Speakers
Description
English for Specific Purposes (ESP) has long been recognised as a practical approach to language education in technical and vocational institutions, yet its implementation in military training environments in Vietnam remains largely underexplored. In most military technical colleges, English continues to be taught primarily as a foreign language (EFL), with curricula that prioritise general linguistic competence over the specialised communicative demands of cadets' future professional roles. This study investigates the current state of ESP instruction at a naval technical college in Vietnam, with a focus on identifying gaps between existing English curricula and the actual language needs of cadets. Drawing on the needs analysis framework of Hutchinson and Waters (1987), data were gathered through a survey administered to 60 first-year cadets and semi-structured interviews with five English lecturers at the institution. The findings reveal that while cadets demonstrate a clear awareness of the importance of English in their professional development, the existing EFL-oriented curriculum falls short of addressing their actual language demands, with the largest gaps identified in technical reading, specialised vocabulary, and military communication — areas receiving minimal attention in the current programme. Based on these findings, the study proposes practical orientations for transitioning toward an ESP-aligned curriculum, including needs-based syllabus design, task-based language teaching, and the integration of authentic military and technical English materials. The implications are relevant to curriculum designers, ELT practitioners, and educational policymakers in specialised military and technical education settings in Vietnam.
Biography
Tạ Nguyễn Mai Hương is a young lecturer of English at the Naval Technical College, Vietnam People’s Navy. She earned her Bachelor's degree in English Language from Hoa Sen University, Ho Chi Minh City. With four years of teaching experience in a specialised military technical environment, she is deeply interested in finding practical and innovative approaches to bridge the gap between general English instruction and the real occupational language needs of cadets. Her research interests include ESP curriculum design, needs analysis in specialised education contexts, and teacher professional development in military language training settings. This study grew out of her own classroom experiences and reflects her commitment to advancing ESP-informed teaching practices that better prepare cadets for the communicative demands of their future professional roles in the Vietnamese Navy.
| Affiliate type | Others |
|---|