SYNTACTIC COMPLEXITY IN ENGINEERING ESP MATERIALS: A CASE STUDY OF OXFORD ENGLISH FOR ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

Tóm tắt

This study examined the syntactic complexity of reading materials in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) and
its influence on the reading comprehension of B1-level engineering students. Five units from Oxford English for
Electrical and Mechanical Engineering were analyzed in terms of sentence length, use of passive constructions, and
frequency of nominalization. The findings showed notable variation across units: average sentence length ranged
from 12.8 to 24.2 words, with some sentences exceeding 30 words; passive constructions accounted for up to 40%
of sentences; and nominalization density reached 11% in the most structurally dense text. Such features may hinder
learners’ ability to follow information flow and interpret technical vocabulary. The findings highlight syntactic
complexity as an important but often overlooked factor in ESP reading and suggest the need for guided reading,
explicit sentence-level analysis, and focused support for passive and nominalized forms. Further research should
examine broader texts and learner groups