- ESP refers to English for Specific Purposes, which teaches English based on the specific needs of learners for their field or occupation. - ESP is defined by its absolute characteristics of meeting learners' specific needs and using the methodology and language of their discipline. Its variable characteristics include being related to specific fields and designed for intermediate to advanced learners. - ESP emerged in the late 1960s due to more learners needing English for technology and commerce. It focuses on training rather than general education.

1. ESP: English for specific purpose
Presented by:
Rida Irfan
[Mphil Linguistics]

2. What Is ESP?
• ESP: English for specific purpose has emerged
as a significant field in Applied Linguistics. It is
based on:
• The purpose for which learners learn
language.
• Learners’ needs for a specific field of
academics or occupation.

3. What Is ESP?
• Teaching or studying English for a particular
career(like law, medicine) or for business in
general. (international Teacher Training Organization,
2005).
• An ESP program is therefore built on an
assessment of purposes and needs and the
functions for which English is required.

4. Guiding principle of ESP
•“Tell me what you need
English for and I will tell
you the English that you
need”(Tom Hutchinson)

5. Origin of ESP
• As English became the accepted international
language of technology and commerce after
second World War , it created a new generation
of learners who knew specifically why they were
learning a language.
• The prominent emergence of ESP was taken place
in late 1960s but it was not a planned and
coherent movement, its rather a phenomenon
that grew out of a number of converging trends.

6. Characteristics of ESP by Tony Dudley
• ESP is defined in the terms of its absolute and
variable characteristics by Tony Dudley Evens as:
• Absolute Characteristics:
• Meets specific needs of learners.
• Makes use of underlying methodology and
activities of the discipline it serves.
• Centered on the language appropriate to these
activities in terms of grammar, lexis, syntax, study
skills, discourse and genre.

7. Variable characteristics
• May be related to or designed for specific
disciplines.
• May use in particular situations, different
methodologies from general English.
• Is likely to be designed for adult learners,
either at an institute or at work place.
• Is generally designed for intermediate and
advanced students.
• Most of the ESP courses assume some basic
knowledge of language systems.

8. Contrast between ESP and EGP
• English for general
purpose:
• If English is taught as a SL
for educational purposes as
some useful subject to
learners in future.
• No immediate requirement
for learners to use English
for real communicative
purposes.
• Focus is on education.
• English for specific
purpose:
• Taught for specialized
learners with some specific
vocational and educational
purpose in mind.
• Learning and learner
oriented.
• Preference for
communicative
competence.
• Focus is on training.

9. Types of ESP
• English as a restricted language (language
used by air traffic controllers or by waiters).
• English for academic (English for Medical
Studies) and occupational purposes (English
for Technicians).
• English with specific topics (situational
language results from needs analysis).
David Carter

10. ESP Teacher

11. Hutchinson et al. (1987:19) state;
• ESP is an approach to language teaching
in which all decisions as to content and
method are based on the learners,
reasons of learning.

12. “If the teacher is indeed wise, he
does not bid you enter the house
of his wisdom, but rather leads you
to the threshold of your own
mind”
(as cited in Harmer, 2007: 107)

13. So the ESP Teacher:
• Acts as facilitator.
• Encourage pupils to share their own knowledge.
• Enable students to participate actively in learning
process.
• Has ability to actively integrate student knowledge
about the subject matter.
• Expert in presenting and explaining language.
• Has ability to ask right questions.
• Makes good use of the answers.

14. Sources for ESP Teachers
• Students themselves (because it is the learners who
have the specific content knowledge and who are able to
bring that knowledge to the classroom)
• Subject Teachers
• Subject matter text-books
• ESP teachers should have at least some basic
knowledge of subject matter.

15. Knowledge required for the ESP Teacher
• According to Hutchinson and Waters ESP teachers
do not need to learn specialist subject knowledge.
They required:
• A positive attitude towards the ESP content.
• A knowledge of the fundamental principles of the
subject area.
• An awareness of how much they already know.

16. To conclude:
• The ESP Teacher should not become a teacher
of the subject matter, but rather an interesting
student of the subject matter.
• As with learners’ needs ESP teacher’s
knowledge is not a static commodity. He ‘picks
up’ much knowledge by teaching the
materials or talking to students.

17. Thank you