1.

Introduction to ESP
2. Classroom language
3. ESP vocabulary strategy: review of cognates
4. Guidelines for writing within the ESP program
5. Referents
6. Noun phrases
7. Connectors

1.

INTRODUCTION TO ESP
The UV English program at the intermediate level (level 3) is an ESP program. ESP stands for English
for Specific Purposes. This means we will be focusing on English for Business Studies and on current
issues, and specifically in reading, although we will continue to practice listening, speaking and writing
skills. The objective of this course is for you to be able to consult texts in English related to the subjects
you study in your FT or Bus. programs.
What you have achieved so far
You have completed 2 semesters of ESP (English for General Purposes). By now you should have
a good understanding of the main verb tenses and general vocabulary.
You have also completed several Reading Workshops in class (over levels 1 and 2) which
introduced you to reading strategies and some vocabulary related to your discipline.
What you will be expected to achieve
You will be expected
to develop your reading skills in English
to reflect critically on reading texts
to reinforce speaking, listening and writing skills
How can you develop your reading skills?
By developing and practicing
Skimming and scanning skills
Intensive and extensive reading skills

Critical reading skills

Vocabulary skills word derivatives, guessing words from context
Text cohesive devices referents and connectors
Text coherence rhetorical patterns and text organization

RULES OF THE CLASS

Look at these rules and complete the chart. Remember in this course you will ALWAYS have to explain
your answers.
OBLIGATIONS
Agree Disagree Reason
You must attend class.
You must bring your material to
class.
You must not speak while someone
else is speaking.
You must do your homework.

Sanction

In groups of 4-5 make a list of the most important obligations you think you have in this course
and the most important obligations your teacher has. Then as a class make up the rules for the
semester.
STUDENTS

TEACHER

2. CLASSROOM LANGUAGE
Remember to use English in class because the more you practice, the more your English will improve.
Lets review some frequently asked questions. Here are some typical classroom situations- What do
you say?
You want to how to pronounce a word.
ask:
how to spell a word.
how to say a word in English.
if your answer is correct.
for the meaning or definition of a word.
if an exercise of piece of work is going
to be graded.
if you have to hand in an exercise or
piece of work. (hand in means to give
in to me)
your teacher to speak more slowly.
your teacher to repeat something.
you dont understand something
you cannot come to class

You want to
tell your
professor:

you have to leave early

you need to speak to me after class
you need to leave the class for 5
minutes.

3. ESP VOCABULARY STRATEGY: REVIEW OF COGNATES

You have heard a lot about cognates. You have a list of common FALSE cognates. These are words in
English that are similar to words in Spanish, BUT they have different meanings. BE CAREFUL!
Exercise:
Change the false cognates underlined in this paragraph to the correct words. (You can use your
false cognates list).

What am I doing?

Well, I am actually assisting an intensive English idiom course.

I made a

compromise to study and learn English by the end of this year and I hope to have exit. My notes have
been very good so far. I pretend to go and work in Canada next year. I have some parents theresome aunts and uncles- and the company I work for wants to translate their fabric there in the future. I
know there is no warranty that I will get a visa. The waiting list for visas is very large. I have to go now.
I have to buy some books at the library.

4. GUIDELINES FOR WRITING WITHIN THE ESP PROGRAM

One way to improve your writing is by correcting your mistakes. You will be given several writing
tasks throughout the semester. During the semester you will fill out this chart after each writing task.
You will count the number of mistakes you have under each category so that you can see what your
problem areas are. You will be expected to identify and correct your own mistakes. In Unit 1 you will
have two graded writing tasks.

Symb
ol
G

TYPE OF MISTAKE
grammar

TASK 1
Date:

TASK 2
Date:

S+V
T
WW
WO
P
Sp

subject verb agreement

tense
wrong word
word order
punctuation
spelling
Word missing
Word not needed

Exercise:
To practice, correct these mistakes. For exercises 1 through 8, the types of mistakes have been
identified. For 9 through 16, you must say what type of mistake has been made and then correct it.
1. english is very important.
P
2. I like very much because it is an interesting
language.

3. I like the English.

9. English is a language very important.

10. I think that is very important for my
career.
11. I have problems with the times of the
verbs.

4. Yes, because is important for my life.

5. English is the universal idiom.

WW

12. The reading is easy for me.

6. Yes because English are spoken in many countries.

S+V

14. Grammar and vocabulary are my

difficultys.

7. I want to be a lawer.
Sp
8. Are easy for me listening and writing.
WO

15. Classes are on friday.

13. Reading are what I like most about

English.

16. I study English for 5 years.

Read this:
COMMON MISTAKES
PUNCTUATION

SUBJECT+VERB

ARTICLES

Write capital letters:

a) when you begin a sentence.
b) for proper nouns ( names,
places, cities, countries).
c) languages,
nationalities,
days of the week, months.
Write periods
a) when you finish a sentence.

Dont forget verbs ALWAYS

need a subject, unless the
sentence is a request.

Do not use the when you

are speaking about general
thing.

(They are. ; It is . ).

Examples:
Love is blind.
Grammar is difficult.

REVISION REFERENTS - A
Personal
pronouns
I
You
He
It
We
They

Fill in the chart.

Possessive adjectives

Object pronoun

My

Me
You

His
Her
Its

Her
It

Demonstrative
adjectives
This
That
These
That

Their

B
Pronouns : What are the subject pronouns for these subjects ?
Subject
Subject
Subject
Subject
pronoun
pronoun
GDP
It
Colombia
The president
Asian countries
The economy
Colombians
Latin America
Cali
Professors
Peter
Books
Violence
The rate of suicide
The latest figures
Several Colombian
The America Psychological
companies
Association Division
C. In context. Change the underlined words to subject or object pronouns.
Violence has a very high growth rate.
Poverty is increasing in the United States.
Employees in Colombia work short hours.
Companies provide many benefits for employees.
Sexual abuse is widespread worldwide.
Colombia imports a lot of technology and export perishables.