“Mircea cel Batran” Naval Academy Scientific Bulletin, Volume XVII – 2014 – Issue 1

Published by “Mircea cel Batran” Naval Academy Press, Constanta, Romania

TEACHING ESP & BUSINESS ENGLISH

Camelia ALIBEC
Lecturer, Naval Academy, Constanta

Abstract: Business English is one of the forms of the language used for a Specific Purpose, such as Maritime English, Aviation
English, Technical English, or Scientific English. In the case of Business English, it is largely used in international trade by many
whose primary spoken or written language is not English. In a globally connected world, Business English is becoming
increasingly important as more and more companies need their staff to be multi-lingual. The ultimate goal of any Business
English Course is to allow its users to effectively communicate with others in a business environment, whether that
communication is in correspondence, face to face meetings, or other methods. Therefore a Business English Language Course
may include topics such as business English reading, letters and resumes, business phrases, or terms in sale, advertising, an d
marketing.
Keywords: ESP, Business English, types of communication, teaching techniques, specific vocabulary, student’s needs,
authentic materials.

INTRODUCTION to some business vocabulary, texts, even grammar

Business English must be seen in the larger exercises which comprise business terms. Why a business
context of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) as it shares course? Because I have to keep in mind that one day
the important characteristics of needs analysis, syllabus some, or all of my students are going to work for
design, course design, and materials selection and multinational companies, therefore they need to know this
development which are common to all fields of work in form of ESP. Our students need to focus on vocabulary
ESP. As with other varieties of ESP, Business English and phrases which are used in the business world, be
involves a specific language corpus and emphasis on familiar with the professional writing such as business
specific types of communication in a specific context. letters, memos, e-mails, invitations and reports, and in the
However, it was pointed out that Business English is same time be good at preparing and delivering
different from other varieties of ESP due to its mix of presentations within the business family.
specific content and general content (Ellis & Johnson,
1994). Course design
According to Dudley-Evans (1977) ESP is There have been many developments over the
defined to meet specific needs of the learner and makes past decades in terms of the way teachers and course
use of underlying methodology and activities of the designers look at Business English. In the 1960s and
discipline it serves; ESP is centered on the language 1970s the specialist vocabulary was seen as the
appropriate to these activities in terms of grammar, lexis, distinguishing component between General English and
register, study skills, discourse and genre. It is also Business English. Textbooks at that time were intended to
underlined the fact that ESP may use, in specific teaching offer target specialist vocabulary in a context of a written
situations, a different methodology from that of General text or dialogue which dealt with a specific topic (for
English. example, banking). Exercises mainly comprised
From the definition, we see that ESP can, but it comprehension questions about the text and vocabulary
is not necessarily concerned with a specific discipline, nor drills. Such textbooks did not take into account the
does it have to be aimed at a certain age group or ability learner‟s previous knowledge nor did they consider how
range. ESP should be seen simple as an approach to the learner might use language in real life.
teaching, or what Dudley-Evans describes as an “attitude Later on, in the 1970s and the beginning of the
of mind”. This is a similar conclusion to that made by 1980s course books began to put a greater emphasis on
Hutchinson et al. (1987) who stated, “ESP is an approach communication skills, on speaking, writing, listening and
to language teaching in which all decisions as to content reading within a business context. Business English
and method are based on the learner's reason for teaching became thus more focused on functional areas –
learning”. language for recommending, expressing opinions, giving
advice, showing agreement etc. These developments have
BUSINESS ENGLISH AS PART OF ESP continued so far as there appeared a growing need for
However, Business English, as a variety of ESP, enhancing such skills as presentation techniques,
shares a number of characteristics with General English, negotiating or meeting skills. The practical use of language
still differing in point of content: it is a mixture of specific prevailed over the theoretical knowledge about the
content and general content; therefore Business English is language.
English for communication in a specific context. In what concerns teaching Business English
As William Bradridge puts it, “teaching Business speaking skills, students should be taught how to handle a
English means saying goodbye to crowded classrooms of job interview, which is an important part of an employment
unmotivated noisy teens and hello to negotiating your own file, what tips they should have in mind when they apply for
time schedule and better pay with very motivated and a particular job.
highly intelligent professionals.” When designing a course in Business English,
Hence the challenges that teachers of Business specialists such as Mark Ellis and Christine Johnson
English face in their activity are as follows: What should (1994) suggest a few specific steps to consider, in contrast
the main focus be on? Specialized vocabulary? Improving to General English courses, such as:
communication skills in a business related context? More - Needs analysis: what do students need to know in order
specifically, what do non-native students in economics and to face the requirements of their future job environment?
business need to know about Business English in order to - Assessment of level: using written tests, we can see what
face the future challenges in their careers? How should a level of language students have at the beginning of the
Business English course be designed in order to fulfill the course.
expectations and necessities of the future businessmen? - Syllabus: set courses, like the ones taught in colleges,
What teaching and learning techniques are most should have fixed objectives and syllabus.
appropriate to the content of such a course? - Course objectives: should be defined in relation to the
As a teacher at the Naval Academy, I teach needs analysis findings; in the case of pre-experience
students at the Port management specialization, and in the learners they can be worded in terms of their course of
second year of study I find it necessary to introduce them

