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Module 1 ESP: HISTORY AND DESIGN

Lesson 1 ORIGINS OF ESP
Lesson Objectives:

 recall the origin of ESP

 discuss the three major points in the history of ESP

A. Compare and Contrast

Instructions: Explain the differences among ESL (English as a Second
Language), EFL (English as a Foreign Language) and English as a Native
Language/Mother Tongue. Discuss its various implications to language and
education.
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A. Read and annotate

Instructions: Surf and browse journals and articles on ESP. Read and take
note of the major turning points in the history of ESP. Prepare to use these
notes during class discussion and assessment.
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THE ORIGINS OF ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES (ESP)
English for Specific Purposes (ESP) emerges from the discipline of
English Language Teaching (ELT). Its goal is to help international students
with their academic tasks at universities and colleges where English is the
main medium of communication and education (Salmani-Nodoushan, 2020).
It also aims to help scholars from non-English speaking countries with their
research and academic publications in English-medium journals (Johns,
2013; Johns & Dudley-Evans, 1991).
Teaching language for specific purposes (LSP) can be traced as far way
back as Greek and Roman Empires (Dudley-Evans and ST Johns, 1998).
Moreover, Strevens (1977) noted that history of LSP can be recalled to at
least half a century. Meanwhile, English for Specific Purposes (ESP)
emerged at the end of World War II which was considered a phenomenon
that was materialized out of a number of congregating trends and demands
(Hutchinson and Waters 1987).
ESP grew out of the insistent demands of a fast-developing postwar
world for a lingua franca due to the presence of satellite communications,
rapidly growing international trade, emergence of multinational companies,
digital technologies and improving access to academic and business trade.
In this context, the development of language teaching methodologies in the
1960s and the 1970s made ESP an appropriate and cost-effective way of
teaching English language to non-native English/ English as a Second
Language speakers and learners.
Robinson (1991) believed that ESP emerged as a result of:
a. worldwide demands for a better communication
b. revolution in linguistics
c. diverted focus to the learners’ needs
The focus on the learners is tantamount to preparing the learners for
their later and greater responsibilities and the demands that they have to
respond to and cater to in their future careers and professions.
THREE MAIN REASONS FOR THE EMERGENCE OF ESP (EXPLAINED)
ESP has functioned and operated in different ways around the world
but here are the 3 main reasons common to the development of ESP
1. The Demands of Brave New World
After 1945, the New World has become an age of massive and
exceptional growth in all aspects such as economic, technical and scientific
which adamantly prompted a demand for a lingua franca or an international
language that can be used in communication and business trades across
the world. This responsibility was then accredited to English language.
Consequently, this phenomenon has created a new generation of learners
who learned the language for specific purposes (Hutchinson & Waters, 1987)
that includes fulfilling their daily needs – from understanding the simplest
manuals to most complicated discourses and scientific texts.
2. A revolution in linguistics
Due to the awareness of changes that happened in the world, linguists
shifted their focus on studying the ways in which language is used in real
situations and context. Traditional approach in language study focuses on
the grammar rules governing the language use but it was then noted that
daily discourses vary according to contexts. As a result, it was necessary to
reorganize the teaching and learning methods according to the language
specificities of each situation – English needed by engineers, doctors,
linguists, officers, teachers and others. The language needed by different
professions should be identified by analyzing the linguistic characteristics of
the specialist area of work or study.
ESP guiding principle became: Tell me what you need English for and I
will tell you the English that you need (Hutchinson & Waters, 1987).
3. Focus on the learner
Same as language focus shift, educational psychologists also shifted
their focus on learners’ motivations towards acquiring language by noticing
the use of different learning strategies, attitudes, needs, and interests
manifested by the learners. With the ESP guiding principle, there came a
natural expansion of this principle to craft and implement special course for
varying range of specific learners. Language study and concepts of
education fundamentally transformed. The birth of teaching ESP has been
considered a direct result of the world evolution.

