Remember when I presented my needs analysis in class, I’d mentioned about the reason for designing the ESP course for the class was because I intended to propose the same ESP course for Foundation of Engineering Program at TATiUC. Guess what? Someone had revised it! Which is good… if only this person had created an ESP course for the engineering students that is. Last week when I went to visit TATiUC, a colleague of mine, Ms. Bee informed me that Mr. Zoom, English lecturer cum General Subjects Co-ordinator had revised the syllabus and included Mass Communication theories (in public speaking topic) and speech writing in the content. What would engineering students who work as technicians, assistant engineers etc. do with Mass Communication theories and writing speeches? Personally, I think the students would be better off with the knowledge and skills on how to deliver good presentations at the workplace and how to use English effectively in performing their job functions at work. But hey…that’s just me, a Master’s student who is still struggling with assignments, tests, projects, research papers and thesis her own. Who am I to argue with Mr. Zoom the General Subjects Coordinator who possessed Master of Education in TESL from UPSI. And you wanna know what’s the best part of it all? Mr. Zoom urged the other three English lecturers to propose the syllabus to MQA as soon as possible before I return to work and do some damages. Ms. Bee and the other English lecturers disagreed with the content of the new syllabus but followed along. “He’s the boss. Sapa berani?” (Ms. Bee’s own words). I guess he knew I would enroll in this course and learned how to analyze students’ needs in learning English language heheh.. That’s why he said that.

Anyhow, clearly Mr. Zoom has not analyzed the needs of these engineering students for learning English. In fact, I think he created the syllabus based on what he thought the students may need. Hence, I intend to show him the questionnaires that I forced my fiancé and his colleagues (some are TATiUC former students) at AE Technologies Sdn. Bhd. (Balakong, Selangor) to fill up and a copy of the needs analysis I’d written for Theories and Practices in ESP course in the attempt to revise the syllabus again! Because of this class, I am now prepared going to a battle with Mr. Zoom - fighting for an ESP course that meet the needs of engineering students when they take up employment in the near future.

p/s: Mr. Zoom has a Degree in Mass Communication. ;=)

Hate them, Understand them, Love them

I remembered when I was assigned to be the class teacher of form 3 Mutiara(2005). It was the most challenging class I have ever taught. Those who were expelled from other schools and those who were expelled from our school, came back in, expelled again and came back in again are all in the class. The boys are well known for their rude and obnoxious behaviour, and the girls, well… I guess they know about make-up and sex better than I do.

I was so worried because I really have no idea how to approach this group of 38 Malay teenagers. I’ve no experience mixing with this type of people my entire life. The first day I came to class the boys started showing their true colours. They made fun and mocked their friends and me. I wanted to explode, but this was only the first day and I didn’t want to start on the wrong foot. I was going to be their class teacher for the rest of the year!

Where teaching is concerned, all teachers in the school dreaded to enter the class. Some of them entered but never bothered to teach. Their reasons were, the students were not interested to learn, too stupid to be taught and teach them anything and they would still fail.

I started the lesson by asking them their ambition, hope and expectation in education and in life. I told them every teacher in the school wanted to help them and wanted to see that they actually become useful human being. I persuaded them that the only way to change their future was through education. They promised me that they would try to change their behaviour.

I admit that I took months to understand the needs of these students. Perhaps that was because I didn't learn ESP before. I didn't know the proper way to conduct needs analysis. Anyway, for this particular class, I was not worry if I finish or even follow the syllabus or not. I taught to prepare these kids for the future (So that they can at least get a job at Starbuck). So, in their case, I used primary 2 and 3 English books. Surprisingly, they liked the books because they knew that they could do and understand the exercises. Once in a while, I will use forms 1, 2 or 3 books with them just to give them some challenges.

I learned from my experience. As teachers, we MUST always understand our learners’ capability and their expectations of us. Often we, teachers expect the students to meet our expectations – Yes, you can do that IF you have analysed and understood you learners’ capability.

