A Professional Development Seminar given at the Centre for Applied English Studies, March 12, 2014

1. Structure and agency in learning spaces:
Considerations for ESP course design
Lindsay Miller & Christoph A. Hafner
Department of English, City University of Hong Kong
http://www1.english.cityu.edu.hk/acadlit
Staff Development Seminar, Centre for Applied English Studies,
Hong Kong University, March 15, 2014

2. Background and context
• University course in English for science students
– Applied Biology
– Applied Chemistry
– Applied Physics
– Architectural Studies
– Computing Mathematics
– Environmental Science and Management
– Surveying

3. Key concepts
Structure Agency
Investment

4. Structure
• Elements of course design
• Informed by a needs analysis
• Control rests with course designers

5. Investment
• Norton (1997) uses the term investment “…to
signal the socially and historically constructed
relationship of learners to the target language
and their sometimes ambivalent desire to learn
and practice it.” (p411)

6. Questions about investment
• Under what conditions do language learners
speak?
• How can we encourage language learners to
become more communicatively competent?
(Norton:1997)

7. Agency
• If we want our students to invest their time and energy
in language learning then we have to make sure that
they want to do this for some real-life purpose – that
they want to join a relevant or ‘imaginary’ community
(Norton: 2000)
1. The community of learners
2. The disciplinary community
3. The workplace community
4. The wider/global community of English language users

8. Power
As Cummins observes when talking about
including learners in decisions about their
learning:
“The power relationship is additive rather than
subtractive. Power is created with others rather
than being imposed on or exercised over others.
Within this framework, empowerment can be
defined as the collaborative creation of power”
(Cummings: 2001:322).

9. PowerStructure Agency
Investment

10. Structure
Course design

11. Course aims
Overview
English for science introduces students to the genre knowledge and
English language skills that they need for scientific communication in a
range of local and international contexts. The course aims to develop
students’ ability to locate and critically read a variety of scientific texts
and appropriately communicate through speaking and writing the
findings of scientific projects to both specialist and non-specialist
audiences. Drawing on a range of authentic texts in the domain of
science, the course will introduce students to common rhetorical
structures in scientific communication as well as the typical vocabulary
and grammar needed to express these structures. Students will learn to
report the findings of a scientific study using a range of genres, modes,
and media formats, including written scientific reports and multimodal
scientific documentaries.

12. English for science project
A. Digital video project
B. Written scientific
report
English for
science
project
A1. Reading/data
collection
A2. Scripting/
storyboarding
A3. Performing/
recording
A4. Editing
A5. Sharing
B2. Writing
B1. Reading/
outlining
B3. Editing/
proofreading

13. Genres and functional language
Analysis
Drafting and
reviewing
Individualized
feedback

14. Architecture of the technological
learning environment

15. YouTube

16. Agency
Spaces for language learning

17. Participant observation
Lindsay/Christoph
Se****
1
2
Sa******
Ch******
Br***
Ed***
3 4
5 6
7
8
11
12
9 10
Project artifacts
Project communications
(out of class)
Questionnaire
Focus groups

18. Participants
• 12 groups, 48 students, 18-23 years old
• 36 females, 12 males
• Mostly year 1, undeclared majors
• 43 HK Chinese, 4 Mainland Chinese, 1 Korean
• 3 ‘mixed’ groups, 9 ‘homogenous’ groups

19. Data sources
Video Images Audio Written text Communication
Group 1 16 102 8 17 EM, FB, WA
Group 2 38 17 2 10 EM, WA
Group 3 1 76 52 8 FB, WA
Group 4 19 7 1 28 FB, WA
Group 5 7 1 0 7 FB, WA
Group 6 32 38 22 12 WA
Group 7 1 9 13 14 FB, WA
Group 8 1 6 1 6 WA
Group 9 10 38 13 3 FB, WA
Group 10 44 29 11 18 FB
Group 11 3 17 31 11 EM, FB, WA
Group 12 1 18 0 9 WA

20. Findings

21. Mediated learning spaces
Mediated environments
# Learning Space Purpose
1 E-mail (text-based) Send files to group members. Contact potential interviewees.
2 WhatsApp Interact with group members
3 Library system Search for background readings/references
4 Internet Search for information
5 Wikipedia Check definitions
6 Blog Read and respond to classmates comments
7 Facebook Sharing information and project drafts and other artifacts. Discussing project.
Interact and maintain social network of group members. Sharing with a wider
audience.
8 Google Docs Collaborative writing
9 Dropbox Sharing information and collaborative writing
9 Blackboard Download project guidelines
10 PowerPoint Check information about project presented in class
11 YouTube Sharing with a wide audience
12 Phone (audio-based) Interact with group members (about project and to maintain social cohesion
of group)

