Unit 1.

What is ESP
(Adapted from: CiVELT. Coursebook. Module 1. What is ESP. )
Learning outcomes:
By the end of this unit you will be able to:

 Explain how English for specific purposes (ESP) fits into the broader family of English
language teaching (ELT) branches;
 Understand a range of ESP abbreviations and how they relate to each other;
 Define ESP by combining expert definitions with your own ides;
 Explain two extreme approaches to ESP;
 Understand a wide range of variables in ESP teaching;

1. What is ESP?
Think how you can define ESP. Use the questions below to help you.

 What exactly does the word ‘English’ mean in the context of ESP?
 What do you understand by ‘specific’ in this context?
 What ‘purposes’ are covered by the label ‘ESP’?
 What types of teaching are not covered by this label?
 Can you think of any borderline cases?
Although ESP was established as a distinct area of EFL teaching as long ago as the 1960s,
there is still an ongoing debate as to what ESP means. Researchers’ views range from
defining ESP as simply the teaching of English for any purpose that could be specified to
describing it as the teaching of English used in academic studies or the teaching of English
for vocational or professional purposes [Anthony].
In what follows, there are definitions given by prominent applied linguists with a view to
clarifying the meaning of ESP.
Definition 1. Hutchison and Waters (1987)

ESP must be seen as an approach not as a product. ESP is not a particular kind of
language or methodology not does it consist of a particular type of teaching material.
Understood properly, it is an approach to language learning, which is based on learner
need. The foundation of all ESP is the simple question: Why does this learner need to
learn a foreign language? From this question will flow a whole host of further
questions, some of which will relate to the learners themselves, some to the nature of
the language the learners will need to operate, some to the given learning context.
But this whole analysis derives from an initial identified need on the part of the learner
to learn a language. ESP then is an approach to language teaching in which all
decisions as to content and method are based on the learner’s reason for learning.

English for Specific Purposes. Tom Hutchinson and Alan Waters. 1987. CUP.

To get a deeper insight into the definition, think about the following:
1. According to the definition what is more important?
a. What you teach
b. How you teach it
c. Why you are teaching it

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 2. Underline the question at the heart of the definition. What are the two most important
words?
3. Look at the categories of further questions. How do you think each of the following
might affect the course?

a. The learners themselves

b. The nature of the language the learners will need to operate
c. The given learning context

4. Look at the last sentence of the definition. Can you really base all your decisions on
learners’ needs? Should you?
Definition 2. Strevens (1988)

Strevens defines ESP in terms of absolute and variable characteristics. This allows
for borderline cases.

Absolute characteristics

ESP consists of English language teaching which:

 is designed to meet specified needs of the learner;

 related in content to particular disciplines, occupation and activities;
 centred on the language appropriate to those activities in syntax, text,
discourse, semantics, etc., and analysis of the discourse;
 designed in contrast with General English

Variable characteristics

ESP may be but not necessarily:

 restricted as to the language skills to be learned, e.g. reading;

 not taught according to any pre-ordained methodology

Teacher Education for Language for Specific Purposes. Peter Strevens. 1997.

To get a deeper insight into the definition, think about the following:
1. Why do you think Strevens has divided his characteristics into absolute and variable
ones?
2. What is the difference between the second point (content) and the third point
(language)?
3. In the third point, what do you understand by the terms syntax, lexis, discourse and
semantics?
Match the terms with the definitions:
a. The study of how language works above the sentence-level, e.g. how
paragraphs, texts, conversations, etc. work.
b. The study of sentence-level grammar.
c. The study of meaning: what words and phrases mean.
d. The study of vocabulary.
4. Strevens includes discourse analysis as an essential feature of ESP. Do you agree that
learners actually need to be able to analyse language at an abstract level?
5. In the fifth point, Strevens suggests that an ESP course might not include all four skills
(reading, writing, listening, speaking). Can you think of any reasons why a learner might
need to develop only one, two, or three of these skills?
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Definition 3. Dudley-Evans and St John (1998)
Dudley-Evans’ definition is evidently influenced by that of Strevens (1988). However, the
scholar has removed the absolute characteristic that contrasted ESP with 'General English'" and
has added more variable characteristics. The division of ESP into absolute and variable
characteristics, in particular, is very helpful in resolving arguments about what is and is not ESP
(Anthony). The definition shows that ESP can but is not necessarily concerned with a specific
discipline, nor does it have to be aimed at a certain age group or ability range. ESP should be
seen simple as an 'approach' to teaching, or what Dudley-Evans describes as an 'attitude of
mind'. This is a similar conclusion to that made by Hutchinson et al. (1987:19) who state, "ESP
is an approach to language teaching in which all decisions as to content and method are based
on the learner's reason for learning".

