ESP Definition

English for specific purposes (ESP) refers to the teaching and learning of English as a second
or foreign language where the goal of the learners is to use English in a particular domain.
(Paltridge & Starfield 2013: 2)
English for General Purposes (EGP) refers to contexts such as the school where needs cannot
be readily specified. It is more useful to consider EGP providing a broad foundation rather
than a detailed and selective specification of goals like ESP.
(Hutchinson, T., & Waters, A. 1987, p 53-54).
Difference
Aside from the rough separation at the definition level there is an overlapping connection and
proportion between them. In order to clarify their relation Widdowson (1983) establishes
distinctive features of ESP and EGP.
The most important EGP features are that it focus is often on education. As the learners’
future needs are impossible to predict, the course contentis more difficult to select and due to
this point, it is important for the content in the syllabus to havea high surrender value.
The most relevant ESP features are that the focus is on training. As English is intended to be
used in specific vocational contexts, the selection of the appropriate content is easier.
Moreover, it is important for the content in the syllabus to have a high surrender value, most
relevant to the vocational context. The aim may be to create a restricted English competence.
Surrender value stands for the overall utility (value) of the English taught by specific course,
the higher the surrender value, the greater the utility of the English taught. These distinctive
features reveal the true nature of EGP and ESP.
The learners and their purposes for learning English constitute the major difference between
ESP and EGP. ESP learners are usually adults, who are familiar with the English language.
ESP learners are highly motivated because their needs are catered to. They are learning the
language in order to communicate professional information and to perform some particular,
job-related functions.
In ESP course, it is needs analysis that determines which language skills are useful for the
learners to be able to accomplish certain professional tasks (e g. for a tourist guide, courses
should be focused on the speaking skills).
ESP courses are centered on the context. The English language is taught as a subject related
to the learners’ real needs and wishes in a particular field of human activity. The English
language is usable immediately in the employment context. The learners are highly motivated
as they are aware of their specific purposes for learning English. (cf. Chris Wright, 1992)
The age of EGP learners varies from children to adults and learning the English language is
the subject of the courses. EGP courses are mostly focused on grammar, language structure
and general vocabulary. EGP courses are responsible to the general language acquisition and,
for the vast majority of learners, they are extremely useful. EGP helps students to cope with
any subject-matter course. It gives them the ability to generate more language. EGP learners,
if well-taught, can use English to cope with the language in any undefined tasks. EGP courses
deal with many different topics and each of the four skills is equally treated. Due to the
general nature of these courses no needs analysis is conducted.
ESP focuses on

 second language acquisition in specialized contexts

 needs assessment

 curriculum development and evaluation

 materials preparation

 discourse analysis

 descriptions of specialized varieties of English

 teaching and testing techniques

 the effectiveness of various approaches to language learning and language teaching

 the training or retraining of teachers for the teaching of ESP.

-Learning speed: E.S.P learning can result in a faster acquisition, due to there are specific
purposes to focus on, and the teacher and her / his students already have an idea of what to
study since the very beginning of the program (Clear Objectives).
-Learning efficiency: In E.S.P programs, trainees tend to make use of resources as much as
they can. -Learning effectiveness: Students in E.S.P processes usually make use of the
language immediately they finish the program for work-job tasks.
Proficiency: In many cases, part of the apprentices of E.S.P programs already have some sort
of knowledge about English language. They may have a basic level or even an intermediate
one.
-Teaching E.S.P is a more demanding task, especially because of its audience (Adults).
-Students are exposed to a limited learning context.
-The syllabi (Materials and activities) have to be carried out carefully, oriented to specific
purposes. -The proficiency development on learners is going to be a little more complex, now
that the audience is usually centred on adults. So, developing the four language skills, and
especially communication, is going to be more demanding.
-Because the audience is centred on adults, their mother-tongue may influence more often in
their teaching-learning process.
-An E.S.P educational process requires a long time-period to be planned properly before
starting such process. As a final review of what being an E.S.P teacher involves, experience
is the key point. Facilitators or instructors need to gain as much experience as they can,
including theory and practice. Also, a good idea is to take advantage of E.S.P trainings and
programs as long as possible, and being experienced at teaching English as a second language
(T.E.S.P) and teaching English as a foreign language (T.E.F.L) areas. It should not be
forgotten that students bring a variety of life-experiences to class, then they need to be
listened, comprehended and taught adequately, taking into consideration part of such
experiences.

ESP in Practical Life

. Language education today is a daunting enterprise in the face of the increasing complexity
and dynamism of globally connected professional communities. The first section of this paper
pointed to major challenges to ESP practitioners and argued for a shift in teaching models
and practices to bridge the gap between the classroom and the professions. To raise
professional expertise, more attention needs to be directed toward the integration of
discursive competence, disciplinary knowledge and professional practice. The second section
described the issues faced in designing a large-scale program for a university setting.
Positioning ESP at the very centre of the curriculum is recommended to guide fundamental
program decisions along an ESP Specificity Continuum. Systemic literacy can guide the
development of educational materials and methods to raise genre awareness in the learner.
Aiming for ESP bilingualism is suggested after questioning the role of the native-speaker
model and proposing the cultivation of ELF speakers, or multicompetent professionals who
can base their language learning on genre texts. As active ESP practitioners, we are well
aware of the challenges involved in melding theory and application, but hope that the
concepts discussed in this paper will offer insights to guide the development of ESP in the
21st century.
ESP use in different fields of life

an indication of how vigorously the field of ESP has been ramifying. These subfields include:

