PART 2: ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES (ESP)

2. WHAT IS ESP?
English for Specific Purposes (ESP) is an English course which is specifically
designed to meet the needs of a group of learners, normally a professional group.
Some common areas of ESP are, for example,

 Business English
 Technical English
 Scientific English
 English for medical professionals
 English for waiters
 English for tourism
 English for Art Purposes
 Aviation English as ESP is taught to pilots, air traffic controllers and civil
aviation cadets who are going to use it in radio communications

In effect ESP can be taught to any group of learners who need to learn specific
content and a specialized lexis in English.

ESP is now considered a separate profession from ESL/EFL, with more and more
universities offering an MA in ESP. However, even within its own field, there is
intense debate about which sub-categories can be considered ESP, with a major
question mark hanging over English for Academic Purposes (EAP).