22. Unmediated learning spaces
Face-to-face environments
# Learning Space Purpose
1 Student canteen Meet with group members
2 Around campus Film footage/record narration for project
3 In student dorm Discuss project with group members
4 Other
environments
around town
(streets, parks,
shopping centres)
Film footage/record narration for project
5 In laboratory Collect data for project (film footage/record narration)
6 At home Collect data for project (film footage/record narration)

23. Email
-----Original Message-----
From: XXXXXXXwttong7
Sent: Wednesday, February 20, 2013 12:32 AM
To: XXXXXXX
Subject: Invitation of an interview
Importance: High
Dear Prof. SXXX,
I am SEE year one student, XXXXXX. In this semester, I am taking GE1401 English for Science. Since my group is doing the ESM
topic, we want to find some professionals to conduct some interviews in order to have strong references. As we know that you
have well-understanding about soil and plants, we kindly invite you to join our interview.
If you are agree with this invitation, we suggest to have the interview with you on 28/2 Thu(during 12:00-3:00) OR 1/3 Fri(after
12:00). If you are not available on the suggested date, let us know when you are free. The interview will last about 30 minutes.
i am looking forward to receiving your reply. Hope we can have a nice chat.
Yours sincerely,

24. E-Mail
C: This is an email to that Arc Eden staff, right, … So, why did you choose
English?
R: She is a foreigner [Group 2]
L: In your email communication was it in English or Chinese?
G: English
L: for the whole group?
E: yeah….
W: the difference between whatsapp and email is that this one is more close to
our life so its more close to spoken language so we feel so relax to type in
Chinese…but in email we feel so official…
E: more formal way… [Group 11]

25. WhatsApp: Project talk
J: Can someone give me ur email address so I can send back the video
H: XXXXGmail.com
J: Ok. Do u hv a drop box
There r a lot of video
If I hv to send email
U will be receiving abt 20
一係用手指攞
Or use finger [USB drive]
H: 😨 [emoji]
I give you usb on monday
J: Ok
Btw the file is quite large 😏 [emoji]
H: How many Gb?
J: Nearly 1
But can't seed email xd [emoticon]
[Group 12]

26. WhatsApp: Non-project talk
2013-02-19 1:27:13 PM: R: 有冇人有friend 讀psy for young pro?😭
[Do you know any friends who studied psychology for young professional?]
2013-02-19 1:33:08 PM: H: 做乜
[Why asking?]
2013-02-19 1:33:44 PM: PC: Ho chi yau
[Seems yes]
2013-02-19 1:34:03 PM: R: 分今日quiz但我未買course pack,想借
[I have quiz today but I haven’t bought the course pack yet. I want to borrow it.]
2013-02-19 1:34:25 PM: R: 😭Can you ask for me!!!really thxxxxx
2013-02-19 1:38:03 PM: R: I can go any where to get that book😓
2013-02-19 1:38:45 PM: PC: I am asking
2013-02-19 1:38:59 PM: PC: But no one reply
2013-02-19 1:39:13 PM: R: Nvm😊
[Never mind.]
2013-02-19 1:43:51 PM: PC: When do u need it?

27. WhatsApp
V: Because this is an English project so we use English.
L: So you started off with English yah?
All: Yes. [Group 5]
T: I mean that maybe the English is because it is faster for us to type, and then
when the sentence is longer we type in Chinese.
R: Or the meaning is quite difficult for us to express in English, so we’ll choose
to use Chinese. [Group 1]
C: but what actually happened here was that you changed to English…
G: because I want…when I typing the English I feel more confident for me
compared with spoken English.
C: but it’s not more confident than your Chinese…right?
G: more comfortable than speaking…
C: right…so it’s like an opportunity to practice…
G: yes…and I also want to make my English improve… [Group 11]

