Title (english) | A study of language practice activities and tasks in English language textbooks for marine engineers |
Author | Sandra Tominac Coslovich |
Author | Mirjana Borucinsky |
Author | Josip Luzer |
Editor | Vesna Vranić Kauzlarić |
Author's institution | University of Rijeka Faculty of Maritime Studies |
Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline | HUMANISTIC SCIENCES Philology Anglistics |
Abstract (english) | Choosing, developing, and implementing activities for teaching English as a foreign language (EFL), and particularly English for Specific Purposes (ESP), is a critical aspect of foreign language instruction. According to Gris Roca (2015), research into the selection of teaching materials for use in foreign language classrooms is necessary due to two essential assumptions. The first assumption is that classroom activities should never be detached from the cognitive aspect of learning. In other words, a particular type of activity will facilitate the acquisition of a particular type of knowledge. The second assumption is that all instructional materials possess the potential to promote learning. Consequently, a spectrum of activities exists, ranging from those primarily concerned with form and the acquisition of structural aspects of language to those concerned with the development of communicative competence, i.e., the four language skills: reading, listening, speaking, and writing. Naturally, some activities focus on both language structures and communicative competence. Given the fact that the foreign language instructor manages and administers the teaching materials, EFL teachers are responsible for providing learners with activities that promote balanced EFL learning. According to Gris Roca (2015), this argument addresses the possibility that learners may not develop the necessary communicative competences (that is, the ability to produce or comprehend language naturally and fluently) or accuracy in language use (the achievement of grammatical commitment) as a result of a biased implementation of focus-on-form versus focus-on-meaning activities in the classroom. The following book examines English language practice activities and tasks for marine engineers that are included in a number of current ME (Maritime English) textbooks. Numerous facets of instructional materials can be examined, and they can be classified in numerous ways (Cerezal, 1996; Gris Roca, 2015; Littlejohn, 2011, Richards and Rogers, 1986/2014). The activities extracted and examined in this book are classified according to Neuner’s (1985) typology of language practice activities, their form, purpose, and content, i.e., whether they promote guided or unguided (re)production of language, fluency or accuracy, acquisition of language systems (grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation), and/or development of communicative competence. Additionally, the language practice activities and tasks are analysed in light of the latest IMO Model Course 3.17 (2015) and its recommendations for the types of teaching activities and approaches to be applied when teaching Maritime English. Thus, the third chapter, following the introduction and the chapter describing the aim and methodology, deals with the notion of Maritime English as a special type of ESP (English for Specific Purposes) with a specific focus on marine engineering. The fourth chapter provides an overview of several teaching approaches recommended in the IMO Model Course 3.17, namely, the communicative approach (CLT), content-based instruction (CBI) and taskbased approach (TBA). This segment is additionally supplanted by a brief overview of Data Driven Learning (DDL), an approach that the authors of this book consider extremely beneficial for student-centered language learning advocated by the IMO Model Course 3.17 on ME. The fifth chapter gives an outline of various types of language practice activities and tasks based on Neuner’s (1985) typology of language practice activities, followed by the central part of the book (chapter 6), which discusses the results of an analysis of a sample collection of language practice activities and tasks extracted from a number of currently available English language textbooks for marine engineers. Based on the analysis results, the subsequent chapter (chapter 7) gives some recommendations on creating a balanced sequence of language practice activities and tasks and provides several sample patterns. Finally, the concluding chapter (chapter 8) offers final thoughts and recommendations. |
Keywords (english) | |
Language | english |
Publication type | Authored book-Scientific book-Scientific monograph |
Publication status | Published |
Peer review | Peer review - domestic |
Publication version | Published version |
Edition | 1. |
Pages | 151 |
ISBN | 978-953-165-139-4 |
URN:NBN | urn:nbn:hr:187:369407 |
Online first | 2023 |
Type of resource | Text |
Publisher | University of Rijeka, Faculty of Maritime Studies |
Publishing place | Rijeka |
Access conditions | Closed access |
Terms of use | |
Created on | 2023-07-24 09:43:34 |