Creating Authentic Materials for University ESP Classes in Japan

Finding material to meet students’ needs is a never-ending challenge for language educators. Factors such as the level of English and interests of learners have to be taken into consideration in adopting materials. This presentation reports on two cases of university English textbooks which included authentic materials of students’ discipline areas. One is a pharmacy textbook published in Japan as an ESP course book. The book was compiled in response to the request of a major professional organization of pharmacist education, covering the scope and the sequence of the pharmacy preparation program. English language specialists, including the presenter, searched and screened materials in terms of vocabulary and readability, and then constructed activities to enhance activities of listening, speaking, and writing. The book is well received and used in many pharmacy schools in Japan. The other example is an in-house textbook for STEM students. Science students, especially the third- and fourth- year undergraduate students, and also postgraduate students, often participate in poster sessions in seminars and/or conferences. The presenter and colleagues compiled a textbook to illustrate procedures to plan and conduct a poster session for STEM students in Japan. The book covered skimming and scanning for the literature survey, abstract reading/writing, outlining and designing a poster, oral presentation, and conducting Q and A session. The book was used in-house, and the survey conducted after the course revealed that the book was motivating and effective for the students and the teachers as well. These cases would indicate that the collaboration of discipline specialists and language experts is the key to the success of effective materials in EAP/ESP curriculum.