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 “Mircea cel Batran” Naval Academy Scientific Bulletin, Volume XVII – 2014 – Issue 1
Published by “Mircea cel Batran” Naval Academy Press, Constanta, Romania

study or in terms of required language improvement communication and find out how people from different
(command of structures, functions etc.) backgrounds do business.
- Time: in the case of college language training, time is 3. Be businesslike but keep energy levels high
limited so the course should be structured according to the To make the right impression, it‟s important to
duration (number of weeks, semesters etc.). teach in a business-like way. This affects what you say,
- Learner expectations: in the case of Business English, and how you behave, but also what you wear. If you‟re
learners are likely to be more goal-orientated and to expect going to work in-company, then punctuality,
success. professionalism and competence are crucial. Student
- Evaluation of progress: written or oral examination, talking time (STT) is likely to be much higher in a business
dependent on particular circumstances. English classroom, so ensure there are plenty of
opportunities for collaborative task work and speaking
ESP teacher practice. Where possible, leave reading and writing for
It is also rightfully noticed that “it is a self-study or homework.
misconception that in the field of ESP the teacher has to 4. Choose your materials wisely
be an expert in the subject matter.” (Ellis 17) The teacher As in the general English classroom, learners
does not have to teach negotiation strategies, will expect you to bring materials to class. There are lots of
management theory etc. He underlines the fact that the books and online resources available, but it‟s important to
teacher should be seen as an expert in presenting and choose materials that create „authentic‟ situations in the
explaining the language and in taking care of the learners‟ classroom. Probably the most important resource is the
language problems. The Business English teacher has to learners themselves. They can provide you with real
prepare students to communicate in a foreign language, materials from their working lives – the things they need to
i.e. English about business issues students specialize in. read and understand, or perhaps even create and present.
Nowadays the portrait of the traditional teachers These could be leaflets, emails, PowerPoint presentations
is shifting rapidly towards self-directed learning or student- or reports. Don‟t forget: concentrate on goals and needs.
oriented learning, and these can be done due to the new Find out why these resources are important and what your
technologies. Therefore teachers should be familiar with learners want to take away from the lesson. Then come to
the modern technology and the new methodological an agreement with them about how to meet these needs.
approaches. “The teachers need to learn new skills of
Business English for effective teaching in order to use Authentic material
them and enhance the .communication skills of the Authentic materials are especially important for
learners” (Chen 16-33). ESP trainees, since they reproduce an immersion
It is up to each and every teacher to use and environment and provide a realistic context for tasks that
implement in the same time the new technologies in relate to learner‟s needs. Realia and authentic materials
his/her own class of Business English, and his/her attitude increase learners‟ motivation but are difficult to adapt to the
towards technology will influence both their approach to learners‟ level of language, especially at the beginning
teaching Business English and the students‟ feedback. level. It is also important to note that preparing such
materials can be very time-consuming. Nowadays,
Tip S for teaching business english authentic materials must be constantly updated, as they
Many teachers of English as a foreign language are more and more frequently on demand in ESP classes;
feel intimidated by the prospect of teaching business with the advance of technology, the sources of authentic
English. Here are some tips to get your business English materials are practically limitless.
teaching off to a good start: All areas of human activity result in products
1. Find out what your students want to achieve which can somehow be involved in the learning of a
You‟ll be teaching busy adults who are used to foreign language. Various authors have grouped and listed
working towards objectives. You should therefore discuss them. Examples of materials appropriate for teaching
with them at the beginning of the course what they would Business English include TV and radio commercials,
like to achieve. This usually means breaking things down interviews, the news, reality or other shows, films,
into skills: telephoning more effectively, writing more documentaries, video clips, presentations, lectures, etc.
coherent emails, chairing meetings, etc. Teachers should This diversity and accessibility allows learners to find and
help set these objectives by analysing the needs of the bring their own materials they feel most relevant to their
learners early on. This „needs analysis‟ can then be shared needs. Reading/Printed materials newspapers and
with the learners and referred to as a way of keeping them magazines, specialized literature, newspaper ads, reports,
engaged and motivated throughout the course. photos, menus, brand logos, various reports, brochures,
2. Get a clear idea about the contexts in which company documents and correspondence, transcripts of
learners use English meetings, financial reports, agreements invoices, press
A very important part of the needs analysis releases etc. Realia, all kinds of real world and cultural
process should be a discussion about the context in which objects fall into this group. They are generally used to
the course participants need to perform: Why are they illustrate some points made during the task based activities
learning English? Who do they communicate with in their and thus make them more memorable.
work and under what conditions? Someone who is learning The Internet is a wonderful resource for teachers
English just to brush up fluency skills will have different of Business English. The Internet can enrich your lessons,
needs and expectations to someone who is learning provide you with authentic and up-to-date materials, and
English to supervise a team working in another country. help you prepare for lessons as well as provide a fantastic
We should also remember that business is conducted on a opportunity for both your own research and that of your
global level and there is a strong possibility that your students. No matter how much experience or confidence
students will be communicating with other non-native you have in incorporating the Internet into your business
speakers. It‟s a good idea to research cross-cultural English classes, you can take advantage of the benefits
the Internet offers you at any level.

