CHALLENGE AND SOLUTION OF ESP IN INDONESIA

Created By :

1. Lutfi Bahrul Fawaid (23030-15-0113)

2. Khasin Ma’ruf (23030-15-0165)
3. Riza Yusuf K. (23030-15-0142)

JURUSAN TADRIS BAHASA INGGRIS

FAKULTAS TARBIYAH DAN ILMU KEGURUAN
INSTITUT AGAMA ISLAM NEGERI
SALATIGA
2018

CHAPTER ONE

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 INTRODUCTION

A. Background of Study
In facing global competition, every individual should possess
English skills which is considered as one of important skills in this
globalization era. Based on higher education curriculum, English is
regarded as one of general subjects which should be taught in every major.
It means, English subject is given to all students in all study program in
university level.
English for Specific Purposes (ESP) is a learner-centered approach
to teaching English as an additional language, which focuses on
developing communicative competence in a specific discipline such as
academics, accounting, agrology, business, IT, teaching, and engineering.
It may differs from the General English but the ESP itself is still part of the
English Language teaching and not become the new discipline of subject
concern.
Teaching English as foreign language is a challenging matter,
particularry when it is done in the place where English serves a very
limited purpose and the limitation of teacher and students basic knowledge
of general english and the specific needs.
In Indonesia the ESP itself has severals problem on its own,
therefore this paper will explained about the main challenge and solution
of Enlish for Specific purpose.

B. Problem of Study
1. Does the English for Specific Purpose has a Challenge in its
implementation on the EFL country like Indonesia ?
2. Whether there will be solution of ESP approach in Indonesia.
C. Objective
1. To describe the Challnge of ESP approach in the teaching and
learning in Indonesia

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 2. To describe and give a solution toward the challenge of ESP
approach in ELF country

CHAPTER TWO

A. Definition of ESP
ESP refers to the teaching of a specific genre of mainly scientific or
technical English for students with specific goals, careers or fields of
study. ESP meets the needs of mostly adult learners who need to learn a
foreign language for use in their specific fields, such as science,
technology, medicine or academic learning.

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 “ ESP is generally used to refer to teaching of English for a cleary
utilitarian pupose.” Mackay and Mountford ( 1978:2). That is to say that
English should be taught to achieve specific language skill using real
situatuon, in a manner that allows them to use English in their future
profession, or comprehend English discourse related to their area or
speciality.
Generally the student study English “ not because they are
interested in the English language or English culture as such, but because
they need English for study or work purposes.” (Robinson, 1991:2).In ESP
“ Language is learnt not for its own sake or for the sake of gainning a
general education, but to smooth the path to entry or greater linguistic
efficiency in accademic, professional or workplace environtment.”
Basturkmen (2006:18). This denote that, the role of ESP is to help
language learners to build up the needed abilities in order to use them in
specific field or inquiry, occupation, or workplace.
Finally, one can say that according to the above definitions, ESP
is goal-directed, it is an approach to language teaching based on learners'
goals and reasons for learning a language as summarized by Hutchinson
and Waters (1987:19) who state, “ESP is an approach to language
teaching in which all decisions as to content and method are based on the
learners' reasons for learning”.

B. The Difference Between ESP and General English

1. Characteristics of ESP
ESP is recognizable activity of English Language Teaching (ELT)
with some specific characteristic. Dudley-Evans and St. John’s Tried
(1998) to apply a series of characteristics, some absolute and some
variable.
A. Absolute characteristics:
a. ESP is defined to meet specific need of learners
b. ESP makes use of underlying methodology and
activities of descipline it serves.

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 c. ESP is centred on language ( grammar, lexis;
register), skills, discourse and genre appropriate to these
activities.

B. Variabale Characteristics:
a. ESP may related or designed for specific disciplines.
b. ESP may use, in specific teaching situation, a
different methodology from that of general English.
c. ESP is likely to be designed for adult learners, either
at the level of institution or in a professional work situation.
It could, however, be for the learners at secondary school
level
d. ESP is generally designed for intermediate or
advanced students. Most ESP course assume some basic
knowledge of language systems, but it can be used with the
beginer.

( Dudley-Evans & St.John 1998:4)

2. Characteristics of General English

On the other hand, General English alludes to context of the basic
grammar of expression and in addition phonetics and gives a more
grounded or weaker premise for conceivable later dialect studies. Or
can be said that General English approach is language-centred, and
focused on learning language from a broad perception covering all the
language skill and the cultural aspect of English speaking community.
From the point to point the characteristics of General English can be
conclude such as:
1. It’s a free time task
2. Its has more freedom as compared to ESP course
3. It offers a soothing environment
4. It uses literary text to produce effectual skills in students
5. It permit the learners to aqquire and improve General
English
C. Course Design
1. Definition of Course Design
The Implementation of ESP cannot be separated from the course
design itself, because in the teaching of ESP it requires the basic

