English for Special Purposes
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What is ESP?
English for Specific Purposes (ESP) is an extremely interesting and constantly growing field dedicated to teaching language through content within the ESL and EFL community. ESP which took root in the 1950s and 1960s is learner and content-based, two factors which lead to its great potential in curriculum development (Chien, 2010). In fact, what many people outside the United States refer to as ESP, teacher and academics within the United States refer to as content-based instruction (CBI) (Johns & Dudley-Evans, 1991). What is ESP exactly and why it is important for ESL and EFL? Ann Johns (2013) notes that the development of ESP came about not by researchers or theorists, but instead by teachers themselves. She cites Richterich and Chancerel (1977) when she refers to the development of ESP as “a practitioners’ movement, devoted to establishing, through careful research, the needs and relevant discourse features for a targeted group of students” (p. 6). This is the characteristic that makes ESP so wonderful and relevant in the ESL/EFL community. ESP allows practitioners an outlet where they can research the needs of their particular students and tailor a class for them in an attempt to more fully address their needs in a short amount of time. In fact, Johns (2013) goes on to refer to this phenomenon as a research/teaching interaction. The role of the ESP teacher is not as clearly defined as in other academic fields. Not only are ESP teachers researchers who seek out information needed to understand the needs of their students or of a specific student population, but they are also teachers who in the end teach the material developed for their students. This is the beauty of an ESP course; it is tailored for students by teachers.
Nowadays, ESP programs are becoming ever more prominent because they address the needs of professionals in the working world and students in the academic field (Ardeo, 2012; Salas, Mercado, Ouedraogo, & Musetti, 2013). There have been ESP courses designed for professionals in the hospitality field, for workers in factories, for business professionals, as well as for students in the academic world, and the list could go on (Bosher, 2006; Bouzidi, 2009; Feak & Reinhart, 2002; Gordon, 2002; Porcaro, 2013; Tsou, 2014). ESP can be divided into two large groups, English for Occupational or Vocational Purposes (EOP/EVP) and English for Academic Purposes (EAP); however, within the EAP category, there are potentially different types of classes: general academic English and extremely specific academic English classes dedicated to learning about one subject in particular, which some refer to as ESAP (English for Specific Academic Purposes) (Ardeo, 2012). I will, however continue to refer to these courses dedicated to specific academics as ESP courses.
Why are they useful?
Teachers and students need to ask themselves what characteristics make ESP courses useful. For professionals in the ESL field, the answer has to do with the fact that ESP programs are extremely useful for adults for a variety of reasons. Most often, adults have a great need and desire for ESP classes because they themselves have very specific needs, whether they are for professional or academic reasons. In addition, because of the time constraints of most adults, a class that is much more concentrated in time and content is quite desirable. It allows students to focus their attention and gain the knowledge that they immediately need. The course content becomes authentic and relevant to the learner; in addition, it gives language skills and mechanics authentic context. When discussing workplace-based ESL classes, Brooks (2009) claims “workplace-based ESL classes have the advantage of addressing language skills within the context of the job” (p. 66). Similarly, Ewert (2014) supports ESL and content-based learning for adults and states, “although there is no expectation or desire for a one-size-fits-all approach to adult ESL learner development, research and practice in several domains suggest that focusing on content learning can facilitate adult ESL learners’ literacy development and readiness for school or work” (p. 266). Research points to the idea that adults benefit from content-based learning, and, as a consequence, teachers and students are continuously realizing the worth and true potential of ESP courses for the reason that they are authentic, pertinent to the learner and specific to their immediate needs.
One of the greatest selling points of any ESP class is its ability to maintain the learner’s interest by offering topics and activities that are authentic to real life, relevant to the learner, and immediately responsive to the learner’s needs (Bosher, 2006; Chien, 2010; Feak & Reinhart, 2002; Ghahremani-Ghajar, 2009; Kirschner & Wexler, 2002; Porcaro, 2013). In a description of a successfully administered authentic, relevant, and content-based ESP class that offered a unit to art students at an Isreali university, Kirschner and Wexler (2002) describe students’ feelings about the content as engaging, fascinating, highly relevant, challenging and satisfying. Similarly, in a description of an ESP course designed for prospective law students, Feak and Reinhart (2002) mention how the “the response to the program has been extremely positive and encouraging” (p. 18). Finally, Ewert (2014) contends that when ESL students are able to study in one content area, they are consequently able to delve much deeper into the content and move into the higher level thinking skills, such as critical thinking. He states, “when learners are able to build a knowledge base in one content area, they will be better prepared to move beyond lower level thinking skills and begin to apply this knowledge to problem solving, evaluating arguments, or creating new meanings” (p. 272). These skills are those that will be asked of adults either in the workplace or in university, which is why it makes sense to begin studying in content-based courses, such as ESP courses, as soon as possible in order to acclimate students to what will be required of them in the near future.
