This study reports on integrating ESP (English for specific purposes) multimedia courseware for semiconductor technology into instruction of three different language programs in higher education by using it as a silent partner. It focuses primarily on techniques and tools to motivate retention of under-prepared students in an EFL setting. The courseware design was based on Mayer's multimedia learning cognitive theory, and the language learning focus drew on Chapelle's suggested criteria for development of multimedia CALL (computer-assisted language learning). This learner-centered instruction was compared with a traditional teacher-centered one without courseware integration. Evaluation of the instruction was based upon data from pre- and post-tests, and two questionnaires related to students' learning satisfaction and attitude. The results suggested that students in all three programs have benefited from the courseware integration and were satisfied with practices for learning professional knowledge and English skills provided by the courseware. Students in the weekend program of recurrent education who were both older and had greater work experience had a higher achievement on the posttest, showed better self-discipline, participation and motivation, made greater use of the multimedia, and had a better understanding of teaching goals and professional and English content, so that they were more competent in the ESP course using the multimedia courseware. In addition, such a learner-centered instruction with courseware integration was as good as that with the teacher-centered one and can offer a potential solution to overcome current problems in the development of ESP instruction in Taiwan. (Contains 5 tables and 1 figure.)