INVESTIGATING EMPLOYING INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY FOR ESP LEARNING: A CASE OF IRANIAN EFL STUDENTS’ ATTITUDES

Abstract

Although employing technology in language learning has been widely examined, thereremains a scarcity of research investigating employing Information and CommunicationTechnology (ICT) for learning English specifically aimed at learning English for SpecificPurposes (ESP). This paper examined students’ attitudes toward benefits and barriers inemploying ICT for learning ESP. The sample of the study consisted of 100 students, in Iran,in Esfahan, who passed their ESP course. An adaptive survey questionnaire, which wasconsisted of 40 items related to 6 parts, was designed for the purpose of the study. The parts ofthe questionnaire were involved attitudes of employing ICT for ESP, enriching ESP course,skills in using ICT, obstacles to using ICT in ESP, teacher education, and social and culturalrules. Results of the study indicated that most of the students had positive attitudes towardemploying ICT for ESP learning. These findings can be used to employ ICT tools in ESPcurriculum and to support Iranian ESP textbooks through utilizing ICT.