ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES (ESP)

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Introduction
The term English for Specific (or Special, Specified, Specifiable) Purposes means that
type of language learning focuses on all aspects of language about a particular field of
human activity (Wright, 98 1992: 3). In other words, it is a way of teaching/learning
English for specialized subjects with some specific vocational and educational
purposes in mind. In the ESP syllabus, the teaching content is geared to the special
language 'repertoire' about the specialized aims required by the learners.
ESP is a relatively new discipline within Applied Linguistics that bids a new learner-
centered approach to English language teaching whose methodology is based on the
learner's specific needs. Kennedy and Bolitho (1984: 3) point out that ESP is based on
an investigation of the purposes of the learner and the set of communicative needs
arising from these purposes‟.
ESP is contrasted with EGP, or English for General Purposes. If English is taught as a
second language and other subjects for educational purposes as useful subjects to the
learners in the future, then this is EGP. In this type of learning, there is generally no
immediate requirement for the learners to use English for real communicative purposes.
In contrast, if English is taught to specialized learners with specific vocational and
educational purposes, then this is ESP. ESP is learner- and learner-oriented, with a
conception and preference for communicative competence.
Defined to meet the learners' specific needs, ESP uses methodology and the activities
of the discipline it serves by focusing on the language appropriate to these activities.
As a specific approach to language teaching, ESP requires that all decisions about
content and method be based on the learner's reason for learning (Hutchinson and
Waters, 1987: 19).

The Meaning of the Word ‘Special’ in ESP

To rule out the unintended interpretation of the term “special‟ to mean “unique‟, many
researchers prefer to replace it with the term “specific‟ or “specifiable‟. The implication
is that the terms “special‟, “specific‟, or “specifiable‟ are not intended to qualify
the language but to highlight the purpose of studying it. It specifies the focus on
certain language features immediately associated with the restricted use of the target
language, which the learner requires to achieve a particular purpose (Munby, 1978: 2).
As mentioned above, a specialized aim refers to the purpose for which learners learn
a language, not the nature of the language they learn. Consequently, the word
special in ESP should focus on the purpose for which learners learn and not on the
specific jargon or registers they learn.

The Origins of ESP

According to Hutchinson and Waters (1987: 5), there are three common reasons for the
emergence of all ESP: the demands of the New World, a revolution in linguistics, and a
focus on the learner. The co-authors note that two key historical periods breathed life
into ESP. First, the end of the Second World War brought with it an "age of enormous
and unprecedented expansion in scientific, technical and economic activity on an
international scale for various reasons, most notably the economic power of the United
States in the post-war world, the role [of international language] fell to English" (ibid. 6).
Second, the Oil Crisis of the early 1970s resulted in Western money and knowledge
flowing into the oil-rich countries. The language of this knowledge became English.
The general effect of all this development was to exert pressure on the language
teaching profession to deliver the required goods. Whereas English had previously
decided its own destiny, it now became subject to the wishes, needs and demands of
people other than language teachers (ibid. 7).
The other key reason cited as having a tremendous impact on the emergence of ESP
was a revolution in linguistics. Whereas traditional linguists set out to describe the
features of language, revolutionary pioneers in linguistics began to focus on the ways in
which language is used in real communication. One significant discovery was in the
ways that spoken and written English vary. In other words, given the particular context
in which English is used, the variant of English will change. This idea was taken one
step farther. If language in different situations varies, then tailoring language instruction
to meet the needs of learners in specific contexts is also possible. Hence, in the late
1960s and the early 1970s there were many attempts to describe English for Science
and Technology (EST). Hutchinson and Waters (1987), Swales (1980), and Selinker and
Tarone (1981) are identified among the few of the prominent descriptive EST pioneers.
The final reason Hutchinson and Waters (1987: 18-9) cite as having influenced the
emergence of ESP is related to the psychology of learning. Rather than simply
focusing on the language delivery method, more attention was given to how learners
acquire language and the differences in how language is acquired. Learners were seen
to employ different learning strategies, use different skills, enter with different learning
schemata, and be motivated by different needs and interests. Therefore, focus on the
learners' needs became equally paramount as the methods employed to disseminate
linguistic knowledge. Designing specific courses to meet these individual needs better
was a natural extension of this thinking.
Today, the catchword in ESL circles is learner-centered and learning-centered. In this
way, teachers should follow students target situation needs and learning needs by
focusing on the systems, procedures, and products that are at the heart of what the
students do in English and to be able to deduce from this knowledge the language
needs of each type of learners (Ellis and Johnson, 1994: 26).