By: Mr. Sok Sovanchandara, Assistant Dean for the College of Arts, Humanities, and Languages
From 15 to 18 December 2015, Mr. Pay Chheng How, Associate Dean for the College of Arts, Humanities and Languages (CoAHL), and Mr. Sok Sovanchandara, Assistant Dean for CoAHL, attended a workshop entitled, “Higher Education Textbook Development for English for a Specific Academic Purpose,” held at Angkor Paradise Hotel, Siem Reap province. It was the last training of the English for a Specific Academic Purpose (ESAP) workshop series conducted by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, and sponsored by the World Bank.
The workshop aimed to provide technical and theoretical input on ESAP textbook development; to equip participants with better skills in comparing and selecting commercial ESAP textbooks that suit both the context of the institution as well as the needs of the students; and to help participants apply new con-cepts in ESAP curriculum development into the acquisition process of new textbooks.
Around 80 participants from various higher education institutions across the country attended the conference; most of them English language teachers. Those who were not English language teachers were specialists in English syllabus design or are involved in developing English Curriculum at their respective institutions. There were two international participants, Mr. Terry Phillips, Managing Director at EL Gazette New Media, and Anna Phillips, a Freelance Writer, Trainer, and Consultant. They presented their insights into the development of English for a Specific Academic Purpose textbooks.
The workshop provided participants with a high learning outcome; that is, they have developed their capacity in the acquisition of institutionally appropriate ESAP textbooks, and have received hands-on experience in the process of developing ESAP textbook curriculum.