English for Specific Purposes (ESP). National Curriculum for Universities

Abstract

The overall aim of the National ESP Curriculum is to develop students’ professional language competences, enabling them to function effectively in culturally diverse academic and professional environments. The ESP Curriculum document is targeted at: educational administrators, university teachers, materials designers, test writers/assessors, and students. The development of the new ESP Curriculum is in line with the radical changes being introduced in Ukrainian higher education which have been triggered by the process of the country’s integration into the European Higher Education Area. Based on the principles of internationalism, plurilingualism, democracy, equality, and innovation, the Curriculum establishes national parameters for ESP teaching and learning consistent with internationally recognised standards (CEF 2001), is multidimensional and modular in design and organization, provides a standardised basis for university course and syllabus design, relevant to the professional needs of the students, and to societal expectations, facilitates learner mobility and competitiveness in the job market, encourages life-long learning and learner autonomy, enhances the appeal and competitiveness of Ukrainian higher education through a transparent and flexible system of language teaching/learning. The ESP Curriculum provides university teachers with instruments to develop meaningful descriptors which will serve as reliable criteria for assessment. Descriptors can also be used as a basis for developing a Language Portfolio for Professional Communication which is a tool for documenting and assessing students’ individual language skills.