Developing ESP-Based CLIL to Increase Students’ Engagement in Higher Education

This study aims at addressing the need for a private institution to have a better English for Specific Purposes (ESP) course that can help students to navigate their professional lives as academicians and as future professionals in the field of Visual Communication Design. To achieve the goal, a series of lesson plans along with material and the assessment was developed using Borg & Gall’s (2002) research and development cycle: (1) need analysis, (2) development stage, (3) expert validation, (4) try out. As a result, the entire lesson was designed to promote collaborative work through jigsaw and the active production of the target language. CLIL was found appropriate because it boosted students’ enthusiasm to learn the language, particularly in a synchronous online class using Zoom, where students need to be more motivated to actively participate. ESP specialists have validated the lesson design and all teaching materials before implementation. The majority of students responded positively to the lesson as the CLIL method brought them closer to their discipline while also allowing them to study L2 to assist their performance in their discipline and future careers.