EST has set trends in the development of ESP because it is designed to help international students and professionals become comfortable using English in science and technology fields through an interactive learning environment. This environment improves overall English skills as well as critical thinking, presentation, interviewing, and research skills needed as international scientists and engineers. The most important difference between EST and other English programs lies in the learners being adults already familiar with English who are learning it to communicate professional skills and perform job functions, so an ESP program is built around assessing purposes, needs, and required functions.

1. Why do you think EST has set the trends in
the development of ESP?
I think that EST has set the trends in the development of ESP
because
EST is designed to help international undergraduates and graduate
students and professionals become more comfortable using English
as a common language in the fields of science and technology. In a
highly interactive learning environment—mixing group and individual
project work with in-class and out-of-class activities and visits—
students improve their overall English language skills (i.e., listening,
speaking, reading and writing) as well as the critical thinking, verbal
presentation, interviewing and research skills needed as international
scientists, engineers and technical experts.

2. The most important difference lies in the
learners and their purposes for learning
English. ESP students are usually adults
who already have some acquaintance with
English and are learning the language in
order to communicate a set of professional
skills and to perform particular job-related
functions. An ESP program is therefore
built on an assessment of purposes and
needs and the functions for which English
is required.