Teaching english to geologists: Developing a good syllabus

In September 2016 I started teaching English classes to third-year students of Geology and Geophysics Department at Novosibirsk State University, Russia. For almost two academic years, I have been trying various combinations of tasks to target general, academic and professional language, trying to prepare my students for the career in geology. I have faced several challenges: 1) being a linguist, not a geologist myself, 2) trying to fit an enormous amount of information into one class per week, and 3) adjust my lessons to various levels of English in the classroom. What helped me most in overcoming these challenges is a balanced syllabus that included a variety of tasks, including a sufficient amount of independent work with portfolios and audiovisual materials, strict rules concerning attendance, and several creative tasks involving critical thinking and problem solving. In the article, I will show an example of ESP syllabus designed specifically for these groups of students and will provide explanation of what worked effectively for their language learning, based on the survey with 93 students.