BEYOND THE COURSEBOOK: ESP PRACTITIONERS AS CURRICULUM-DECISION MAKERS IN THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY

Abstract

This study aims to examine the role of materials development as a curriculum decision in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) course design for oil and gas industry professionals. The research is based on an action research study conducted with six B1-level professionals working at UzbekNefteGaz (UNG), Uzbekistan, whose roles required effective communication in technical, legal, and compliance-related contexts. Data was collected from classroom practice, materials implementation, and observation of learner engagement across four categories of materials: a published ESP coursebook, unpublished authentic workplace documents, in-house scaffolding materials, and digital tools. The findings suggest that adapting published materials, integrating authentic workplace documents, and developing purpose-built scaffolding materials significantly enhanced learners’ professional communication skills and genre awareness. The study highlights that functioning as a curriculum developer rather than following prescribed materials uncritically - is essential for designing ESP courses that meaningfully address the specific professional needs and discourse communities of adult learners in specialized fields.