A tesol practicum in costa rica

Abstract

This chapter examines the English for Specific Purposes (ESP) practicum in the MA TEFL at the University of Costa Rica (UCR) along three dimensions: its context, strengths, and challenges. The ESP practicum experience consists of two courses taken by student teachers at the end of their programmes: Course Design and the Professional Practicum. In the former, the students, working in teams, design a 56-h ESP course for a UCR population. They start by doing a two-month needs analysis. Based on their findings, they write the syllabus and design lesson plans, materials, and assessment instruments. In the latter course, the students carry out the practicum, which is team-taught and supervised weekly during a 14-week period, and then they produce a research report evaluating the course. Additionally, this chapter describes the contribution of this practicum to foreign language education in Costa Rica. Finally, the authors discuss the local contextual factors that support the need for an ESP practicum, as well as strengths and challenges yet to be successfully overcome.