Designing an ESP course for a group of employees working in the field of banking in Vietnam: A needs-based approach

Abstract

ABSTRACT A growing need for English as the international language to improve effective communication has been emphasized in the context of Vietnam, especially among banking professionals, as a result of market globalization and integration. Moreover, it is recently believed that General English courses are insufficient in facilitating the learners to perform job-related communicative functions at work. With considerable concerns about this situation, the researchers conducted a study titled “Designing an ESP course for a group of employees working in the field of banking in Vietnam: A needs-based approach”. The research aimed at scrutinizing and analyzing the needs of banking professionals from different banks in Vietnam so as to determine an appropriate designing approach to an applicable ESP course for the group of learners. The methods adopted comprised both quantitative and qualitative methods, including questionnaires, test, interviews and document reviews to evaluate the information from numerous aspects and hence ensure the validity as well as the reliability of the research. The study yielded significant findings in response to the proposed questions. Firstly, it can be inferred from the analyzed data that the teaching method will be applied in the course is Communicative approach due to the types of tasks the learners have to deal with at work as well as their high demand on improving communicative competence. Secondly, content-based approach which integrates practical tasks will be employed to design the syllabus as it is expected to expose students to the language naturally and provide them with experience in coping with real-life tasks. Thirdly, the role of teachers and learners in this course is different from that in traditional course since the learners no longer depend completely on teachers for knowledge. They themselves will take the major responsibility for their study. Last but not least, the book “Career Path: Banking, Book 2” will be utilized as the core materials of content based on objective and subjective analysis of the book.