Creating ESP classroom culture based on student-generated ideas

Abstract

The article deals with the problem of transforming the traditional educational environment and creating classroom culture, which is based on the ideas of students, who study English for Specific Purposes. This study was conducted at the National Technical University of Ukraine «Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute». ESP students, majoring in Information Technology, Mathemathics or Physics, ranged between 18 and 20 years of age, were enrolled in the first and the second year of study. A mixed methods research design was used to collect data in order to define ESP students’ attitude towards suggested ways of engaging them into generating activities: surveys, which contained open questions, interviews and discussions, conducted on a voluntary basis. The feedback from 42 students was collected during practical classes in February at the beginning of the second semester of 2019-2020 academic year. The article states that introducing changes in ESP classroom gradually, HOTs and LOTs questions, definition games, Quizlet and Classtime, various kinds of feedback allowed teachers to build the environment, based on student-generated ideas, which provided opportunities for developing student autonomy, indicated a shift from teacher-centered class, satisfied the need of social contact and collaboration. Thus, creating their own materials turns students into active participants, who, being interested in purposeful communication, design ESP activities. Teachers become facilitators, who monitor classroom activities and assist students in creating ESP classroom culture, based on student-generated ideas. The results of the study will be valuable for ESP practitioners, who would like to introduce changes into a traditional class and make it student-centered. Further investigations should be devoted to adding other ways of engaging students into generating ideas for the ESP classes and analyzing the results of their practical implementation