The Integration of Web-Retrieved Materials in teaching ESP

The vast amount and great variety of current and readily available materials on Internet, can be exploited to integrate the different skills in ESP teaching. This research explored the integration of web-based materials in teaching ESP. It examined the opportunity offered by Internet to design significant activities to help learners take more control of their learning and promote attitudes which lead to autonomous learning and motivating teaching. The present research work was a case study of 2nd year engineering students. First, data were collected through a students' questionnaire and a teachers' interview to identify engineering students' needs and attitudes towards the integration of web-retrieved materials in teaching ESP. The analysis revealed that students needed to develop particular skills and strategies and to reinforce their linguistic background in English. In addition, the integration of web-retrieved materials in teaching ESP was positively viewed by informants. The results revealed a positive impact of an ESP course supplemented by web-retrieved materials on the development of the language with a progress in their content knowledge.