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Learning the English language is considered by most non-native speakers to be very difficult. English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and English as a Second Language (ESL) are very challenging and confusing to most students.
While learning English is difficult enough on its own, the problem is even greater for students who are in specialty fields. English language learners who are in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) or Business virtually always find that the technical linguistic requirements of these disciplines make learning English even more difficult. Specialized vocabularies and meanings exist in all of these cases, and knowing exactly what the terms mean and how they are used is perplexing, yet also critical.
How is This Site Different Than Other EFL/ESL Sites?
There are many excellent sources for learning general English, and for most English language learners these are perfect and exactly what is required. For specialized English needs such as Business or STEM, however, there are very few offerings. While some courses try to teach English for Science and Technology (EST) or English for Business Purposes (EBP), the classes are conducted by general EFL or ESL instructors. These teachers are doing their best to present these specialized topics, but they have not worked in the fields and have no knowledge about the subjects. In spite of their sincere intentions, the instructors are only able to present these specialized topics as words. They are not able to put the meaning into context, and they are not able to integrate English language teaching with STEM or Business.
EBSTEM is different in that the principal instructor has an MA in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages), and he also has nearly thirty years of STEM and Business experience. In other words, he understands not only how to teach English to non-native speakers, but he also has worked in STEM and Business for nearly three decades. STEM and Business are not abstract concepts to him, but instead they are fields he understands. These factors–an MA in teaching English as well as deep knowledge of STEM and Business–are combined to provide an integrated learning opportunity.
Who is EBSTEM For?
EBSTEM is specifically designed for adult non-native English speakers who are engaged in the special disciplines of STEM or Business. Whether professionally employed or studying in a university setting, the methods outlined and practiced here will be of immense help and value to the STEM or Business student.
A Very Brief Example:
One very brief yet very real example is the following. Suppose a student has recorded a lecture in which the instructor says, “Tomorrow we will be using piezoelectric accelerometers and Fourier Analysis to determine the resonance frequencies of the DUT.” Understandably, for the general EFL/ESL teacher, this sentence likely borders on gibberish, and it almost certainly means nothing. In fact, it is fair to say that the general EFL/ESL instructor likely would not even be able to transcribe the sentence from the recording. For EBSTEM, however, the meaning and objectives are clear, and they can be explained to the student. In other words, the intent and the goal of the statement can be explained to the student.
The following pages present the core principles used in teaching this specialized form of English, along with instructional system design (ISD) considerations and a short listing of services offered. Please look over the information on the ensuing pages, and if you have any questions or would like to discuss further, feel free to email or call.