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 outline or the basis needs. Course design is the process by which the
raw data about a learning needs is interpreted in order to produce an
intregated series of teaching-learning expreriences, whose ultimate
aim is to lead the learners to a particular state of knowledge.
2. The Main Types of Course Design
a. Language-Centered Course Design
This is the simples kind of course design process and is probably
the one most familiar to English teacher. This aims to draw as a
direct connection as posible between the analysis of the target
situation and the content of the course.
b. Skill-Centered Course Design
This approach aims to get away from the surface performance
data and look at the competence that underline the performance.
Underlying any language behaviors at certain skills and
strategies which the learners uses in order to comprehend the
course.
c. Learning-Centered Course Design
This approach is based on the principle that learning is is totally
determined by the learners.
D. Problem and Challenge of Teaching ESP in Indonesia
For the country wich used English as Foreign Language especially
Indonesia, there are many problem and challenge in teaching. The
problem came from the teacher itself and the students,the current
problem and challenge could be states as :
a. Course Design
In Indonesia, ESP course Design, both at vocational school and
universities, are at problematic issues. At Vocational school, English
offered every semester for 3-4 credit hours a week. However, this
subject is not fully that characterizes an ESP subject in term of its
general objectives. Theoreticaly, the subject should be an ESP
subject, however it’s a English for General purposes in the reality.
b. The Curriculum
The national English curriculum for vocational school is not
developed by ESP specialist or at least, by those who understand ESP.
At the Universities level, in addition, ESP Course design is made
Individually by the lecturers who do not fully understand ESP. It has
never been in touch of ESP stakeholder’s evaluation.
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 c. Need Analysis
Need analysis theoreticaly as the most important characteristic of
ESP have never been done systematically to determine what specific
skills students need to develop.ESP national curriculum designers for
English at vocational schools and ESP lecturers at universities for
many study programs as well do not have serious intention to begin
their tasks by conducting needs analysis
d. Students Basic Knowledge of General English
It is a reality that the students taking ESP courses have different
background of English language proficiencies, they are grouped
without considering their English level of proficiencies. This situation
is „maintained‟ since firstly ESP courses offered. Teaching ESP to
such students with varies levels of English proficiency is impossible
since ESP is believed offerable only to students whose English
mastery is homogeneous and the students are in intermediate level.

There are also various issue on ESP teacher in Indonesia such as ;

a. Firstly, there is no specific institution or universities which are

officially responsible to produces ESP teachers. Even ESP has been
introduced at any vocational schools and universities, for decades there
is no even one universities which is responsible for preparing ESP
teachers.
b. Secondly, there are inadequate ESP teacher development programs.
Once they are appointed to be ESP teachers, the opportunities to get
training, workshop, or further formal education are very rare. There’s
even no effort in learning ESP Autonomously or doing sharing with
their own colleagues.
c. Thirdly, ESP teachers are responsible for over-loaded teaching
hours in over-loaded numbers of students (big classes). The heavy
workload of many ESP teachers is a challenge to the improvement of
ESP teaching quality. The issue of big class in Indonesia has been
seen as normal situation, but it is really a big problem in a language
teaching processes. With the over-loaded classroom the effectiveness
of learning ESP become less.

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In his research findings that ESP courses at universities (Kusni 2004 and
2006) and at vocational schools (Kusni, 2007) that almost all ESP
teachers/lecturers in Indonesia are considered not professional ESP
teachers by some indications.

1. Firstly, they are appointed to teach ESP without referring to

their educational background on ESP
2. Secondly, the ESP teachers are mostly S1 or even S2
graduates from English Department with a very limited knowledge
of their students‟ majors and less experience in ESP teaching for
they are newly appointed English lecturers
3. Thirdly, some ESP teachersat universities are content
teachers (mostly Masters andPh.D) who know English (proficient
enough in English) and mostly graduated from abroad with no
knowledge of how to teach ESP. Fourth, most of them have never
been trained how to be ESP teachers.
4. Lastly, it is more frustrated that they have rarely developed
their knowledge on ESP by attending seminars, workshops,
accessing or reading any reference materials on ESP practices, and
accessing sites related to theories and practices of ESP
E. Solution of ESP Teaching in Indonesia
According to Kusni 2004&2006 the solution of the ESP challenge in
Indonesia should consist of following characteristics:
a. It should have a unified core, so that it can generate a number of
alternative ESP syllabuses. It has been said, “ESP is not a particular
kind of language or methodology, nor does it consist of a particular
type of teaching material …it is an approach to language learning,
which is based on learner need”
b. It should be flexible, and adjustable to students‟ needs. It is
relevant to the professional needs of learners and societal
expectations, and relevant to the target situations in which ESP
students will function as specialists.
c. It should be based on a learning-centred approach which
maximizing the potential of the learning situation
d. It should show the underline belief that learning is more than just a
matter of presenting language items, skills and strategies; is not just

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the content of what is learnt that is important but also the activities
through which the language and content are learned

e. It should be targeted to the students‟ study needs (giving learners

possibilities to study their specialism more effectively) and the
students‟ target needs (enabling learners to function effectively in
target situations)
f. It should encourage life-long learning in which students should
learn how to learn, with emphasis on the generic skills of critical
thinking, problem-solving, presenting ideas, summarizing

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 REFERENCE

Nicoleta Medrea, Dana Rus. 2012. Challenges in teaching ESP: teaching

resources and students’ need. Universiti of Tirgu Mures, Romania.

Aditama very.2017. An Analisys on Teaching English for Specific purposes to

Students of Bahasa Indonesia. ISOLEC. Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang.

Kusni. 2013. Reformulating English for Specific Purposes ESP in Indonesia :

Current Issues and Future Prospect. SELT. Faculty of Language and Art State,
State University of Padang.

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