The Trade Fair: Introducing ESP Multimedia at a Technical University in Taiwan

This discussion provides an overview of steps in developing and assessing ESP multimedia courseware at a technical university in Taiwan. The courseware is designed to expand language skills that foster Chinese learners of English as they develop communicative skills for international business. Student evaluations of the prototype for its Trade Fair component suggests that it is useful for situating the learning process and simulating social cues, which in turn supports building the communicative skills needed for the kinds of interaction demanded by tourism, travel, hospitality, and similar areas of international business.