Absolute characteristics

 ESP is designed to meet specific needs of the learner.

 ESP makes use of underlying methodology and activities of the disciplines it
serves.
 ESP is centred on the language (grammar, lexis, register), skills, discourse
and genres appropriate to these activities.

Variable characteristics

 ESP may be related to or designed for specific disciplines.

 ESP may use, in specific teaching situations, a different methodology from that
of general English.
 ESP is likely to be designed for adult learners, either at a tertiary level
institution or in a professional work situation. It could, however, be for learners
at secondary school level.
 ESP is generally designed for intermediate or advanced students. Most ESP
courses assume some basic knowledge of the language systems.
Developments in English for Specific Purposes - A multi-disciplinary approach,
Tony Dudley-Evans and Maggie Jo. Teaching Library 1998 CUP.

To get a deeper insight into the definition, think about the following:
1. What do you think Dudley-Evans and St John mean by 'underlying methodology
and activities of the disciplines it serves’? Think of some examples of disciplines
(e.g. medicine, engineering). What might be some examples of methodology and
activities for these disciplines?
2. The third point introduces the terms register (= levels of formality, using language
appropriate to the situation) and genre (= types of text). What do you think is the
relationship between register and genre?
3. Why do you think Dudley-Evans and St John placed the fourth point as a variable
characteristic?
4. Why do you think ESP is mainly for adult learners?
5. Do you agree that ESP may not be suitable for very-low-level learners? Do you
think all learners need to have a solid foundation in general English before they
start an ESP course?

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Definition 4. Maley (2007)

Since then [i.e. the 1970s] ESP ... has seen the hiving off of English for Business
Purposes and English for Academic Purposes as largely independent focuses.
Nonetheless there has been a steady demand for courses related to the
immediate needs of students rather than to the ENOP (English for No Obvious
Purposes) offered in most secondary education institutions

Maley, Alan. Introduction. English for Specific Purposes. Keith Harding. Resource
Books for Teachers, edited by Alan Maley. 1997
To get a deeper insight into the definition, think about the following:
1. What do we learn about ESP and EAP?
2. Do you think Maley's joke about ENOP is a fair summary of English teaching in
secondary education?

2. The evolution of ESP: Moving from EGP towards ESP

Tom Hutchinson and Alan Waters identify three main reasons common to the emergence of all
ESP [Hutchinson p.6-8].

1. The demands of a Brave New World

The post-World War II period was a period of unprecedented economic, scientific and
technical activity on an international scale. The world came to be dominated by two
forces – technology and commerce which created a demand for an international
language. Due to the economic power of the USA and the influence of American
business, this role fell to English. This resulted in a new generation of learners who had
a clearly defined reason why they were learning a language. In other words, they
needed English and, most importantly, they knew why they needed it: businessmen and
–women had to sell their products, mechanics needed to read instruction manuals,
doctors had to keep up with developments in their field, students needed to read
textbooks and journals available only in English etc. [Hutchinson, p. 6]. English became
dependent on wishes, needs and demands of people other than language teachers. This
created a need for English course tailored to specific needs.
2. A revolution in linguistics
In the late 1960s and early 1970s the biggest change in the study of language occurred
which dealt with a distinction between language usage and language use suggested by
H. Widdowson [1978] and the emergence of the communicative approach to foreign
language teaching. The whole system of foreign language teaching traditionally
concentrated on usage assuming that learners would eventually pick up the necessary
knowledge of use on their own [Widdowson 1978, p. 19]. However, the teaching of
usage does not appear to guarantee a knowledge of use. It is possible for someone to
learn a large number of sentence patterns and words which can fit into them and still not
to be able to use them in real communication. This resulted in shifting attention away
from defining the formal features of language usage to discovering the ways in which
language is actually used in real communication.
Another finding of Widdowson’s research was that the language we produce – speak or
write – differs considerably in a number of ways from one situation to another, for
example, the English of engineering is different from the English of law in many aspects.
This led to the development of English courses for specific groups of learners. As
Hutchinson states: “The idea was simple: if language varies from one situation of use to
another, it should be possible to determine the features of specific situations and then
make these features the basis of the learners’ course” [p. 7]. “Tell me what you need
English for and I will tell you the English that you need” became the guiding principle of
ESP [Hutchinson, p. 7].
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 3. Focus on the learner
Due to new developments in educational psychology foreign language teaching and
learning have undergone a significant paradigm shift from teacher-centered to learner-
centered environments [Moeller p. 327]. Learners, their needs and interests came to be
of paramount importance. This led to the development of courses which met learners’
needs and interests on the assumption that ‘the clear relevance of the English course to
their needs would improve the learners’ motivation’ [Hutchinson, p. 7] and thereby would
increase the effectiveness of learning. In practice, this was achieved by taking texts from
the learners’ specialist area, e.g. texts about medicine for medical students, texts about
law for law students.

