English Education for Economics Students : Analysis of Current Status and Design of ESP Curriculum

ESP(专门用途英语)在日本国内的意识在20世纪90年代开始上升。然而，经济学界对专门用途英语的认识并没有像科学界那样迅速发展。因此，立命馆大学经济学系开始研究，在专门用途英语研究人员、经济学和英语教授的合作下创建相关材料，以成为英语课程的模式之一。研究首先通过对经济学校友进行需求分析以了解工作场所的需求，获得经济学教授在课堂上对学生英语能力需求的结果，并收集其他经济学课程和经济学相关课程的英语课程信息，以确定现状。此外，还提出了大学英语教育的三个重点：自主学习和培养；语言使用意识；从语言学习者到语言使用者的转变。考虑到这三个重点，以ESP教学法为基础，创建了阅读、交流和写作课程的材料。当课程开始使用新材料时，使用外部测试来衡量学生的进步，并将其作为毕业要求，以突出一部分学生的补习教育需求。一个学院的学生英语能力差异很大，这表明一个不可避免的事实是，针对不同能力的英语课程是必要的，而且所有大学都必须接受所有申请者，这种差异在其他大学也会很明显。根据这项研究的结果，以下领域将是下一步研究的重点：(1)检查外部测试的可行性和可靠性；(2)发展对能够培养学生自主学习能力的系统的认识。

ESP (English for Specific Purposes) awareness within Japan began to rise in the 1990s. However, awareness of ESP for Economics has not developed as quickly as that in Science. Thus, research was commenced at Ritsumeikan University's Faculty of Economics to create relevant materials with the cooperation of ESP researchers, Economics and English professors in order to become one model of an English curriculum. The research began with ascertaining the current status by carrying out a needs analysis of the Economics alumni to understand needs within the workplace, obtaining the results of needs for student English ability by Economics professors in lectures, and gathering information of English curricula in other Economics programs and Economics-related programs. In addition, three foci for university English education were established : learner autonomy and nurturing ; language use awareness ; change from language learner to language user. With these three foci in mind and an ESP approach as a basis, materials for Reading and Communication and Writing courses were created.As courses commenced using the new materials, an outside test was used to measure student progress and set as a graduation requirement bringing the need of Remedial Education for one portion of students to the fore. The high variability of student English abilities seen in one Faculty points to the unavoidable fact that an English program addressing various abilities is necessary, and with all universities having to accept all applicants, the variability will be as pronounced in other universities. Based on the results of this current research, the following areas will be the next areas of focus in research : (1) to examine the feasibility and reliability of outside tests ; and (2) to develop awareness of a system that can nurture learner autonomy for variable student abilities.