos del idioma Inglés?

a) Sí b) No

7. ¿Estudia o ha estudiado inglés?

8. En su opinión ¿Cuál es su nivel de inglés?

a) Profesional b) Avanzado c) Intermedio d) Básico e) Nulo

9. ¿Hace cuánto tiempo?

a) Estudio inglés actualmente b) Hace un año c) Hace 3 años d) Hace más de 3

años.

10. ¿Cómo realizo su aprendizaje del idioma inglés?

a) En escuela b) En un instituto especializado de idiomas c) Viví en un país

donde se habla inglés d) De forma autodidacta.

 Martínez Reyes |23

Appendix 2

Cuestionario 2

1. ¿Qué esperaría un curso de inglés enfocado a supuesto?

______________________________________________________________________

2. ¿En qué áreas de su puesto son más necesarios sus habilidades en inglés?
_____________________________________________________________________

3. ¿Qué tan dispuesto estaría para tomar un curso de inglés?

a) Completamente dispuesto. B) Necesitaría una clase muestra. C) Solo si es
obligatorio por parte dela empresa.

4. ¿Con que frecuencia podría tomar sus clases?

a) De Lunes a Viernes b) Dos días por semana (a elegir) c) Los días sábados

5. ¿Qué horarios serían más cómodos para usted?

a) Una hora por la tarde b) Una hora por la mañana c) 4 hrs por la mañana
(Sábados)

6. Si tiene cualquier comentario sírvase comentarlo en el Siguiente espacio.

_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________.