5 - ESP

Definition: English for Specific Purposes (ESP) is a sphere of English learning that is developed to meet the specific needs of the learners, centering on the appropriate language of the discipline it serves (technical English, scientific English, English for tourism, for waiters, for medical professionals, for pilots and so on) or covering the most important areas in which English may be beneficial to people in general. The main goal is to achieve what the students want/need to know, not specifically on just grammar or vocabulary. It is commonly associated to the academic, vocational and professional purposes.

 

Comment: ESP is a practical choice for those who have specific objectives in learning English. But I think it is still missing something, because you can not isolate a context from another. You will always hear a word you don’t know, or a structure you did not study. In my personal case, I had ESP in high school, and the listening and speaking skills were not well developed, since the objective was to pass the UFMG entrance exam. I had to study by myself.

 

References:

 

Hutchinson, T. & A. Walters. English for Specific Purposes: A learning-centered approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1987.

 

BELL, D. ‘Help! I've been asked to teach a class on ESP!' in IATEFL Voices, Issue 169, 2002.

 

More Sources:

 

A history of ESP through 'English for Specific Purposes'.

http://www.esp-world.info/Articles_3/Hewings_paper.htm

 

Teaching English: English for Specific Purposes - Introduction

http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/transform/teachers/specialist-areas/english-specific-purposes