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Mohammad Kaosar Ahmed
International Islamic University Chittagong
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Key Words: Special Language, Register & Discourse Analysis, Target Situation
Analysis, Needs Analysis
1.
Associate Professor, Department of English Language and Literature, International Islamic University Chittagong (IIUC)
During the first few decades, the science of ESP has developed
considerably.
Stage
1970s-1980s
1980s-2000s
21st Century
Teaching Modes
Structural
Communicative
Integrative
View of Language
Cognitive (a mentally-
Socio-cognitive
system)
constructed system)
(developed in social
interaction)
English-Teaching Paradigms
Communicative Language
Lingual
Teaching
Content-Based, ESP/EAP
related in content (i.e. in its themes and topics) to particular disciplines, occupations and activities;
centred on the language appropriate to those activities in syntax, lexis, discourse, semantics, etc., and
analysis of this discourse;
Anthony (1997) notes that there has been considerable recent debate about what ESP means despite the fact that it
is an approach which has been widely used over the last three decades. At a 1997 Japan Conference on ESP,
Dudley-Evans offered a modified definition. The revised definition he and St. John postulate is as follows:
I. Absolute Characteristics
ESP makes use of the underlying methodology and activities of the discipline it serves;
ESP is centred on the language (grammar, lexis, register), skills, discourse and genres appropriate to
these activities.
ESP may use, in specific teaching situations, a different methodology from that of general English;
ESP is likely to be designed for adult learners, either at a tertiary level institution or in a professional
work situation. It could, however, be for learners at secondary school level;
Most ESP courses assume some basic knowledge of the language system, but it can be used with
beginners (1998, pp. 4-5).
Dudley-Evans and St. John have removed the absolute characteristic that 'ESP is in contrast with General English'
and added more variable characteristics. They assert that ESP is not necessarily related to a specific discipline.
Furthermore, ESP is likely to be used with adult learners although it could be used with young adults in a
secondary school setting. As for a broader definition of ESP, Hutchinson and Waters (1987) theorize, "ESP is an
approach to language teaching in which all decisions as to content and method are based on the learner's reason
for learning" (p. 19).
Robinson (1991, p. 2) characterized ESP in the following manner:
a. goal directed
b. based on a needs analysis
Specific
Position 1
Position 2
Position 3
Position 4
Position5
English for
Intermediate to
EGAP/EGBP
Courses for
1)An academic
Beginners
advance EGP
courses based
broad
support course
curses with a
on commoncore
disciplinary or
related to a
focus on a
language
professional
particular
particular skills
areas (e.g.
academic
related to
Report writing
course.
specific
for Scientists
2) One-to-one
discipline or
and Engineers,
work with
profession
Medical
business people
English, Legal
English,
Negotiating
skills for
Business
English)
to specify the linguistic means by which these patterns are signaled. All these patterns
represented the syllabus.
This approach is clearly accounted for by the E.ST. Rhetorical Process Chart suggested by Trimble (1985, P. 11),
which is reproduced in what follows:
Level
Description of Level
1. Detailing an experiment
2. Making a recommendation
3. Presenting new hypotheses or theory
4. Presenting other types of E.S.T. information
1. Stating purpose
2. Reporting past research
3. Stating the problem
4. Presenting information on apparatus used in an experiment
a) Description
b) Operation
5. Presenting information on experimental procedures
D. The rhetorical techniques that provide relationships within and between the rhetorical units of Level
C
EXAMPLES:
I. Orders
1. Time order, 2. Space order, 3. Causality and result
II. Patterns
1. Causality and result, 2. Order of importance, 3. Comparison and contrast, 4.
Analogy, 5. Exemplification, 6. Illustration
to enable learners to function adequately in a target situation, that is the situation in which the
learners will use the language they are learning
The representative work to have applied the Target Situation Analysis is John Munbys (1978) Communicative
Syllabus Design. The Munby model produces a detailed profile of the learners needs in terms of
- communication purposes
- communicative setting
- means of communication
- language skills
- functions
- structures
The target situation analysis marked the coming of age of E.S.P. nevertheless, as any other model, Munbys had
its shortcomings which include the fact that the concept of needs is far too simple.
Skills and Strategies in ESP
This stage in the evolution of ESP was the object of The National ESP. Project in Brazil and The University of
Malaya ESP. Project, which had been designed as an attempt to:
consider not the language but the thinking processes that underlie language use.
The principal idea behind the skills-centered approach is that underlying all language use there are common
reasoning and interpreting processes which enable learners to extract meaning from discourse. The focus should
be on the underlying interpretive strategies which enable learners to cope with the surface forms:
exploiting cognates (i.e., words which are similar in the mother tongue and the target language)
This approach generally concentrates on reading and listening strategies, the characteristic exercises get the
learners to reflect on and analyze how meaning is produced in and retrieved from written or spoken discourse.
