2.

2 Differences between ESP & General English

General English is the teaching of everyday English which any student might need.
It might include ordering in restaurants, vocabulary to go shopping and useful
phrases for when travelling.

The content of ESP courses, however, can be as varied as there are reasons for
learning English. “What distinguishes ESP from General English is not
the existence of a need as such but rather an awareness of the need”. (Paul
Seedhouse; Needs Analysis and the General English Classroom). In other words,
while General English teachers and courses may pay lip service to the importance
of needs analysis and individualisation for learners, in practice, this rarely happens
and the same coursebooks and materials will be used regardless.

The major differences between ESP and General English are in the roles of the
teacher. An ESP practitioner’s roles are expanded compared to a teacher of
General English. In addition to the role of “teacher” (synonymous with all the varied
sub-roles a General English teacher performs) ESP teachers must be prepared to:

 Conduct and understand a needs analysis.

 Research the subject area thoroughly.
 Design both the course and the materials (although for some of the more “popular”
areas of ESP coursebooks have been written).
 Collaborate closely with their students, whose knowledge of the specialized content
of the materials will be greater than their own.