ESP Summative (2)
ESP Summative (2)
Summer 2024
In the realm of customer service English, this ESP project targets professionals
across industries like retail, hospitality, call centers, and online support services,
managers. With a diverse cohort of seven participants aged 30-35, this group
expanding beyond basic vocabulary and grammar. Essential skills for customer
inspiration from structured ESP frameworks such as Susan Bosher's "English for
cross-cultural nursing" which was taken from Woodrow (2018), this project
simulate real-world scenarios, the project aims to equip participants with the
satisfaction.
Learners
The participants for this ESP course are individuals working in customer service
roles across various industries such as retail, hospitality, call centers, and online
client relations managers, and people who directly interact with customers to
Among the seven students aged between 30-35 years old, there is a varied
everyday situations.
The other half of the group has primarily learned English through schools and
universities, achieving a proficiency level around B1. They are familiar with
clearly and confidently in English. This course aims to cater to their specific needs
responsibilities.
test was administered. This test aimed to evaluate their understanding of grammar,
usage of vocabulary, and comprehension skills. The results of the diagnostic test
vocabulary and a few basic tenses. Identifying these areas of strength and areas
needing improvement will guide the customization of the course content to meet
the specific needs of each learner, ensuring targeted and effective learning
outcomes.
Language Skills Needed: Typically, participants in customer service roles need to
have a varied range of language skills and possess a basic to intermediate level of
English proficiency, sufficient for daily interactions. Their skills may include
develop these kinds of specific language skills to effectively perform their duties:
composing emails, chat messages, or social media responses with clarity and
correctness.
diverse backgrounds.
Overall, the goal of this ESP course is to equip learners with the language skills
Selected Example:
From Woodrow (2018), I have selected the "English for cross-cultural nursing"
Justification:
Adopting the framework from the "English for cross-cultural nursing" example
will help in structuring the ESP project for customer service English by:
development.
Suggesting effective teaching methodologies and assessment strategies that
By using this framework, I can ensure that the ESP project for customer service
organizational success.
Needs Analysis
thorough needs analysis to precisely identify and address the language and
needs analysis can be a helpful tool for making the lessons relevant to their needs
language gaps and the types of communication skills they require, as it was
content.
best practices in ESP course design. In addition, proficiency tests aim to determine
Justification: Task analysis will enable me to tailor the course content to directly
address the practical challenges participants face in their roles, enhancing their
mentioned that empirical data collected from authentic task observations help to
In designing the ESP course tailored for customer service professionals in the
context of English for Specific Purposes (ESP), I will adopt a case-study approach
informed by current research and best practices. The design will aim to effectively
participants in their customer-facing roles across diverse industries. The case study
approach for the ESP course in customer service English is designed to provide
participants with practical, real-world scenarios that reflect their daily challenges
participants' industries (e.g., retail, hospitality, call centers) and their specific roles
Rationale: Case studies will integrate all essential language skills (listening,
speaking, reading, writing) within the context of customer service tasks. This
scenarios. The integration of language skills in case studies aligns with the broader
authentic contexts, much like the case study approach in customer service tasks.
Both strategies ensure holistic language development and practical application,
supporting the notion that integrating language and content is crucial for effective
reading and analyzing customer emails or chat messages, and composing responses
resolve issues presented in case studies. As Woodrow (2018) stated that case-study
identify the root causes of customer issues, propose solutions, and role-play
By employing the case study approach, the ESP course will effectively address the
success.
Course Aims
service scenarios.
roles.
within the context of customer service tasks and scenarios and make
customer needs.
customer bases.
o Rationale: Case studies involving international or culturally diverse
delivery.
The course aims are grounded in theoretical foundations and best practices in ESP
professional settings.
Assessment
competencies.
communication skills.
reinforcing key language skills necessary for effective customer interactions and
contexts.
with the tools and confidence needed to excel in their professional environments,
different industries.
Course materials
I will integrate authentic texts and TED Talk videos focused on customer service
texts such as industry reports, case studies, and articles on customer service news
and apply the insights gained, fostering collaborative learning and reinforcing
satisfaction levels.
Examples of materials
questions about its role in customer interactions. During the reading phase, I
provide further resources for those interested in exploring the topic further. This
AT-
I will use the TEDx Talk videos like "I Was Seduced by Exceptional Customer
learners. By watching this video, students' listening and speaking abilities will be
improved as they engage with real-life examples and insights into the importance
15-20 minutes viewing of the TEDx talk, during which students are instructed to
take notes on key points and examples. A discussion lasting 20 to 30 minutes
service: its impact, advantages, and the key elements emphasized by the speaker,
of customer service.
Syllabus outline
The syllabus for the ESP course on Customer Service English is designed to equip
interactions across diverse professional settings. This syllabus is created for eight-
week duration of lessons and each lesson lasts for 90 minutes. Lessons are
of learning service.
activities -Conducting
language skills
assessment to
determine
proficiency
levels.
-To tailor
learning
activities based
on assessment
results.
Reflection
The ESP course for Customer Service English is thoughtfully designed to help
customer interactions. On the process of doing this project, new knowledge and
information gained from our ESP module helped me a lot in many ways. For
instance, the course readings had a great impact on developing this project since
they included all necessary information on ESP course designs and its elements.
The most useful and frequently used source was Woodrow (2018) because the
author provided a solid theoretical foundation for understanding ESP course design
and clarified the principles of needs analysis, syllabus design, and materials
As we know, needs analysis is crucial for all types of teaching, including ESP,
EAP, EGP or other different courses and the materials written by Viana et al.
(2019) and Serafini et al. (2015) were very useful sourcesin my exploration of
needs analysis and its integration into course design. These authors provided
comprehensive insights into the significance of needs analysis in educational
for gathering learner data. Their studies offered plenty of information on how
Moreover, the course has equipped me with effective teaching approaches that are
cater to the unique linguistic and professional needs of my learners, enhancing both
their language proficiency and professional skills. This practical knowledge has
in order to match the case-study approach with my ESP context. The reason why I
have selected this methodology was that case-study approach could develop
learning experiences for my learners. This course has not only expanded my
theoretical understanding but also provided me with the practical tools necessary to
and implications for ESP. English for Specific Purposes, 37, 63–73.
http://ees.elsevier.com/esp/default.asp
https://www.forbes.com/sites/blakemorgan/2023/08/16/what-impact-will-ai-
have-on-customer-service
https://doi.org/10.1080/00405841.2016.1155337
Inc.
Serafini, E. J., Lake, J. B., & Long, M. H. (2015). Needs analysis for specialized
Routledge.
https://youtu.be/GH1TXfQSwUQ?si=wpgor2sExbU2-AT-