The Effect of Negotiated Syllabus on the Reading Comprehension of ESP Students

Negotiated syllabus addresses learners’ needs and assists them in developing their own on-going syllabus through shared decision-making in the classroom. Many studies focus on the effect of this learner-centered syllabus on language learning. However, few studies exist on its effect on the reading ability of language learners, especially in the area of English for specific purposes (ESP). To address this gap, this quasi-experimental pre-test post-test intact group design examined if negotiated syllabus has any significant effect on developing the reading comprehension of ESP students. To this end, 32 students in the experimental group were given the choice to design a negotiated syllabus through collaboration while 39 students in the control group received a pre-designed syllabus. The data analysis showed that the ESP learners in the experimental group outperformed their counterparts in the control group on the reading post-test. The results of this study have implications for authorities in higher education, educational policy makers, and teacher professional development in ELT and ESP in particular which are discussed in detail in the paper.