Group 1

What is ESP or English for Specific Purposes?

It refers to the teaching of English that focuses on developing communicative skills in a particular
field of occupation. ESP courses are designed to meet specific needs of the learners, with reference to
the particular vocabulary and register they require.

The Origins of English for Specific Purposes

The prevalent use of the English language as an international means of communication is in constant
expansion. This fact is reflected in different fields and in various domain where English is considered
as a working tool.

Two main important definition of ESP:

• ESP refers to the teaching and learning of English as a second of foreign language. ( Paltridge
& Starfield, 2013)
• ESP is based on designing courses to meet learners needs. (Hutchinson & Waters, 1987)

• ESP is goal-directed, it is an approach to language teaching based on learners’ goals and

reasons for learning a language.
• Hutchinson and Waters (1987) stated, “ESP is an approach to language teaching in which all
decisions as to content and method are based on the learners’ reasons for learning.
• Robinson (1991) states, “Student learn English not because they are interested in the English
language or English culture as such but because they need English for study or work
purposes.
• Basturkmen (2006) asserts that, in ESP, language is learnt not for its own sake or for the
sake of gaining a general education, but to smooth the path to entry or greater linguistic
efficiency in academic, professional or workplace environments.

1.2 The demands of a brave new world

After 1945, the New World knew an age of massive and unprecedented growth in all activities especially
the economic, technical and scientific ones, inexorably it engenders a demand for an international
language to communicate, and this responsibility was accredited to English for various reasons.
1.3 A revolution in linguistics
Some linguistics, being aware of the world changes, began to focus their studies on the ways in which
language is used in real situations. Then, it was necessary to reorganize the teaching and learning
methodologies according to the language specificities of each situation. The English needed by engineers,
doctors, linguist or officers- could be identified by analyzing the linguistic characteristics of their
specialist area of work or study.

1.4 Focus on the learner

In the same period learner’s motivation towards acquiring a foreign language was the subject study of the
educational psychologists, who noticed the use of different learning strategies by learners; they have
different attitudes, needs and interests. The ideas was based on the statement of tell me what you need
English for and I will tell you the English you need.
Like the world, language study and concepts of education fundamentally changed, the English language
teaching changed with it, and knew the birth of teaching English for Specific Purposes which is
considered as the direct result of the world evolution.
 Group 2

THE DEVELOPMENT OF ESP

2.1 The Concept of special language: register analysis
This concept departed from the principle that English of a specific science differs from each other in
terms of its grammatical and lexical features of the registers.
Register analysis in ESP was tailored for the pedagogic purpose. Register analysis revealed that there was
a very little that was distinctive in the sentence grammar of scientific English beyond tendency to favor
particular form such as present simple tense, the passive voice and nominal compound...
2. 2 Beyond the sentence: rhetorical or discourse analysis
If in the first phase, ESP had focused on language at the sentence level, in this phase, the development
shifted into the level above the sentence: understanding how sentence were combined in discourse to
produce meaning.
So, the ESP become closely involved with the emerging field of discourse or rhetorical analysis. The
basic hypotheses of this are expressed by Allen and Widdowson (1974):
The unfamiliarity which the students encounter arise not so much from defective knowledge of the system
of English, but from an unfamiliarity with the English use.
Rhetorical patterns of text organization differed significantly between specialist area of use. The structure
according to the area of work or study.
The typical teaching materials based on the discourse taught students to recognize textual patterns and
discourse markers mainly by means of text diagramming exercises.
2.3 Target Situation Analysis
The aim of this phase is to take the existing knowledge and set it on a more scientific basis, by
establishing procedures for relating language analysis more closely to learners' reasons for learning. There
is a purpose of ESP course that support this phase, the purpose is to enable learners to function in
situation which the learners will use the language they are learning, then the ESP course design process
should proceed by first identifying the target situation and then carrying out the right analysis of the
linguistic parts of that situation. It will form the syllabus of the ESP course. This process is known as -
needs analysis. What had been done previously in piecemeal way become something's systematized and
learner needs was apparently placed at the center of the course design process.
2. 4 SKILL and STRATEGIES
This phase was set up to cope with the study situations where the medium is the mother tongue but
students need to read a number of specialist text which are available only in English. As a result, it
concentrated their efforts on reading strategies.
We don't need to focus closely on the surface forms of the language. The focus must be placed on the
underlying interpretive strategies, which enable learner to cope with the surface forms of the language,
 This approach emphasizes on reading or listening strategies. The characteristic exercises get the
learners to reflect on and analyses how meaning is produced in and retrieved from written or spoken
language.
For example: guessing the meaning of the words from context.
2.5 A learning centered approach
Previously, the origins of ESP, we know that there were three forces that had role in ESP and became its
characteristics, they were needs, new ideas about language and new ideas about learning.

