APPLYING AUTHENTIC MATERIALS TO SUPPLEMENT THE COURSEBOOK IN THE ESP PROGRAM FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY STUDENTS AT THE GENETIC CENTRE-HANOI UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Abstract

      English, as a global language of science and technology, has gained widespread use throughout the world and it has been recognized as an international language – a means of international communication. A huge increase in the demand for a more practical use of English has been witnessed in recent decades, paving the way to enhance the role of English for Specific Purposes (ESP): business, information technology, tourism, management, banking, finance. Therefore, teaching and learning English, especially, ESP is a necessity, yet ESP is very challenging to instructors. At the Genetic Centre of Hanoi University of Science and Technology, ESP is important for students especially second-year students who have to learn all their subjects in English. Reading is one of the four skills. For non-major English students at the Genetic Centre, reading has been given the first priority and has been paid more attention as the students have to read English materials related to their own specialist subjects. However, the reading materials are still a problem; non-authentic materials appear to focus on the features of the target language rather than to expose learners to the reality of language use. In searching for a solution, I have been aware that authentic texts bring learners close to the target language culture, making learning enjoyable and therefore more motivating. Through the authentic materials provided, learners can explore a range of topics and situations in the target language, with the accompanying linguistic elements may be available to them in their course books. This research aims to research an effective way to exploit reading materials, which can be achieved by using authentic materials as supplementary tools for the course book of the ESP program for Information Technology students at the Genetic Centre-Hanoi University of Science and Technology.