 English for Science and Technology (EST)

 Vocational English as a Second Language (VESL)

 English for Vocational Purposes (EVP)

 English for Specific and Academic Purposes (ESAP)

 English for Professional and Academic Purposes (EPAP)

 English as a Lingua Franca in Academic Settings (ELFA)

 English for Occupational Purposes (EOP)

 English for Bu siness Communication (EBC)

 English for Sociocultural Purposes (ESCP)

 English for General Business Purposes (EGBP)

 English for Medical Purposes (EMP)

  English for Legal Purposes (ELP)

 English for Academic Legal Purposes (EALP)

 English for Research Publication Purposes (ERPP).

And in this digital era, recent additions have included:

 electronic Business English (e-BE)

 electronic Medical English (e-ME).

ESP course provides a comprehensive study of the nature of the behaviour of economic
organizations in relation to their marketing activities in a global environment. This course
will emphasize the cognitive processing perspectives of decision making within ethical
marketing, both locally and internationally. The course also explores the attitudes,
perceptions, preferences, and buyer/seller behaviour in the globalized marketplace.
Assignments will focus on real-world application of international marketing principles and
practices and examine the challenges of meeting customer needs vis-a-vis those in e.g. the
horizontal and vertical chains of a given business sector . Moreover, this course examines
various promotional tools used to sell products and services in the communication mix,
including advertising, sales promotion and publicity. A wide variety of marketing-related
concepts are introduced and discussed, including advertising planning processes, determining
advertising and promotional goals and objectives, control and evaluation of advertising and
promotional programs, and regulatory issues. In all areas to be covered, appropriate English
language skills and vocabulary will be integrated into the syllabus.
Course Purpose: Marketing provides students with the opportunity to examine all aspects of
the marketing mix. The content of this course envisions with the following program
outcomes: 1. To provide students with the ability to appraise the threats and opportunities of
conducting business in globalized markets.
2. To provide students with the ability, in English, to evaluate a company’s marketing
strategies and make recommendations, as well as formulate and make strong arguments in
their support. 3. To provide students with the ability to access and evaluate relevant
information in English, in order to guide business decisions. Learning objectives: By the end
of this course, students will:
1) Have gained cohesive, substantive perspectives on the conceptual and managerial nuances
of the business marketing field.
2) Be able to compare and contrast domestic and international marketing techniques and
strategies in English.
3) Understand the internal and external variables which influence the development and
execution of business marketing strategies in the international environment.
4) Learn about the elements of the marketing management process, the basic components of
marketing programs, and the interaction of marketing with other functions of the
organization.
5) Understand the role of marketing managers and how to apply marketing concepts to a wide
range of management and international situations in English.
6) Acquire analytical skills to define marketing problems, identify opportunities, and
interpret their implications for decision-making in a global marketplace.
7) Apply both qualitative and quantitative tools to marketing problems.
8) Develop practical English communication skills by using persuasive arguments in support
of well-grounded marketing actions. The course purposes and objectives outlined above are
directly linked to their development as skills and competencies using English as the language
of communication.
Aside from the hard separation on the definition stage there can be an overlapping connection
and proportion between them. In order to make clear their relation Widdowson (1983)
establishes distinctive capabilities of ESP and EGP.
The most important EGP features are that it interest is regularly on education. As the
newcomers’ destiny goals are impossible to predict,
the path contentis greater hard to choose and due to this point, it is important for the content in
the syllabus to havea high give up price.
The most applicable ESP capabilities are that the focus is on training. As English is intended to
be used in specific vocational contexts, the choice of the proper content fabric is easier.
Moreover, it is critical for the content in the syllabus to have a high give up price,
most applicable to the vocational context. The aim may be to create a constrained English
competence.
Surrender cost stands for the overall utility (cost) of the English taught by particular route,
the higher the give up fee, the extra the software of the English taught. These
distinctive functions show the actual nature of EGP and ESP.
The novices and their purposes for gaining knowledge
of English represent the foremost difference among ESP and EGP.
ESP beginners are generally adults, who are familiar with the English language.
ESP inexperienced persons are specifically stimulated because their needs are catered to. They
are mastering the language so as to communicate expert records and to carry out a
few particular, job-related features.
In ESP direction, it is needs assessment that determines which
language capabilities are beneficial for the novices a good way to accomplish nice expert tasks
(e g. For a vacationer guide, guides want to be targeted at the speaking competencies).
ESP courses are focused at the context. The English language is taught as a concern related
to the novices’ real needs and goals in a selected area of human activity. The English language
is usable immediately inside the employment context. The novices are specially brought
on as they may be privy to their particular functions for studying English.
The age of EGP learners varies from kids to adults and gaining knowledge of the English
language is the problem of the guides. EGP guides are mostly focused on grammar,
language form and famous vocabulary. EGP guides are accountable to the overall language
acquisition and, for the full-size majority of beginners, they're extremely useful.
EGP allows college students to deal with any concern-matter course. It offers them
the capability to generate greater language. EGP novices, if well-taught, can use English
to address the language in any undefined tasks. EGP guides address many
different topics and every of the four capabilities is in addition treated. Due to the overall nature
of these publications no dreams evaluation is conducted.