28. Facebook: Project talk
Q: 麻煩您地幫我check 有無漏了 [Please help me check if I have missed any]
我硬系覺得漏左好多 [I always have the feeling that I missed a lot.]
March 10 at 0:07
AL: 我見到我個d 已齊＞＜ [I can see that I got all for my part]
March 10 at 0:10 via mobile
RH: REMEMBER TO FIND THE WATER SOUND @
March 10 at 13:42
RH: @@
March 10 at 13:42
RH: KCY you still have the overall comment of the open area outside not yet record
March 10 at 13:52
KCY: o i will record it tonite
March 10 at 13:55 via mobile
RH: (y) (Thumb up)

29. Facebook
J: Um, we had a meeting to outline the general script at the next week part and
we went home to edit it, yea, to make some change in order to make it better.
We used Facebook to upload the script and everyone can see and edit and yeah
each of us edit some part to make it. [Group 3]
C: Why are you using English on facebook? Compared to when you are speaking
face-to-face, you don’t use so much English right? What’s the reason do you
think?
E: I seldom type Chinese on the computer
D: me too.
E: It’s complicated
C: so you are not used to the input method. [Group 9]

30. Facebook
R: Because we studied in English high school. All our assignments are in English.
So we are used to typing English but not Chinese
C: Everybody’s studied in an EMI school?
R/Q: yes [Group 10]

31. Recording narration
L: What happened when you were doing the narration, the story? Did you do that once?
W: No, recording my voice at least one half day in my room and then they did their own
later on.
G: …yes I did my own again at home, because I thought my voice was maybe too
nervous…not good enough, so I need to do it again.
L: Do you know how many times you recorded it before you were happy?
G: Oh…more than 10 times! (laugh)
W: …yes, more than 10 times, it’s like only 5 minutes when we are actually recording…so
totally speaking it’s like 3 to 4 hours to practice
(all four students agree).
L: What kind of things were you not happy with when you heard your voice?
W: …it’s very strange for me to hear my voice (laugh)…and I kind of think “is that
me?”…and it’s not fluent, and sometimes we will speak a wrong words and so we will
start over again. [Group 11]

32. L1 as a resource
We use Cantonese
when…
“A lot of professional
terms… if they are in
English we cannot
understand”
“More easy for
us to present
our idea”
“Help us to
communicate with
each other”
“When we plan
the idea we use
Chinese”
“When we start to
argue…”
“…especially when
we need to swear”
“When we start to
make the video
we use English”

33. Plurilingual practices
C: One thing that you do very interesting is that you switch from Chinese to
English sometimes. For example, here, Mika is speaking English and it switches
to Chinese. Do you know why that happened?
R: It’s the culture we are in in the high school where we are born. Like Hong
Kong people are always speaking both at the same time…so sometimes we will
need to use English to help Chinese or use Chinese to help English [Group 10]

34. Discussion

35. Principles of Constructionist
Learning Environments
1) A problem-project space
2) Related cases
3) Information resources
4) Cognitive tools
5) Conversations and collaboration tools
(Jonassen & Ranre-Murphy: 1999)

36. ESP course design
CLE
1) A problem-project space
2) Related cases
ESP project
1) The projects presented to
students are interesting from
both general and disciplinary
perspectives
2) Students are shown
different ways to present their
projects, and make use of their
own world knowledge

37. ESP course design
CLE
3) Information resources
4) Cognitive tools
ESP project
3) Students have to make use
of online and other resources
in order to gain a wider
perspective on the topic
(research)
4) For instance, students are
shown how to prepare a script
and use software tools in
order to present their ideas
efficiently and effectively.

38. ESP course design
CLE
5) Conversations and
collaboration tools
ESP project
5) Students work in groups to
share their knowledge and
experience in order to
complete the project. They
also share their ideas with
other classmates (blog) and
with a wide audience
(YouTube)

39. References
Cummins, J. (2001). An Introductory Reader to the Writings of Jim Cummins. Multilingual Matters.
Norton, B. (1997). UK: Clevedon.
Jonassen, D.H. & Ranre-Murphy, L. (1999) Activity Theory as a Framework for Designing
Constructivist Learning Environments. ETR&D 47(1), 61-79.
Norton, B. (1997). Language, Identity and the Ownership of English. TESOL Quarterly, 31(3), 409-
429.
Norton, B. (2000). Identity and language learning: Gender, ethnicity and educational change.
Harlow, England: Longman/Pearson Education Limited.

40. Thank you
http://www1.english.cityu.edu.hk/acadlit