Group 3
ESP Definitions
Mackay and Mountford (1978) define ESP as teaching English for a utilitarian purpose, aiming to develop
specific language skills in real situations for future professions or understanding related discourse.
Robinson (1991: 2) asserts that students typically study English not for its language or culture, but for its
necessity for study or work.
Anthony (1997: 9-10) argued that some individuals view ESP as simply teaching English for any specific
purpose.
Richards' 2001 ESP teaching aims include preparing non-native speaking students for academic English,
fluent or mastered English for specific employment, responding to Business Purposes materials, and
teaching immigrants English for job situations
Basturkmen (2006: 18) focuses on learning language for academic, professional, or workplace efficiency,
not for its own sake or general education.

Absolute Characteristics
1.ESP is defined to meet specific needs of learners
2. ESP makes use of underlying methodology and activities of the discipline it serve
3. ESP is centered on the language (grammar, texts, registers) skills, discourse and genre appropriate to
these activities.
Variable Characteristics
1. ESP may be related to or designed for specific disciplines
2. ESP may use in specific teaching situations, a different methodology from that of general English
3. 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 of secondary level 4. ESP generally designed for
intermediate or advanced students 5. Most ESP course assume some basic knowledge of the language
systems, but it can be used with beginners.

Dudley Evans and St. John 1998:4

It is obvious that the absolute characteristics are specific to ESP because learners ' needs are of central
importance when designing language activities. Concerning the variable features, ESP courses can be
designed for a specific group using definite teaching methodology, nevertheless, all learners ' categories
and disciplines can be concerned with ESP.
For that reason, ESP should be seen simply as an ' approach' to teaching or what Dudley-Evans and St.
John illustrate as an " attitude of mind. Similarly, Hutchinson and waters ' (1987: 19) stated that, "ESP
should properly be seen not as any particular language product but as an approach to language teaching
in which all decisions as to content and method are based on the learner ' s reason for learning"

Group 4
 Types of ESP
(English for specific purposes)
David Carter (1983) identifies three types of ESP:
 English as a restricted language
 English for Academic and Occupational Purposes
 English with specific topics.

ENGLISH AS A RESTRICTED LANGUAGE

The language used by air traffic controllers or by waiters are examples of English as a restricted
language. Mackay and Mountford (1978) clearly illustrate the difference between restricted language
and language with this statement:
“The language of international air-traffix control could be regarded as ‘special’, in the sense that the
repertoire required by the controller is strictly limited and can be accurately determined situationally,
as might be the linguistic needs of a dining-room waiter or air-hostess. However, such restricted
repertoires are joy languages, just as a tourist phrase book is not grammar. Knowing a restricted
‘language’ would not allow the speaker to communicate effectively in novel situation, or in contexts
outside the vocational environment.”

ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC AND OCCUPATIONAL PURPOSES

The second type of ESP identified by Carter (1983) is English for Academic and Occupational
Purposes.
In the “Three of ELT” (Hutchinson & Waters, 1987), ESP is broken down into three branches:
a) English for Science and Technology (EST)
b) English for Business and Economics (EBE)
c) English for Social Studies (ESS)
Each of these subject areas is further divided into two branches:
• English for Academic Purposes (EAP)
• English for Occupational Purposes (EOP)
Hutchinson and Waters (1987) note that there is not a clear-cit distinction between EAP and EOP: “people
can work and study simultaneously, it is also likely that in many cases the language learnt for immediate
use in a study environment will be used later when the student takes up, or returns to, a job”. It appears
that Carter is implying that the end purpose of both EAP and EOP are one in the same: employment.
However, despite the end purpose being identical, the means taken to achieve the end is very different
indeed.
ENGLISH WITH SPECIFIC TOPICS
The third and final type of ESP identified by Carter (1983(is English with specific topics. Carter notes
that it is only here where emphasis shifts from purpose to topic. This type of ESP is uniquely concerned
with anticipated future English needs of, for example, scientists requiring English for postgraduate
reading studies, attending conferences or working in foreign institutions. However, it is not a separate
type of ESP rather it is an integral component of ESP courses of programs which focus on situational
language. This situational language has been determined based on the interpretation of results from needs
analysis of authentic language used in target workplace settings.