3. Different branches of EFL teaching. Distinctive features of ESP and EAP.

The table provides the information on some ESP and other branches

1. ELT (English This is the general name for everything that teachers
Language teaching) of EFL and ESL teach.

2. General English A semi-technical term for a course in English, usually

as a mother tongue or in an English-medium school,
within a framework of general education, usually
teaching listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
3. Business English It is the type of English used in such contexts as
international trade, commerce, finance, insurance,
banking, and many office settings. It entails
expectations of clarity, particular vocabulary, and
grammatical structures
4. English for Specific It is a learner-centered approach to teaching English
purposes (ESP) as an additional language, which focuses on
developing communicative competence in a specific
discipline such as academics, accounting, agrology,
business, IT, teaching, and engineering. Students are
also exposed to workplace or academic culture and
real world communication practice.

5. English for Academic It refers to the language and associated practices that
Purposes people need in order to undertake study or work in
English medium higher education. The objective of
such a course, then, is to help these people learn
some of the linguistic and cultural – mainly institutional
and disciplinary - practices involved in studying or
working through the medium of English.

6. Vocational Education This is a branch of education (not a branch of ELT)

(VocEd) that involves a complex of pedagogical and
organizational and management measures aimed to
ensure that individuals get knowledge, abilities and
skills pertinent to a certain profession, develop their
competence and skills, develop general and
professional culture.

English for academic purposes (EAP) refers to the teaching of English to students, usually in
a higher education setting, to use language appropriately for study. An EAP program focuses on
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the language and associated practices that people need in order to undertake study or work in
English medium higher education [Gillet What]. The objective of an EAP course, then, is to help
students develop skills required to perform in an English-speaking academic context, i.e. to
learn some of the linguistic and cultural – mainly institutional and disciplinary - practices
involved in studying or working through the medium of English.

EAP programs will naturally include a special focus on specific linguistic demands of university-
level education: e.g. academic writing and its key genres; respond to writing prompts
considering audience, purpose, and appropriate language use; critical reading of authentic
academic texts; awareness of textual features and key points; academic skills of summarizing,
synthesizing and critiquing academic materials, academic vocabulary that is both general and
discipline/topic specific; a repertoire of grammatical structures appropriate for a variety of
academic writing tasks, etc.

Its other focus is on academic research, i.e. on developing students’ skills needed to conduct
academic research: evaluating and managing information from sources, incorporating source
ideas in writing, and demonstrating control over assigned citation format.

EAP programs sometimes include pre-sessional courses and in-sessional courses which are
taken alongside students’ other subjects. In the former case, EAP courses are intended to raise
students’ general English levels so that they can get a necessary score in the international
examinations (IELTS or TOEFL) and enter university. EAP courses running alongside other
degree courses may employ content-based instruction (EMI), either using material from the
students’ degree subjects or as an independent, elective-like course [Gillet What ].

EAP is considered to be one of the most common forms of ESP on the assumption that its
teaching content is explicitly matched to the language, practices and study needs of the
learners. This point of view is supported by Andy Gillet [Gillet What] who analyses the typical
defining characteristics of EAP against the background of Robinson's ESP features [1991, pp.
2-5]. The following two features are thought to be the defining criteria of any ESP course.

 First, ESP is goal directed: this means that the learners are not learning the English
language because they are interested in the English language or culture, but because
they need, or will need, to use English in their professional or academic lives.

EAP learners need to learn English in order to succeed in their academic careers.

 Second, an ESP course is based on an analysis of needs, which aims to specify as

closely as possible exactly what it is that the learners have to do through the medium of
English.

EAP pays close attention to the learners’ aims and what they are working on, studying or
planning to study. It is based on the belief that it is useful to specify what language and
practices students need in a particular academic context and that it is worthwhile to
focus teaching on this.

Therefore, the first stage in any EAP, and ESP, course is to find out exactly why the
learners are learning English and what language and practices they will need to pay
attention to.

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Other features of ESP courses considered by A. Gillet in his analysis of EAP programs are
rather characteristics than strict criteria since they do not always apply. However, they are
equally revealed in both: ESP and EAP.

 Often there is a very clearly specified time period for the ESP course.

EAP students can undertake pre-sessional academic courses to improve their language
skills before starting their main course or fixed term courses in preparation for a
particular task – such as an essay, dissertation or conference presentation. These
usually range from a few to 30 weeks. They can also study English for a short time every
week along with their academic courses or jobs (in-sessional instruction).

 ESP learners tend to be adults rather than children. Most students on ESP courses
are in tertiary education.