A. Tracing Origins of ESP

Instructions: Search for more detailed discussions of the origins and
development of ESP centered on the three major turning points in its
history. Create a timetable for its history and origins. Include also the major
proponents and practitioners involved in the history of ESP as you go along
the creation of your own timetable.
 Module 1 ESP: HISTORY AND DESIGN
Lesson 2 Definitions, Characteristics,
and Significance in Academe
Lesson Objectives:
 identify the various definitions and significations
of ESP especially in academe
 determine the roles of ESP Practitioners

A. Profiling
Instructions: Search and browse materials discussing the different
viewpoints and definitions of ESP by prominent scholars and authors. List
down at least 3 significant definitions of ESP.
1.
2.
3.
4.

A. Defining your role

Instructions: Answer the question comprehensively.
In the field of ESP and as a future language educator, what do you think is
the major role you need to play for your learners to learn the best way they
can the English language they should acquire for both academic and
professional purposes?
DEFINITIONS OF ESP
Mackay and Mountford (1978: 2)
ESP refers to “the teaching of English for a clearly utilitarian purpose”.
English should be taught to achieve specific language skills using real
situations; in a manner that allows them to use English in their future
profession, or to comprehend English discourse related to their area of
specialty.
Hutchinson and Waters (1987:19)
"ESP should properly be seen not as any particular language product
but as an approach to language teaching in which all decisions as to content
and method are based on the learner's reason for learning"
Robinson (1991: 2)
ESP is rooted from the notion that generally the students study
English “not because they are interested in the English language or English
culture as such, but because they need English for study or work purposes”.
Anthony (1997: 9-10)
“some people described ESP as simply being the teaching of English
for any purpose that could be specified. Others, however, were more precise
describing it as the teaching of English used in academic studies or the
teaching of English for vocational or professional purposes”.
This denotes that, the role of ESP is to help language learners to build
up the needed abilities in order to use them in a specific field of inquiry,
occupation, or workplace.
Richards (2001)
“ESP teaching aims are: preparing non-native speaking students for
study in the English-medium academic context; preparing those already
fluent or who have mastered general English, but now need English for
specific usage in employment, such as engineers, scientists, or nurses;
responding to the needs of the materials of English for Business Purposes;
and teaching immigrants the English needed to deal with their job
situations.”
Basturkmen (2006: 18)
in ESP, “language is learnt not for its own sake or for the sake of
gaining a general education, but to smooth the path to entry or greater
linguistic efficiency in academic, professional or workplace environments”.

CHARACTERISTICS OF ESP
 ESP is a recognizable activity of English Language Teaching (ELT) with
some specific characteristics. Dudley-Evans and St. Johns‟ tried (1998) to
apply a series of characteristics, some absolute and some variable, to outline
the major features of ESP:
Absolute Characteristics:
1. ESP is defined to meet specific needs of the learners
2. ESP makes use of underlying methodology and activities of the discipline
it serves
3. ESP is centered on the language (grammar, lexis, register), skills,
discourse and genre appropriate to these activities.
Variable Characteristics:
1. ESP may be related to or designed for specific disciplines
2. ESP may use, in specific teaching situations, a different methodology
from that of General English
3. ESP is likely to be designed for adult learners, either at a tertiary level
institution or in a professional work situation. It could, however, be for
learners at secondary school level
4. ESP is generally designed for intermediate or advanced students.
5.Most ESP courses assume some basic knowledge of the language systems,
but it can be used with beginners.
THE GROWTH OF ESP in the Academe
English for Specific Purposes (ESP) has become one of the most
prominent areas of English as Foreign Language (EFL) from 1960s up to
date. Its growth and development is evident in the increasing number of
higher education institutions offering ESP courses and in the increasing
number of course offered for overseas students in English-speaking
countries. Also, there is a well-established international journal dedicated to
ESP discussion namely English for Specific Purposes: An International
Journal. Moreover, ESP SIG groups of IATEFL and TESOL are active at their
national conferences.
In 1997, a heated debate took place on the TESP-L email discussion
list about whether or not English for Academic Purposes (EAP) could be
considered a part of ESP in general. There is a varying definitions and
notions on what ESP really mean. Some described it as simply the teaching
of English for any purposes being specified. Others described it as the
teaching of English used in academic studies and/or English for vocational
or for professional purposes. Because of this confusion, Tony Dudley-Evans,
the main speaker at the Japan Conference on ESP, set out a speech to
clarify the meaning of ESP through the discussion of its absolute and
variable characteristics (*see lesson for further discussion of characteristics
of ESP).
Anthony (1998) gave a brief explanation on the clarification of ESP
meaning according to Dudley-Evans:
The division of ESP into absolute and variable characteristics, in particular, is
very helpful in resolving arguments about what is and is not ESP. From the
definition, we can see that ESP can but is not necessarily concerned with a
specific discipline, nor does it have to be aimed at a certain age group or
ability range. ESP should be seen simple as an 'approach' to teaching, or what
Dudley-Evans describes as an 'attitude of mind'. Such a view echoes that of
Hutchinson et al. (1987:19) who state, "ESP is an approach to language
teaching in which all decisions as to content and method are based on the
learner's reason for learning".