ESP as a Learner-Centered Approach
ESP is a learner-centered approach to learning and teaching which sees learning as the active construction of
meaning, and teaching as the act of guiding, scaffolding and facilitating learning (Tahir, 2009). This approach
considers knowledge as being an ever-changing process, which is built upon the learners prior experience
(Hutchinson and Waters, 1987, p. 59). A learner-centered approach provides opportunities for students to practice
critical and creative thinking, problem solving, and decision making. This involves recall, application, analysis,
synthesis, prediction and evaluation; all of which contribute to the development and enhancement of conceptual
understandings. A learner-centered approach also encourages students to demonstrate ownership of their ideas and
to reflect on and monitor their thinking as they make decisions and take action. In the key learning area of EFL,
learning experiences should be adjusted as required to meet the abilities, needs, and interests of individuals and
groups of students. This may mean providing different amounts of time, space or materials, and offering a range
of levels and types of support to students. Students may engage in experiences in different ways, or make choices
from a range of options so that learning is relevant and meaningful. This approach can involve both students and
teachers in the design of learning and assessment opportunities, and requires negotiation and flexibility (cited in
Tahir, 2009).
It is said that ESP is an approach to language teaching in which all decisions as to syllabus content and method are
based on the learners reasons for learning. Though the needs for using English are varied, all learners need to use
a specific area of the English language in the shortest term possible. After identifying a target situation - the need
for a specific segment at school - the learners' needs have to be identified; and their current situation and the target
situation must also be analyzed. Additionally, learners potentials require to be identified, as well as the skills and
knowledge needed to attain the target situation without losing sight of such constraints as aptitude, time, and
technical resources. With these data in mind, a course is designed and the materials are then chosen and
Carver (1983) states that there are three characteristics common to ESP courses:
1) authentic materials the use of authentic learning materials is possible if we accept the claim that ESP courses
should be offered at an intermediate or advanced level. The use of such materials, modified by teachers or
unmodified, is common in ESP, especially in self-directed studies or research tasks. The students are usually
encouraged to conduct research using a variety of different resources including the Internet; (Milevica)
2) purpose-related orientation refers to the simulation of communicative tasks required by the target situation.
The teacher can give students different tasks - to simulate the conference preparation, involving the preparation of
papers, reading, note-taking and writing.
as the learners future needs are impossible to predict, the course content is more difficult to select;
due to the above point it is important for the content in the syllabus to have a high surrender value.
as English is intended to be used in specific vocational contexts, the selection of the appropriate content
is easier;
it is important for the content in the syllabus to have a high surrender value, most relevant to the
vocational context;
Surrender value stands for the overall utility (value) of the English taught by a 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 (POPESCU, 2010, p. 50).
ESP Benefits
Tahir (2009) cites that the benefits of ESP are threefold in that they help achieve speed, efficiency, and
effectiveness in learning. As far as learning speed is concerned, ESP results in faster acquisition of required
linguistic items. This is because it follows the pattern of the native speakers acquisition of language for specific
purposes, in which speakers learn what they need, when they need it, in authentic, content-based contexts. ESP
does not only follow this pattern, but also improves upon it by providing an opportunity to learn in an accelerated,
intensive context (Wright, 1992, p. 5).
As for learning efficiency, on an ESP course, the trainees make the maximal use of their learning resources, all of
which are brought to bear on acquiring specific, pre-identified linguistic items and skills. Obviously, the needs
analysis is of vital importance here since it enables trainers to determine the specific requirements of trainees
(Wright, 1992, p. 5).
Thirdly, there is learning effectiveness. On completion of an ESP course, the trainees are ready to use language
appropriately and correctly in job related tasks, which have been identified prior to the course by means of a needs
analysis. Accordingly, English becomes usable immediately in the employment context. In addition, the trainees
are prepared for further job-related training in English. Such preparation will result in greater academic
performance since no time is wasted in acquiring the necessary language (Wright, 1992, p. 5). The benefits of ESP
can be brought out further by contrasting ESP courses with General English courses. Such courses deal with many
different topics, necessarily at a superficial level. In addition, they deal with many different skills, usually
attempting to give equal treatment to each. Due to the general nature of these courses, they can be extremely
useful, which is why they comprise the vast majority of English courses. However, for students with specific
learning needs, they are seriously lacking because their scope is too wide. The trainees learn many irrelevant
things. Relevant material, if it is included at all, is treated in insufficient depth. These deficiencies cause the
acquisition of the required linguistic items to be slow and minimal, and upon the completion of the course, the
trainees are not prepared to function effectively in the required employment contexts (Tahir, 2009).
Conclusion
The demand for the teaching of English for clearly stated aims faced language teachers with specific demands
imposed by the learners personal needs, by the learning environment, the time learning and individual study
constraints resulted in changes and the introduction of new and efficient teaching methods as well as new
principles for the designing of supportive materials. This demand also resulted in the making of a new academic
subject.
Web.
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