This document discusses ESP (English for Specific Purposes) as an approach rather than a product. It makes three key points: 1) ESP is not about teaching specialized varieties of English, words, or grammar for specific areas. It is an approach to language learning, not a particular methodology or teaching materials. 2) ESP is based on analyzing the learner's needs and reasons for learning. All course design decisions regarding content and methods depend on understanding the learner's needs. 3) There is no single source of linguistic theory that ESP course design must draw from. Descriptions of language structure do not necessarily relate to how a language is learned. The approach is to understand the learner's situation and design instruction accordingly

1. CHAPTER 3:
ESP: APPROACH NOT
PRODUCT

3. What ESP isn’t
It is not a matter of teaching
“specialized varieties” of English
It is not just a matter of words and
grammar for each area
It is not different kind from any form of
language teaching

4. ESP must be seen as an approach
not as a product
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 of language learning
which is based on learner’s need.
All decisions as to content and
method are based on the learner’s
reason for learning.

5. ESP
COURSE
DESIGN
ADAPTED FROM HUTCHINSON & WATERS
(1987)

6. I keep six honest serving-men.
(The taught me all I knew.)
Their names are What and Why and When
And How and Where And Who.
(Rudyard Kipling)

7. INTRODUCTION

8. QUESTIONS
1. Why does the S need to learn?
2. Who is going to be involved in the
process?
Teachers, sponsors, inspectors, coord
inators?
3. Where is the learning going to take
place? What potentials does the place
provide? What limitations does it
impose?

9. +QUESTIONS
4. When is the learning to take place?
How much time is available? How will
it be distributed?
5. What does the S need to learn?
Waht aspects of language will be
needed and how will they be
distributed? What level of proficiency
must be achieved? What topic areas
will need to be covered?

10. +QUESTIONS
6.How will the learning be achieved?
What learning theory will underlie the
course? What kind of methodology
will be employed?
More questions?

11. FACTORS AFFECTING
ESP COURSE DESIGN
Syllabus
Methodology
Nature of
particular target
& learning
situation

12. Language descriptions
They have been at a greet feast of language, and
stolen the scraps. (shakespeare: love’s labour’s lost)
ESP course makes use of explicit or implicit ideas about
the nature of language. These ideas are drawn from the
various language description that have been developed
by succeeding schools of thought linguistics.
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13. We can identify six main stages of
development.
1. Classical or traditional grammar
2. Structural linguistics
3. Transformational generative (TG) grammar
4. Language variation and register analysis
5. Functional / notional grammar
6. Discourse (Rhetorical) analysis
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14. conclusion
a) There is no single source from which a language
course can, or should, derive its linguistic input.
b) Describing a language for the purpose of
linguistic analysis does not necessarily carry any
implications for language learning.
c) Describing a language is not the same as
describing what enables someone to use or learn
a language.
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