THE ROLE OF ESP PRACTITIONER

Today, teachers are much more aware of the significance of needs
analysis. Published textbooks and learning materials have also improved
enabling the teachers to choose and use materials which closely match the
goals of the learners. This proves that ESP already influenced the approach
English teachers use in general. Nevertheless, the point where GE (General
English) stops and ESP courses start became too vague to pinpoint.
At the university level, teachers are unable to rely on the views of the
learners as to what English abilities are required by the profession they
want to enter due to the fact that the learners are also unsure of the
linguistic competence needed in their careers. As a result, many ESP
teachers follow published textbooks that are readily available. However,
there are cases that there are no textbooks available for a particular
discipline forcing teachers to teach using textbooks that aren’t suitable for
the learners.
Teachers, as ESP practitioners, play different roles in the academe
and they are defined by Dudley-Evans:
1. teacher
2. collaborator
3. course designer and material provider
4. researcher
5. evaluator
A. Redefining Roles of ESP Practitioner
Instructions: Aside from the 5 main roles of ESP practitioner as profiled by
Dudley-Evans, name one role of ESP practitioner that is worth mentioning
today. Explain why you consider that role noteworthy.

B. Redefining ESP
Instructions: Define ESP based on how you see this discipline.
 Module 1 ESP: History and Course Design
Lesson 3 Stages of ESP Development
Lesson Objectives:
explain the stages in ESP development;
acknowledge ESP as a learning-centered
approach curriculum

A. Development of ESP (Reading Phase)

Instructions: Surf the net and study the following phases in the
development of ESP:
1. Register Analysis
2. Rhetorical or Discourse Analysis
3. Target Situation Analysis
4. Teaching Skills and Strategies
5. Learning-Centered Approach

A. Development of ESP (annotation)

Instructions: Annotate significant points, dates, and proponents of each
phase:
1. Register Analysis
2. Rhetorical or Discourse Analysis
3. Target Situation Analysis
4. Teaching Skills and Strategies
5. Learning-Centered Approach

THE DEVELOPMENT OF ESP

“ESP is not a monolithic universal phenomenon”
Hutchinson and Waters, 1987:9
ESP has developed at different speeds across different countries in the
world. And the following are the approaches and concepts that are
operational even at the present times
The concept of special language: Register Analysis
This notion is tailored for the pedagogic purpose such as making the
ESP course more relevant and fitted to learners’ needs. Register analysis in
ESP is not intended for the discussion of registers of English per se but for
the discussion of registers (grammatical and lexical features) of words and
terms specific to areas of work and study.
The main purpose of an ESP course is to craft a syllabus, which gives
a high priority to the language forms students would likely to meet and use
in their fields of specializations. In this phase, ESP focuses on the language
at the sentence level.
Beyond the sentence: Rhetorical or Discourse Analysis
In this phase, the development shifted to above the sentence level – to
understand how sentences were combined in discourses to produce
meaning. ESP then is closely involved with discourse and rhetorical
analysis. The hypothesis of this phase is pinned by Allen and Widdowson
(1974):