CONCLUSION
English is unquestionably the language of business and Business English, which is a variety of ESP, and shares a
number of characteristics with General English, still differing in point of content; Business English is the English required when
you do business; Business English became a topic to be taught distinctively in the late 60s and early 70s when it was already
very clear for specialists that it was different from General English at least in point of vocabulary.

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 “Mircea cel Batran” Naval Academy Scientific Bulletin, Volume XVII – 2014 – Issue 1
Published by “Mircea cel Batran” Naval Academy Press, Constanta, Romania

There have been four major influences over the last ten years with a great impact on the process of teaching and learning of
Business English: the development of technology, new powerhouse economies, markets, financial sector. It seems that
Business English is only a concept in Romania, thus teaching it is quite a challenging process.
The Business English teacher is primarily a language teacher and does not need to be an expert in any particular field
of business, does not need a business background to succeed in teaching Business English. When used effectively, authentic
materials help bring the real world into the classroom and significantly enliven the language class.
REFERENCES
1. Ellis, M., & Johnson, C. (1994). Teaching Business English. Oxford: Oxford University Press
2. Dudley-Evans, Tony (1998). Developments in English for Specific Purposes: A multi-disciplinary approach. Cambridge
University Press. (Forthcoming)
3. Hutchinson, Tom & Waters, Alan (1987). English for Specific Purposes: A learner-centered approach. Cambridge
University Press.
4. Bradridge, William. Teaching Business English, http://www.global english.com/news/Teaching-Business-English,
5. Chen, H.J. Internet-assisted language learning and professional development. Seminar on multimedia English
teaching, 2003. Chungtai Institute of Health Sciences and Technology. Web
6. Davies, Paul, Pearse, Eric, Success In English Teaching, Oxford Handbooks for Language Teachers, Oxford
University Press, 2000;
7. Michael Thundercliffe, Current Trends in Teaching and Learning Business English: Adapting to Internationalisation,
http://www.scribd.com/doc/37409071/Current-Trends-in-Teaching-and-Learning-Business-English.

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