Speakers
Description
For students at the University of Fire Prevention and Fighting (UFPF), English for Specific Purposes (ESP) plays a vital role in the context of international integration as it enables them to access international materials, technical standards and the latest research in the field. Moreover, using professional English helps students communicate effectively in international work environments, participate in training programs and professional seminars related to fire safety and emergency response. Nonetheless, ESP instruction still poses numerous challenges for teachers at the university. This paper attempts to analyze the major challenges faced by ESP teachers and to propose supportive strategies to address these issues. Data collected through semi-structured interviews with 10 ESP teachers working at UFPF were analyzed using a content analysis approach. The results revealed that academic content knowledge, professional development, and pedagogical strategies are the main problems that ESP teachers have been facing. Teachers’ recommendations for improving the effectiveness of teaching ESP focus on optimizing pedagogical strategies for students across various educational programs, creating learning activities toward student-centered paradigm, and increasing university support for ESP teacher training programs. The findings of this study could help EFL teachers and university become aware of the problems in teaching ESP and come up with several recommendations to enhance the quality of ESP teaching and learning.
Key words: English for Specific purposes (ESP), teacher perception, teaching problems, pedagogical strategies, Fire prevention, fire fighting
Biography
Bich Ngoc Nguyen is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Fire Prevention and Fighting. She graduated from the University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University in 2004. In 2008, she earned her Master’s degree in TESOL, and in 2023, she completed her PhD with a specialization in contrastive languages.
With nearly two decades of experience in language education, Dr. Ngoc’s academic interests center on English for Specific Purposes (ESP) and the integration of technology into language teaching. She is particularly passionate about developing effective ESP curricula, applying innovative teaching methodologies, and enhancing student learning outcomes through digital tools.
Her research also includes the translation and interpretation of English terminology, especially within technical and specialized contexts. Over the years, she has presented her work at several national and international conferences, contributing to the ongoing dialogue on ESP instruction and educational technology.
Minh Tu Ngo is a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Fundamental Science and Foreign Languages, University of Fire Prevention and Fighting. She holds a Master’s degree in English Studies from Hanoi University and has over ten years of experience in higher education, particularly in language assessment, English pedagogy, and curriculum development.
Her academic interests focus on English language teaching methodologies, with an emphasis on English for Specific Purposes (ESP). She has contributed to scholarly discourse through publications in the Journal of Education and Society and the International Contrastive Linguistics and Contrastive Analysis Among Languages Yearbook 2024.
At VietTESOL 2025, Ms. Tu will present on the topic “Teaching English for Specific Purposes at the University of Fire Prevention and Fighting.” Her presentation addresses the unique challenges faced in ESP instruction in specialized institutions and proposes facilitative strategies to enhance its effectiveness in the higher education context.