As for their social problem, well, I try not to judge them based on what they do with their life outside the school. I treated all of them equally. Even though I could not change them totally, I think my accomplishment was at least they listen to me in my class, do my work and respect me as their teacher. And by the way, I met a few of them working at Starbuck, Kenny Rogers and Pizza Hut - speaking to customers in English. Now I know exactly where to go for discounts ;)

Beyond Average

To relate to Idot's situation in dealing her mature student, I must agree that we teachers have to kinda find a way or best, a solution to engage with this considered "special" student. In teaching those beyond average age students sometimes cause a hay wire. I do have studentS - mostly African - who are 30+ and yet they have to take the foundation English! Just imagine,they have to learn those basic grammar and sit in the class full of "kids". I do pity them and I dont even want to tell them that I am younger. Most of them were either English teachers in primary school or diploma holders back then in their country. Each and everytime they would be the one who ALWAYS know the answer and would finish the exercises given. Sometimes, they even argue with me of certain grammar rules and way of pronunciation and all.. Fuuh... But knowing the fact how English was brought into their education system (which I just discovered when doing Dr.Richard's class presentation), I didn't simply said they were wrong. Instead, I explain the "genuine" one and told them why they view it as different from what they supposed to. Indeed, I must say it a frustrated - for them to know the reality. But to think about my professionalim, I cant let these "beyond average" age students to think or to tell the young students that 'teacher is wrong' or worse, 'teacher is stupid'.

I dont see much positive outcome when the 30-ish students have to sit in class with the 18,19 and 20-ish students. In my case, these mature students were those who would always give "the look" and have an attitude in class. Thus, in a way they disrupt the class and make me feel uncomfortable. Though not all of them caused problems, majority did. In one of my colleagues' class for example, there was this one mature student who were a teacher and after dealt with few arguments with her - about English - the only solution was to exempted her from the course.

So, a question to ponder here... is it suitable to place more mature or "beyond average" age student(s) together with young, energetic, want to know all and a lil bit slower in one class

and why there's STILL an unwanted or less desired course designed for the students???

unique = ESP

It caught my brain to think more profoundly about ESP when Kak Annie told the class that she didn't follow the syllabus when she was teaching in Akademi Laut Malaysia (if I'm not mistaken this is the correct place). She needs to teach all the Captains and the content of the syllabus are basically focusing on grammar, while the learners are not really needing this. Thus, she located the needs of learners precisely and cone out with her course design. The result? The Captains asked her where she did her Masters. One brilliant idea I got from her experience. The moral of the story here is that the original inventor of the course did not do the homework. How can you teach someone who is already well verse of content, the same content over and over again, wthout making them feel annoyingly bored?

This reminds me of a student that I am currently teaching. As you know, I am teaching in INTEC, which means that I am teaching those brilliant, young, excitedly wanting to go abroad students. Most of them are 17, 18 and 19 years old. however, in one of my classes, among all the 17s, 18s and 19s years old students, there is one private student (while the rest are sponsored), 23 years old boy and he is like only 2 years younger than me. From the very beginning of the class, I somehow can sense from his attitudes and physical that he doesn't want to be there. simply because he is sorrounded by students acting more like children to them. He constantly will have this look on his face showing that he is just simply bored. I noticed this from the very first time I went to the class. There and then I know, I have to do something about this. After a while, he is absence from classes and this has ben going on for a while. I don't know about other lecturers, I am sure they are very good at this, but I can see that that boy, likes to study on his own. He is a brilliant student and what I do is i text and call him for everything. Assignments, due of assignments and even when I need to see him for consultations. He will not make it for class, but he will come to me for consultatons.

Basically, what I did here, is to design a course specifically and especially for this special student. He used to be top students in MRSM and MMU. When asked to do a small investigation (matriculations level), he came out with a Masters' level research. Yet, he is a student of mine, located in a class full of students who are still naive and asking for everything.

~Irda Haryani Tahir~

Genre Analysis

Sounds familiar after all the struggle(S) in Prof. Haz's class... (phew). I have something to share with you on genre analysis, happy reading!!
http://www.linguist.org.cn/doc/su200511/su20051106.pdf

It really is important to run an analysis on the needs of the learners before actually implementing it on them. I had the experience of teaching a module created by certain individuals without them being aware of what the learners of the course need from that particular course. In fact, what I had to teach during that semester was what they had learnt in their previous semester. Can you imagine how bored the students were; having to learn something which they already know, and maybe some, knew the subject at the back of their palm? When my students asked me why they had to learn what they were already taught in previous semester I really had a hard time giving logical explanations. Seriously, the students were not dump to not notice that there was something wrong with the management somewhere and it definitely wasn’t a pretty scene at all to see or hear them complaining to the higher management regarding this matter. Trying to find an explanation to this, I had to ask the right people to explain to me what was really going on. And true enough, every module which was under that particular faculty was hay wire. Why? Because nobody really knew what the learners need and need not learn. They just verbally instructed people to come up with modules for these purposes and for that purposes without considering if that was what the learners need in class. Therefore, it really is vital for us educators to run a need analysis on the learners before executing our so called ‘first-rate’ ideas.

Diane Sima a.k.a Cheyenne