What is English for Specific Purposes?
You might have already noticed that the field of English language teaching is full of acronyms and ESP is a relatively common one. ESP stands for English for Specific Purposes, which is a branch of TESOL that you might end up teaching in the future. So what exactly is English for Specific Purposes?
Table of Contents
What is English for Specific Purposes?
Who needs English for Specific Purposes?
How to teach English for Specific Purposes
Who can teach English for Specific Purposes?
Resources for teaching English for Specific Purposes
What is English for Specific Purposes?
English for Specific Purposes (ESP) is a specialized branch of English language education that focuses on teaching English for a particular discipline or profession, rather than general English language skills used in everyday communication. ESP courses are designed to meet the specific needs of learners who require proficiency in English in areas such as business, law, medicine, engineering, or aviation, among others. While general English proficiency remains a foundational element, the primary emphasis in ESP is on developing language skills directly applicable to the learners' specific professional or academic environments. These courses often include vocabulary, jargon, and communication practices pertinent to the field, enabling students to function effectively in their specialized area of work or study.
Who needs English for Specific Purposes?
English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses are primarily designed for individuals who already possess a reasonable proficiency in English and need to refine their language skills for specific professional or academic areas. The typical ESP students are adults, often professionals or university students, who are highly motivated to achieve specific language goals related to their career or field of study. These goals could range from gaining a promotion and securing a pay increase to transitioning to a more specialized role.
Common examples of ESP courses include English for Aviation, tailored for professionals like air traffic controllers and pilots; English for Hospitality, targeting hotel staff; English for Tourism, aimed at travel agents and tour guides; English for Medicine, designed for healthcare professionals such as nurses and doctors; English for Banking, and Legal English for those in the legal profession.
How to teach English for Specific Purposes
Teaching ESP involves a targeted approach, starting with a thorough needs analysis to identify the specific language requirements and existing proficiency of the students. This analysis informs the focus of the ESP classes, which may concentrate on particular language points or skills like reading, writing, speaking, or listening, relevant to the students' field. For instance, a lesson for hospitality workers might center around telephone greetings or language for handling customer complaints. Unlike general English classes, the emphasis in ESP is more on practical language use in specific contexts rather than on broad grammar and language structures.
It is crucial for ESP teachers to recognize the significance of these lessons for their students, who often see immediate practical applications in their professional lives. Therefore, students are generally highly motivated and expect the teacher to possess both subject matter expertise and a professional approach. Every lesson and activity should be purposeful, directly linked to the course's overall objective. While ESP lessons tend to be more serious and results-oriented compared to general English classes, they should still be engaging and interactive, avoiding dullness by incorporating relevant and stimulating content.
Who can teach English for Specific Purposes?
Teaching ESP is a role that can be undertaken by any TESOL qualified teacher, regardless of their background knowledge in the specific field of the ESP course. For example, you don't need to be a pilot to teach English for Aviation, nor do you require experience in the hospitality industry to teach English for Hospitality. While having experience in the relevant field can be beneficial, it is not a prerequisite. The key to effectively teaching ESP lies in conducting thorough research and utilizing specialized ESP course books designed for the specific subject area. These resources provide the necessary content and framework to guide the lessons, ensuring they are relevant and effective.
Resources for teaching English for Specific Purposes
There are plenty of great options online if you need resources for teaching ESP. Here are some of our favorites:
Onestopenglish is an excellent resource that provides a dedicated section on teaching ESP, with lessons on English for Aviation, Marketing, Sales, Human Resources and many more. Some of the content is free to use while some require a paid subscription (potentially a good investment for long-term ESP teachers).
National Geographic Learning is always worth checking out as it contains a wide selection of resources for all types of ESL lessons, including ESP.
If you are looking for coursebooks for ESP classes take a look at these three publishers: Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press and Macmillan. You will also find various online resources on their websites to utilize in your lessons.