Copyright © December 2015 by Abby Burgoyne
English for Specific Purposes (ESP) is an extremely interesting and constantly growing field dedicated to teaching language through content within the ESL and EFL community. ESP which took root in the 1950s and 1960s is learner and content-based, two factors which lead to its great potential in curriculum development (Chien, 2010). In fact, what many people outside the United States refer to as ESP, teacher and academics within the United States refer to as content-based instruction (CBI) (Johns & Dudley-Evans, 1991). What is ESP exactly and why it is important for ESL and EFL? Ann Johns (2013) notes that the development of ESP came about not by researchers or theorists, but instead by teachers themselves. She cites Richterich and Chancerel (1977) when she refers to the development of ESP as “a practitioners’ movement, devoted to establishing, through careful research, the needs and relevant discourse features for a targeted group of students” (p. 6). This is the characteristic that makes ESP so wonderful and relevant in the ESL/EFL community. ESP allows practitioners an outlet where they can research the needs of their particular students and tailor a class for them in an attempt to more fully address their needs in a short amount of time. In fact, Johns (2013) goes on to refer to this phenomenon as a research/teaching interaction. The role of the ESP teacher is not as clearly defined as in other academic fields. Not only are ESP teachers researchers who seek out information needed to understand the needs of their students or of a specific student population, but they are also teachers who in the end teach the material developed for their students. This is the beauty of an ESP course; it is tailored for students by teachers.
Nowadays, ESP programs are becoming ever more prominent because they address the needs of professionals in the working world and students in the academic field (Ardeo, 2012; Salas, Mercado, Ouedraogo, & Musetti, 2013). There have been ESP courses designed for professionals in the hospitality field, for workers in factories, for business professionals, as well as for students in the academic world, and the list could go on (Bosher, 2006; Bouzidi, 2009; Feak & Reinhart, 2002; Gordon, 2002; Porcaro, 2013; Tsou, 2014). ESP can be divided into two large groups, English for Occupational or Vocational Purposes (EOP/EVP) and English for Academic Purposes (EAP); however, within the EAP category, there are potentially different types of classes: general academic English and extremely specific academic English classes dedicated to learning about one subject in particular, which some refer to as ESAP (English for Specific Academic Purposes) (Ardeo, 2012). I will, however continue to refer to these courses dedicated to specific academics as ESP courses.
Why are they useful?
Teachers and students need to ask themselves what characteristics make ESP courses useful. For professionals in the ESL field, the answer has to do with the fact that ESP programs are extremely useful for adults for a variety of reasons. Most often, adults have a great need and desire for ESP classes because they themselves have very specific needs, whether they are for professional or academic reasons. In addition, because of the time constraints of most adults, a class that is much more concentrated in time and content is quite desirable. It allows students to focus their attention and gain the knowledge that they immediately need. The course content becomes authentic and relevant to the learner; in addition, it gives language skills and mechanics authentic context. When discussing workplace-based ESL classes, Brooks (2009) claims “workplace-based ESL classes have the advantage of addressing language skills within the context of the job” (p. 66). Similarly, Ewert (2014) supports ESL and content-based learning for adults and states, “although there is no expectation or desire for a one-size-fits-all approach to adult ESL learner development, research and practice in several domains suggest that focusing on content learning can facilitate adult ESL learners’ literacy development and readiness for school or work” (p. 266). Research points to the idea that adults benefit from content-based learning, and, as a consequence, teachers and students are continuously realizing the worth and true potential of ESP courses for the reason that they are authentic, pertinent to the learner and specific to their immediate needs.
One of the greatest selling points of any ESP class is its ability to maintain the learner’s interest by offering topics and activities that are authentic to real life, relevant to the learner, and immediately responsive to the learner’s needs (Bosher, 2006; Chien, 2010; Feak & Reinhart, 2002; Ghahremani-Ghajar, 2009; Kirschner & Wexler, 2002; Porcaro, 2013). In a description of a successfully administered authentic, relevant, and content-based ESP class that offered a unit to art students at an Isreali university, Kirschner and Wexler (2002) describe students’ feelings about the content as engaging, fascinating, highly relevant, challenging and satisfying. Similarly, in a description of an ESP course designed for prospective law students, Feak and Reinhart (2002) mention how the “the response to the program has been extremely positive and encouraging” (p. 18). Finally, Ewert (2014) contends that when ESL students are able to study in one content area, they are consequently able to delve much deeper into the content and move into the higher level thinking skills, such as critical thinking. He states, “when learners are able to build a knowledge base in one content area, they will be better prepared to move beyond lower level thinking skills and begin to apply this knowledge to problem solving, evaluating arguments, or creating new meanings” (p. 272). These skills are those that will be asked of adults either in the workplace or in university, which is why it makes sense to begin studying in content-based courses, such as ESP courses, as soon as possible in order to acclimate students to what will be required of them in the near future.
Copyright © December 2015 by Abby Burgoyne