Esp Report

TOPIC: English for Specific Purposes (ESP)
What is ESP?
The aim of the ESP is to determine the needs of a specific group of learners. ESP is often divided
into English for Academic Purposes (EAP) and English for Occupational Purposes (EOP). Further
sub-divisions of EOP are sometimes made into business English, professional English (e.g.
English for doctors, lawyers) and vocational English (e.g. English for tourism, nursing, aviation,
bricklaying).
ESP Characteristic According to Dudley-Evans (2001) the absolute characteristics of ESP are:
1. ESP is designed to meet the specific needs of the learners.

2. ESP makes use of the underlying methodology and activities of the specialism it serves.
3. It is centred not only on the language (grammar, lexis, register), but also the skills, discourses
and genres appropriate to those activities.
ESP practitioners are also becoming increasingly involved in intercultural communication and
the development of intercultural competence. For Dudley-Evans (2001) the defining
characteristic of ESP is that teaching and materials are based on the results of a needs analysis.
The key questions are:
1. What do students need to do with English?
2. Which of the skills do they need to master and how well?
3. Which genres do they need to master either for comprehension or production purposes?
Traditionally ESP courses were typically designed for intermediate or advanced adult learners.
Nowadays many students can start to learn academic or vocational English at an earlier age and
at a lower level of proficiency.
Why is ESP important? ESP has become increasingly important as:

1. There has been an increase in vocational training and learning throughout the world.
2. With the spread of globalisation has come the increasing use of English as the language of
international communication. More and more people are using English in a growing number of
occupational contexts.
3. Students are starting to learn and therefore master general English at a younger age, and so move on
to ESP at an earlier age.
An increasing number of learners are taught in English medium schools using approaches such as CLIL
(Content and Language Integrated Learning).
In some English speaking countries governments are launching initiatives to help economic migrants
obtain the practical English skills necessary to function in the workplace. For example, the new ESOL for
Work Qualifications in the UK are designed to help employers and employees access courses which offer
them the functional language skills demanded across a variety of employment sectors. Content includes
topics such as customer care and health and safety.
Some teachers are afraid of making the transition from teaching general English to teaching ESP. There
is also the danger that the novice ESP teacher will only use materials that they feel comfortable with and
will not stretch their learners.
ESP Teacher’s CompetenceBell (2002) argues that the depth of knowledge of a subject matter that a
teacher requires depends on a number of variables which include:
1. How much do the learners know about their specialism?
2. Are the students pre-experience or post-experience learners?
3. How specific and detailed are the language, skills and genres that the learners need to learn?
Although you perhaps don't need to be an expert in a specialist area, you do need to have some
awareness and feel for a particular vocational area. Bell (2002) advocates the three Cs for helping
teachers to improve their knowledge and skills in a particular area of ESP.
1. Curiosity The teacher should be interested in the subject area and want to learn more.
2. Collaboration Teachers should seek out subject specialists, show them their work and ask for their
feedback.
3. Confidence Confidence will grow as teachers explore the new subject matter, engage with subject
specialists and learn from their learners.
ESP Teaching Material Harding (2007) stresses that the general skills that a general English teacher uses
e.g. being communicative, using authentic materials and analysing English in a practical way are also
applicable to ESP. He also suggests that teachers should:
1. Think about what is needed and don't just follow an off-the-shelf course or course book.
2. Understand the nature of their students' subject area.
3. Work out their language needs in relation to their specialism.
4. Use contexts, texts, situations from their subject area.
5. Use authentic materials.
6. Make the tasks as authentic as possible.
7. Motivate the students with variety, relevance and fun.
8. Take the classroom into the real world and bring the real world into the classroom. Like it or not, the
days of the EFL generalist teacher may be numbered, so it might just be time to explore the possibility of
working in ESP!
Acronyms in ESP:
CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning)
EAP (English for Academic Purposes)
EBP (English for Business Purposes)
ESAP (English for Specific Academic Purposes)
EGAP (English for General Academic Purposes)
EMP (English for Medical Purposes)
EOP (English for Occupational Purposes)
EPP (English for Professional Purposes)
EST (English for Science and Technology)
EVP (English for Vocational Purposes)
EWP (English for/in the Workplace)
References Bell, D (2002) ‘Help! I've been asked to teach a class on ESP!' in IATEFL Voices, Issue 169,
Oct/Nov Dudley-Evans, T (2001) ‘English for Specific Purposes' in The Cambridge Guide to TESOL,
Cambridge University Press Harding, K (2007) English for Specific Purposes, Oxford University Press
ACTIVITY
QUESTIONS:
1. What is ESP?
2. What do you think is the purpose of ESP in teaching and learning?
3. Do you think ESP is important in teaching and learning? Why or why not?
4.-5 Cite any strategies do you think that can help us cope up with the lessons in new normal
setting.
Reference
https://akademik.uhn.ac.id/portal/public_html/FKIP/Bertaria_Sohnata_Hutauruk/English%20For
%20Specific%20Purposes.pdf

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TOPIC: English for Specific Purposes (ESP)

1. ESP is designed to meet the specific needs of the learners.

Why is ESP important? ESP has become increasingly important as:

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