TELEGRAM-MEDIATED PROJECT-BASED ESP FOR TECHNICAL WRITING AND WILLINGNESS TO COMMUNICATE IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

Abstract

While it is necessary for electrical engineering students to produce technical documents and discuss disciplinary ideas in English, ordinary English teaching may not provide them with many chances to practice these activities. In this explanatory sequential mixed-methods study, technical writing scores, observable communication behavior, student beliefs, and teacher perspectives were studied in an eight-week, Telegram-mediated, project-based English for Specific Purposes (ESP) course. Two entire classes of eighty second-semester students were involved in staged engineering writing projects. Writing was evaluated before and after the course on a four-criterion 20-point scale, and a weekly index registered involvement in English-language Telegram. Qualitative explanation of quantitative trends was derived via questionnaires and follow-up interviews. Writing scores increased from 10.63 to 14.38 (mean gain = 3.75), and the weekly communication index increased from 2.95 to 6.77. The main effect of week was significant for the communication index, F(7, 553) = 193.16, p < .001, ηp² = .710, and weekly writing, F(7, 553) = 170.44, p < .001, ηp² = .683. Interview themes suggested reasonable explanations from relevant engineering tasks, opportunity to practice digitally, peer interaction, and teacher scaffolding. The results promote further research of guided mobile project work in engineering ESP. Because there was no non-intervention control group, changes cannot be uniquely attributed to the intervention or to Telegram.