This document discusses English for Specific Purposes (ESP) and the training of ESP teachers. ESP has developed its own methodology based on meeting the specific language needs of learners for their professions or academic studies. ESP courses are goal-directed and constrained by time. ESP teachers play various roles including teacher, course designer, researcher, collaborator, and evaluator. Training for ESP teachers includes selection, continuing personal education, general professional training, and special training in teaching a foreign language with an emphasis on skills, information, and theory.

1. ESP
Mariel Matta- Laura Ramirez- Agustina
Ondano
Teaching foreign
language for specific
purposes:
teacher development

2. Introduction:
 It is believed that ESP has developed its own
methodology.
 ESP→ Practical outcomes
 The theory of ESP is based on specific nature of
the texts that learners need knowledge of or
need-related nature of teaching.

3. What is ESP?
 A phenomenon grown out of a number of
converging trends:
1) The expansion of the demands for English to suit
specific needs of a profession.
2) Developments in the field of linguisitics.
3) Educational psychology. (learner’s needs and
interests)
 « It is an approach rather than a product»
Hutchinson and Waters (1987).

4. What is ESP?
 Strevens’ (1988) makes a distinction between:
a) Absolute charactersitics: ESP is designed to meet
specific needs of the learner- use the methodology and
activities of the discipline it serves- ESP is centred on the
language (grammar, lexis,register)
b) Variable characteristics: Language skills to be learned
 Robinson defines ESP on two criteria:
a) ESP is goal directed
b) ESP courses are constrained by a limited time period
in which their objectives have to be achieved and are
taught in homogenous classes.

5. Types of ESP
 ESP is divided into 2 main areas according to when
they take place:
a) English for academic purposes (EAP)
b) Egnlish for occupational purposes ( EOP)
 Another division divides EAP and EOP according to
discipline or professional area
a) EAP (science and technology, medical purposes,
finance and economics, English for business, etc.)
b) EOP (English for professional purposes and English
for vocational purposes)

6. Types of ESP
 The classification of ESP courses creates numerous
problems by failing to capture fluid nature of the
various types of ESP teaching and the degree of
overlap between them

7. Features of ESP courses
3 common characteristics to all ESP courses:
 Authentic material: in intermediate and advanced
level, given by teachers and /or in self-directed
research.
 Purpose related orientation: simulate target
situation.
 Self direction: turn learners into autonomous users.

8. Roles of ESP teachers
“Practitioner” rather than teacher, since ESP work
involves much more than teaching. There are several
roles a practitioner can have:
 As teacher: helps students to learn, but is not the
carrier of content. Relation of partnership.
 As course designer and material provider :
selects a particular textbook (if exists one that fits
students’ needs) and finds supplementary material.
Then he/she assesses the effectivity of the
materials chosen.

9. Roles of ESP teachers
 Researcher: there has been growing research in
ESP. Teachers have to be in touch with the research
and incorporate the findings into their classes..
 As collaborator: works with the help of a subject
specialist. There is integration between specialist
studies and activities and the language. Even the
language teacher and the subject expert can team-
teaching classes.

10. Roles of ESP teachers
 As evaluator: tests students to assess if they
have the necessary language and skills for an
academic course or a career (IELTS, TOEFL). Also,
he/she assess students’ achievement within a
course. Finally, he/she evaluates the course design
and teaching materials.

11. Training of ESP teachers
Most teacher training courses contain four basic elements:
Selection: Not everyone can become a teacher. There
should be adequate pre-training or post-training selection
procedures.
Continuing personal education: teachers should be well-
educated people. Variations in personal education: a)
Simultaneously with their professional training. b)
Consecutively by the fourth year of the course. c) In-service
courses. The main assumption is that graduates’ level is
insufficient.

12. General professional training as an educator and
teacher: what all teachers need to know: educational
psychology (nature of education), outline of the
organization of education; awareness of moral and
rhetorical function as teachers; knowledge and skill in class
management, discipline and handling various groups of
students; knowledge and skill in basic functional techniques
and understanding teacher-learner interactions;
acceptance of the preparation of lessons; understanding
the role of curriculum, syllabus and materials; to be
committed to keep in touch w/ the teaching profession.
Training of ESP teachers

13. Training of ESP teachers
Special training as a teacher of a foreign or second
language:
the training can be made simpler if we make three distinctions:
1-Skills which deal with the command of language, techniques
and classroom activities, and the management of learning.
2- Information which it’s divided into three parts: information
about education, information about the syllabus and materials,
and information about language.
3- Theory this is a component found when trainees have
reached a sufficient level of personal education and are
preparing themselves to teach a high-level course.

14. Conclusion
ESP teachers are not specialists in the field they may
be teaching but in teaching ENGLISH.
ESP teachers provide the tools for students to deal
their knowledge in English.
The material should be provided by specialists or
professionals in the field.
The material must be authentic, up-to-date and
relevant.
ESP training network is necessary.