A systematic approach to designing English for very specific academic purposes materials tailored to a specific course in the main subject of a higher degree.

Abstract

This research looks at an area of materials design where little research has previously been conducted: English for very specific academic purposes (EVSAP). The research looks at related literature in EAP, ESP and ESAP, conducts a multi-stakeholder needs analysis, and incorporates the students into the materials design process itself. An analysis of the assignment brief and an interview with the unit lead of the chosen course in Digital Marketing were conducted, to identify aspects of academic writing and individual teaching activities that were beneficial to the course. The data gained from the interview were then used to create a questionnaire, which was distributed to students for completion. The data from the questionnaire were then processed into units of time; these units were then used to create the material’s structure. Discussion of how to construct a framework for EVSAP materials design is included, as well as the completed framework itself and a rationale for its format. Finally, the conclusion discusses the scope and limitation of the model, such as its application in other contexts or with different cohort sizes.

Keywords

• English for very specific academic purposes
• materials design
• embedded learning development
• needs analysis