活動手冊 - 開南大學

Linking Assessment to Instruction: An Exploratory Study on
Business English
Han-yi Lin
Lecturer
Foreign Language Center,
National Chengchi University
Abstract
Recent social and economic changes have meant that more and more university
students of different disciplines or adult learners preparing to work in the field of
business are asking for English courses which directly address their occupational or
professional needs. At the same time, a great deal of attention is paid by many language
teachers or course organizers to identify appropriate content and develop needs-directed
teaching of a Business English course. In other words, designing a language course is
a systematic process connecting a set of essential components with results that meet
learners’ needs, solve learning problems and help modify the course. To attempt to
investigate and fulfill Business English students’ needs, set up teaching principles, and
select effective teaching techniques, an assessment plan plays an important role in
course design.
Therefore, for Business English courses, with respect to three sources of data
concerning learners’ needs, learning assessment and course evaluation, which will be
gathered from about 60 university students in two Business English classes from
September 2006 to June 2007, this paper catering for both learners and teachers has
several aims: 1) to design and propose a framework of language assessment; 2) to
bridge the gap between learners’ needs and course design, applying the framework
suggested in practice; 3) to develop appropriate content of and effective methods used
in a Business English course; 4) to bring the course to life and solve possible learning
and teaching problems. Additionally, the implications in teaching Business English
would prepare the ground for more in-depth discussion and research of related issues.
Key Words:
Business English, learners’ needs, learning assessment, course
evaluation
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