BBI 3211/ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES

TRISEM 7/2009/B.A ENGLISH (Executive)

Task 1

“All language teaching should be based on learner needs. Thus in theory there is no
difference between ESP and General English, in practice; however, there is a great deal of
difference” (Hutchinson & Waters, 1987, p.19)

Briefly explain what you understand by the above statement. What is ESP? What differences if
any, are there between an ESP course and a ‘General English’ course normally taught at school
level.

With the increasing rate of globalization, trades across the world, there is a growing
demand for professionals in English. As a result, variety of English courses is offered widely in
private and public universities even colleges. In school for instance, the priority of learning
English in different subjects are brought in as a prove that English is on demand, but is that the
language teaching is based on learner’s needs or just as an exam/classroom subject?

Hutchinson and Waters (1987) states that, all language teaching should be based on
learners’ needs. Thus in theory there is no difference in teaching ESP and general English,
however in practice there is a great difference.

English for Specific Purposes (ESP) is defined as simply being the teaching of English
for any purpose that could be specified. David crystal (1999) lists some of the many purposes for
learning English. It is the main language of books, airports, international business, academic
conferences and over two thirds of the books available in the world are in English. As a result
80% of all the information in the world’s retrieval system is stored in English. Absolute
characteristics of ESP would be to meet specific needs of the learners and makes use of
underlying methodology and activities of the discipline it serves. ESP is also centered on the
language appropriate to these activities in terms of grammar, lexis, register, study skills discourse
and genre. The variable characteristics of ESP may be related to or designed for specific
purposes and using a different methodology from general English. Most ESP courses assume
some basic knowledge of the language systems.

ESP been theorized as super-ordinate variety of English (‘Super variety theory’) by

Bloor, M and T. Bloor in 1986. This theory is with respect to a definition of ESP practice as
learning and teaching of English in specific context of language use. ESP is covering all kinds of
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TRISEM 7/2009/B.A ENGLISH (Executive)

variety of English teaching under a roof. English for sports, English for medical, English for
academic purposes and etc. are the subs under the roof of ESP as a main. Bhatia, V.K in 1986
theorize ESP as function of specificity of purpose (‘Continuum Theory’), where the purpose is
continuum between each other. For example, English as general purpose and English for specific
purpose have as diagram below.

∞ ∞
EGP ESP

English for general purposes English for specific purposes

*general for all *Specific only to certain people and

explain the specificity of purpose

Series of similar items in which each is almost the same as the one next to it but the last is very
different from the first. ESP is depending on specific learning purpose.

While Thomas, S (1991, 1994) and martin, J.R (1992) theorize ESP as, discourse
(‘Discourse oriented theory’), where language is used in social context. The language is a vital
part in social context. The starting point/touching point for language and social context are the
same as pictured below.

Social context

Language (ESP) is also depends to its context of use where language is a part of context of
situation (register) where it is a part of context of culture (genre).

Langua
Context of ge
situation

Context of
situation

What do general English has in contrast with ESP? General English is taught as a
school subject in many countries, even in Malaysia. General English aims to develop general

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competence and capability in the language and doesn’t refer to any particular variety unlike ESP.
it would be good to say general English as English for general purposes, because the English that
been taught in school as general English has a general purpose of it, like passing an exam or able
to communicate in English to others. If it is called general English, than it is ambiguous about
what kind of general there is in English. Not the English that is general but the purpose is.
General English doesn’t focuses on any field in particularly when it is been taught in school
because the purpose is not yet determined. It is also could be named as “classroom English or
exam English etc. in terms of purpose. Teachers of general English course, while acknowledging
that students had a specific purpose for studying English, would rarely conduct a needs analysis
to find out what was necessary to actually achieve it.

While ESP based largely on the goals and requirements that students have. When
students have little or no basic knowledge in English, then teaching it for a specific purpose
would be almost impossible. The most important differences lie in the learners and their
purposes for learning English. ESP students are usually adults who already have some prior
knowledge to English and they are learning the language in order to communicate well in
professional skills and to perform specifically work-related functions. Unlike general English,
ESP built on an assessment of purpose and needs where the English is required. ESP is
concentrating more on language in context while general English concentrating on teaching
grammar and lexical structure of it. The ESP’s main important point is that English is not taught
as a subject but as a matter which are important to the learners.

General English normally focuses on all four language skills that are listening,
speaking, writing and reading. All these 4 language skills are given equal importance in general
English but in ESP the needs analysis is the one which will determine which language skills are
needed by the students. The development of the syllabus and coursework will fully based on the
needs skills. For example, a university undergraduate course needs analysis is mainly about
writing resources from the library. Then the coursework and syllabus will be based on how to
write resources from the library only as an exposure to the library and resources searching
environment. ESP combines the subject matter (specific purpose), and English language
teaching. This combination will be highly motivating to a student who is able to apply what they
had learned in their English classes during school time (general purpose) to their main field
(specific purpose) of study.

ESP used as approach of study of English through a field that is already known and
relevant to them so that they can use what they learn in ESP classroom to their work purpose.
This approach enhances the motivation of students in using English they know to learn more
English as they confident interacting. Teaching in ESP required creativity. Teachers construct
their own materials according to the needs of their learners and the specifications of needs in
ESP are very details than EGP.

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Students in early school years must be exposed to general English as they don’t have
any acquaintance what so ever to English but it’s not appropriate to continue teaching general
English till their high school. The ESP only starts when they’re entering universities and this
could not help them to excel in their specific language. Higher primary school students are more
eligible to learn ESP where they should be mastering in specific context rather than starting in
universities and colleges. Students who learned general English will find no purpose of using
their English outside because the English that has been taught is general in terms of usage and
vocabularies.

As a conclusion, even the theory of teaching language in general English and ESP has
no difference, when it comes to practicing, there’s a great differences. So they syllabus should be
only based on the learner’s needs and the purpose must be specified, like English for
communication or English for fun or English for social development rather than as general
English or English for general purpose.

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 BBI 3211/ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES
TRISEM 7/2009/B.A ENGLISH (Executive)

Reference:

Abdullah, Mohd Faiz. (2008). English for Specific Purposes.

UPM, Serdang: IDEAL.

Hutchinson, Tom & Waters, Alan (1987). English for Specific Purposes: A Learner-centered

approach. Cambridge University Press.

Laurence Anthony. (2007). English for Specific Purposes: What does it mean? Why is it

different? http://www.antalab.sci.waseda.ac.jp/abstracts/ESParticle.html

Noordin, Nooreen. English for Science & Technology and General English.

http://www.esp-world.info/Articles_9/textbooks.htm

Fiorito, Lorenzo. Teaching English for Specific Purposes(ESP).

http://www.usingenglish.com/teachers/articles/teaching-english-for-specific-purposes-

esp.html

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