An ESP Teaching Proposal for Oil and Gas Vocational Courses

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to elucidate the way English for Specific Purposes (ESP) has been taught at a federal public school responsible for the offer of vocational courses in Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. We analyzed ESP syllabus in Oil and Gas vocational course, considering ESP basic principles and the pedagogy of multiliteracies. Questionnaires were applied with students as well as semi-structured interviews with 2 teachers of the course. The sections of theESP teaching proposal were elaborated considering ESP needs analysis, contents, resources and general proceduresthat were guided by the blanks we noticed in the syllabus concerning the underlying principles of ESP and the pedagogy of multiliteracies, students’ opinions as well as what teachers highlighted as a good ESP course.Data analysis led us to design an ESP teaching proposal for vocational courses focusing on reading (newspaper news) and oral communication (business meetings) to be used by and initially guide English teachers’ practices in Professional and Technological Education settings.