V.

LANGUAGE ISSUES IN ESP

A.THE AIMS
B. GRAMMAR IN ESP
C. VOCABULARY IN ESP
D.DISCOURSE AND GENRE ANALYSIS

5TH MEETING /24/03/2020

LECTURER:
BERTARIA SOHNATA
HUTAURUK,S.PD.,M.HUM
AIMS LAGUAGE ISSUES IN ESP
In this chapter we will look at various
language issues in ESP, focusing on both EAP
and EBP and considering in detail the questions
of grammar, vocabulary and discourse. This
will also involve some discussion of recent
developments in ‘genre analysis’ and its
relevance to the teaching of writing in
particular as well as to the teaching of reading
and speaking. We will begin by looking at the
tricky question of grammar and vocabulary in
ESP.
 A. GRAMMAR IN ESP

Þ How much priority is paid to grammatical weakness

depends on the learner’s level in English and whether
priority needs to be given to grammatical accuracy or
to fluency in using the language.
Þ If priority is given to accuracy, then direct teaching of
grammatical formas to express particular meanings will
be required.
 A. GRAMMAR IN ESP

Key grammatical forms: (verb and tense, voice, modals,

articles, nominalisation, logical connectors)
1. Verb tense => Which tense should be taught?
Þ Barber (reported in Swales, 1988) in Dudley Evan (1998:
75) said that any grammatical work done on the verb in
EAP should concentrate on the present simple, active
and passive voice and modal verbs. Below is example of
tenses in academic articles

Section Tense predominantly used

Introduction Present simple (active and passive) present prefect
Method Past passive
Discussion/conclusion Result: Past
Comments: Present
2. Voice
Þ The idea that scientific or academic writing uses the
passive voice more frequently that the active is myth;
what is true is that such writing uses the passive voice
more frequently than some other tyes of writing.
=> Willgard (1981) in Evans (1998: 76) found that in his
corpus of medical writing approximately 60% of the verbs
were in the active voice and 40% in the passive.
3. Modals
Þ Modals especially might, may, could, would are one
way of indicating the degree of certainty of a
writer;s commitment to a statement or claim.
=> Learners need to be able to appreciate the role of
hedging in academic, professional and business
genres and to manipulate its actual linguistic devices.
They also need to understand why a writer of an
article on a report is using a hedging device.
4. Articles
Þ Certain uses of the articles are of particular importance
in ESP. (A, an, The)
5. Nominalisation
Nominalisation is the use of verbal nouns usually ending in
suffixes such as –ation, -ition, -ity, -ment, or –ness is a
major feature of the abstract language favoured by
academic writers (Mason, 1990)

6. Logical connectors
Logical connectors such as moreover, however, therefore
have always a high profile in EAP teaching. They are
generally seen as a key to understanding the logical
relationships in texts and therefore relevant the teaching of
reading, listening and writing in EAP.
 B. VOCABULARY IN ESP

Core Business vocabulary (EBP)

=> In discussing the teaching of ESP it has been said that
the teaching of technical vocabulary is not the
responsibility of the EAP teacher and that priority should
be given to the teaching of ‘semi technical’ or ‘core
vocabulary’. We believe that this idea oversimplifies the
true situation and we will therefore begin by discussing
the teaching of technical vocabulary breifly before
moving on to discuss the definition and teaching of semi
techncal and core business vocabulary in some detail.
Þ Technical Vocabulary
1. How to deal with technical vocabulary?
2. If it is cognate with the students first language,
then it will be no problem.
3. If it is not, then it needs to be introduced and
explained before the exercise is tackled.
Þ Semi-technical and core-business vocabulary

Baker (1988: 92) six categories of vocabulary, which

relate to EAP. Semi-technical vocabulary can also be
defined through the computer-based corpora (Yang,
1986 et.al)
BAKER (1988: 92) SIX CATEGORIES OF
VOCABULARY, WHICH RELATE TO EAP.
1. Items which express notions general to all specialised
disciplines.
2. General language items that have a specialised meaning in
one or more disciplines.
3. Specialised items that have different meanings in different
disciplines.
4. General language items that have restricted meanings in
different disciplines.
5. General language items that are used to describe or comment
on technical processes or functions in preference to other
items with the same meaning for example occur rather than
happen.
6. Items used to signal the writer’s intentions or evaluation of
material presented
THE TEACHING OF VOCABULARY
IN ESP
1. Situational, semantic and metaphor
=> Teaching vocabulary in context.
sets Collocation
and the use of corpora
Lexical phrases
D.DISCOURSE AND GENRE ANALYSIS

1. The finding of discourse analysis:

=> We have two areas of particular interest to
ESP: firstly certain text patterns that may be
used at any time and in any text, secondly
turn-taking and topic change within dialogue.
The basic pattern consists of four parts ((1)
situation, (2) problem with that situation, (3)
Response to that problem, (4) Evaluation of
that response)
 2. The finding of genre analysis=> Genre analysis in
ESP began with Swales’ pioneering work (Swales 1981
and 1990) on the introduction to an academic article.

Move I Establishing a Territory

Step 1 Claiming centrality and or
Step 2 Making topic generalisation and or
Step 3 Reviewing items of previous research
Move II Establishing a Niche
Step I A Counter-claiming or
Step I B Indicationg a gap or
Step I C Question-raising or
Step ID Continuing a tradition
Move III Occupying the Niche
Step IA Outlining Purposes or
Step 1 B Annoucing Present Research
Step 2 Announcing Principal findings
REFERENCES
 Look at from any resources from syllabus
outline