The difficulties which the students encounter arise not so much from a
defective knowledge of the system of English, but from an unfamiliarity with
English use, and that consequently their needs cannot be met by a course
which simply provides further practice in the composition of sentences, but
only by one which develops a knowledge of how sentences are used in the
performance of different communicative acts
Rhetorical and discourse patterns of text organizations significantly
differ between and among specialist areas of use. The structure placed
depending on the area of work or study. The main focus in this phase is to
teach students to recognize textual patterns and discourse markers used.
Target Situation Analysis
In this phase, the attention is focused on the establishment of
procedures for linking language analysis more closely to learners’ reasons
for learning on a more scientific basis. The main purpose of ESP in this
stage is to enable learners to function in situations which the learners will
use the language they are learning.
ESP course design process should first identify the target situation
and then carry out the right analysis of the linguistic parts of that situation.
This process is what is known as “needs analysis”. Learners’ need is
definitely placed at the center of the course design process.
Skills and Strategies
In this phase, the attention is focused not only on the language itself
but also on the thinking processes that underlie language use. This phase is
crafted to assist in study situations where the medium of instructions is the
learners’ mother tongue but leaners need to read a number of specialized
texts written and available in English language. As a result, concentration
focuses on the acquisition and teaching of reading and listening strategies.
In this phase, the focus is placed on the underlying interpretative strategies
of the learners which enable learners to cope with the surface forms of the
language – for example, guessing the meaning of words through context
clues. The learners need to reflect on and analyze how meaning is produced
in and retrieved from written and spoken language.
A Learning Centered Approach
A truly valid approach to ESP must be based on an understanding
and mastery of the processes of language learning. ESP is an approach
crafted to describe what people do with language and how language learning
takes place.

ESP Development in the Philippines

Articles will be given for the discussion of this topic
A. Comprehensive Report on the Development of ESP in the Philippines
Instructions: Read more articles and journals discussing the stages of
development of ESP. Annotate and create a comprehensive report on the
significant phases in the development of ESP in the Philippines.
 Module 2 ESP as a Teaching Approach
Lesson 1 Types of ESP
Lesson Objectives:
classify various types of ESP;
discuss tree of ELT

A. Tree of ELT
Instructions: Study the figure below. Describe the tree of ELT and its
implication to the teaching of English language.

The tree of ELT: Hutchison, T. & Waters, A. (1987).