Likewise, most EAP students are over 18 and they will either have made a difficult
decision to study in an English medium university or, for example, researching,
publishing or teaching in English may be a requirement.

 An ESP course may involve specialist language (especially terminology) and content,
however, this is not always necessary. It is the activities or linguistic tasks – including
language and practices - that the students will need to engage in that define the course.

As with all ESP, an EAP lecturer would not take a text and ask, “What can I do with this
text?” The starting point is always, “What do my learners have to do? What texts will
they need to read? What will my students need to do with this text and how can we help
them to do it?”

 In some cases, there is no need for students to have a very high level of language
proficiency, provided the learners can succeed in their aims. Students, for example,
might need to understand their lectures and textbooks, to interact with their fellow
students and obtain good marks for assignments and examinations.

The role of the EAP lecturer is to help students to manage successfully in an English
educational setting: for example, using tenses correctly may not be as important as
answering the writing task.

EGAP and ESAP

Apart from “pure” forms EAP and ESP, a distinction is often made between EGAP and ESAP
[Blue, 1988].
EGAP stands for English for General Academic Purposes. EGAP deals with the language and
practices common to all EAP students irrespective of their speciality.
ESAP stands for English for Specific Academic Purposes. It is concerned with the specific
needs of students in particular disciplines, for example, English for biology students and law
students. In other words, both EGAP and ESAP refer to EAP: the former is associated with
its common-core, whereas the latter is concerned with discipline-specific features [Schutz p.
236]. Of the two, ESAP is becoming more popular due to its discipline-specific character as
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it makes it possible to address different practices and different requirements of the subjects.
A. Gillet also promotes this point of view. In particular, the scholar claims there is actually
no such thing as a general academic purpose as all purposes are, by definition, specific
[Gillet Using English].  Furthermore, although there are aspects of language – academic
words, text structure, grammar etc. – which are common to many academic fields, it is
difficult to teach EGAP. There are no EGAP texts which can be used to exemplify common
academic features as all the texts are discipline-specific. Moreover, an EGAP teacher is
likely to take language and texts from a range of academic sources which are not of specific
interest to the learners. In its turn, this can be demotivating for the learners

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References:
1. Anthony L. English for Specific Purposes: What does it mean? Why is it different? URL:
https://www.laurenceanthony.net/abstracts/ESParticle.html
2. Hutchinson T. English for Specific Purposes : A Learning-Centred Approach [Online] :
Excerpt / Tom Hutchinson, Alan Waters. – Cambridge University Press. – P. 5-14. –
Available from : file:///C:/Users/Admin/Downloads/english-for-specific-purposes-
paperback-sample-pages.pdfTeacher Education for Language for Specific Purposes.
Peter Strevens. 1997
3. Developments in English for Specific Purposes - A multi-disciplinary approach, Tony
Dudley-Evans and Maggie Jo. Teaching Library 1998 CUP.
4. Maley, Alan. Introduction. English for Specific Purposes. Keith Harding. Resource Books
for Teachers, edited by Alan Maley. 1997
5. CiVELT. Coursebook. Module 1. What is ESP.
6. Schutz N. How Specific is English for Academic Purposes? A Look at Verbs in Business,
Linguisitcs and Medical Research Articles / Natassia Schultz // English Corpus
Linguistics : Variation in Time, Space and Genre : Selected Papers from ICAME 32 /
[Eds. Gisle Andersen, Kristin Bech]. – Rodopi, 2013. – Vol. 77. – P. 236-256.
7. Gillet . Using English for Academic Purposes [Online] Guide for Students in Higher
Education / A. Gillet. – February 4, 2013. – Available from : http://www.uefap.net/blog/?
p=39
8. Gillet A. What is EAP? [Online] / Andy Gillet // UEfAP : Background to EAP : What is
EAP? : Website. – 2011. – Available from : http://www.uefap.com/bgnd/whatfram.htm
9. Blue G. Individualising academic writing tuition / G. Blue // Academic writing: Process
and product : ELT Documents 129 / [P. C. Robinson (Ed.)]. – London : Modern English
Publications,1988. - P. 95-99.
10. Moeller A.J. Foreign Language Teaching and Learning [Online] / Aleidine J. Moeller,
Teresa Catalano // International Encyclopedia for Social and Behavioral Sciences / [Ed.
J.D. Wright]. – Oxford : Pergamon Press. – 2015. – Vol 9. – P. 327-332. – Available from
: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?
article=1195&context=teachlearnfacpub
11. Robinson P. C. ESP Today : A Practitioner’s Guide / P.C. Robinson. – Prentice Hall
International (UK) Ltd, 1991. – 146 p.
12. Widdowson H.G. Taching Language as Communication / H.G. Widdowson. – OUP
Oxford, 1978. – 168 p.