A. What’s your stand?
Instructions: Share your stand on the following statements.
1. English content taught for academic purposes is very different from
English content taught for professional/occupational purposes.
2. The roots of English Language Teaching are learning and communication.
TYPES OF ESP
David Carter (1983) identifies three types of ESP:
 English as a Restricted Language
 English for Academic and Occupational Purposes
 English with Specific Topics
English as a Restricted Language
The language used by air traffic controllers or by waiters are good
examples of English as a restricted language.
Mackay and Mountford (1978) defines restricted language as a
repertoire required by a specific profession that is strictly limited and be
accurately determined situationally.
However, such restricted repertoires are not languages, just as a tourist
phrase book is not grammar. Knowing a restricted 'language' would not
allow the speaker to communicate effectively in novel situation, or in
contexts outside the vocational environment (pp. 4-5).
English for Academic and Occupational Purposes
In the 'Tree of ELT' (Hutchinson & Waters, 1987), ESP is broken down
into three branches:
a) English for Science and Technology (EST)
b) English for Business and Economics (EBE)
c) English for Social Studies (ESS)
Each of these subject areas is further divided into two branches: English for
Academic Purposes (EAP) and English for Occupational Purposes (EOP).
An example of EOP for the EST branch is 'English for Technicians' whereas
an example of EAP for the EST branch is 'English for Medical Studies'.
Hutchinson and Waters (1987) emphasized that there is not a clear-
cut distinction between EAP and EOP as "…people can work and study
simultaneously”. Also, in many cases, the language learned by the learners
for immediate use in the academe will surely be used later when the
learners work in the field of their specialty. Carter’s rationale on this boiled
down to acknowledging the end purpose of both EAP and EOP which is the
employment. However, with the end purpose being identical, the process to
learn and acquire the two varied.
English with Specific Topics
The emphasis on the use of English language here shifted from
purpose to topic. This type of ESP is concerned with anticipated future
English needs. Cite for example, scientists are required to use English for
postgraduate reading studies, attending conferences, or working in foreign
institutions. This type of ESP, also, is an integral component of ESP courses
or programs which focus on situational language. The situational language
has been determined based on the interpretation of needs analysis results
for authentic language used in target workplace settings.

A. Draft and Craft

Instructions: Test your skills in crafting activities for different purposes.
Create a simple activity for English language learners for the following
purposes:
1. Teaching Grammar
2. English for academic purposes
3. English for science and technology
4. English for business and economics
 Module 2 ESP as a Teaching Approach
Lesson 2 ESP: Approach not a Product
Lesson Objectives:
• acknowledge ESP as approach not as a product;
• differentiate ESP and EGP
• discuss ESP as a learner-centered approach

A. Learner-Centered Environment
Instructions: As an educator, how do you perceive a learner-centered
environment? Describe your teaching approach and methodology.

A. ESP VS. EGP

Instructions: Differentiate ESP and EGP in terms of teaching focus,
method, and approach.
ESP VS. EGP
Hutchinson and Waters (1987) explained that there is no theoretical
difference between the two, however, there is a significant difference in
practice.
ESP is grounded on the facts about language nature, learning, and
teaching which is usually contrasted with General English. ESP teaching
approach is learner-centered, where learners’ needs and goals are of
supreme value, while EGP is a language-centered teaching approach, which
focuses on learning language from a wide perception covering all the
language skills and cultural aspects of the English speaking community.
ESP learners are mainly adult with a certain degree of awareness
concerning their language needs while EGP or General English learner are
primarily pupils as they are taught with compulsory modules at schools
with an aim to succeed in the examinations. Moreover, ESP aims to speed
learners and direct to reach a known destination in order to reach a specific
objective while EGP tends to set learners out from a definite point to an
unknown point.
Widdowson (1983) establishes distinctive features of ESP and EGP
The most relevant ESP features are:
1. the focus is on training
2. as English is intended to be used in specific vocational contexts, the
selection of the appropriate content is easier
3. it is important for the content in the syllabus to have a high surrender
value, most relevant to the vocational context
4. the aim may be to create a restricted English competence

The most important EGP features are:

1. the focus is often on education
2. as the learners‟ future needs are impossible to predict, the course
content is more difficult to select
3. due to the above point it is important for the content in the syllabus to
have a high surrender value.

In a nutshell, ESP is contrasted with EGP (English for General

Purposes). If English is taught for specialized learners with considerations to
certain vocational and educational purposes in mind during the teaching-
learning process, then this is ESP. And as an approach to language
teaching, ESP requires that all decisions regarding the content and method
be based on the learners’ reason for learning (Hutchinson & Waters, 1987).
Meanwhile, if English is taught as a second language along with other
subjects for academic purposes and is only treated as a useful subject to the
learners in the future for indefinite purpose, then this is EGP. Also, in EGP,
there is no immediate requirements for the learners to use their learning for
any real communicative purposes (Tahir, 2009).

Prepare for a revalidation of learning through an online open

forum and case presentation.