Teaching English for Specific Purposes

BULETINUL Universităţii Petrol – Gaze din Ploieşti

Vol. LXII No. 2/2010

67-74

Seria Filologie

Teaching English for Specific Purposes Adriana Teodorescu “Dimitrie Cantemir” Christian University E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract English for Specific Purposes is defined to meet specific purposes and needs of the learners and therefore its teaching is centered on the language appropriate for the acquisition of the required skills. The content and method used depend entirely on the student’s reason for learning English. ESP focuses more on language in context than on teaching grammar. The ESP main characteristic is that English is not taught as a subject separated from the students' real world but, on the contrary, it is integrated into a subject matter area relevant to the learner.

Keywords: ESP, learner, language, needs, teaching

ESP within the ELT context Throughout the years, English has developed into an international language, a lingua franca, being taught and learnt everywhere around the world. This increasing spread of the use of English, especially between non-native speakers, is one of the consequences of the fast development of the world economy and technology, of people’s necessity to interact and communicate globally. English speakers use the language for a variety of purposes, for crosscultural communication, for accessing and sharing information, for doing business etc. Given the great diversity of users of English and their various purposes in using the language, it is important to consider and determine the right approaches in teaching and learning English for Specific Purposes. As a matter of course, within the general concept of English as an International Language, a more restricted area has emerged, that of English for Specific Purposes where the reason for learning the language relates directly to what the learner needs to do in his/her vocation or job. “As English gathers momentum as the main language of international communication, it is perceived as the language of career opportunity, so the pressure grows for teaching to be more directly employment-related.” [3, 3] Furthermore, as the focus on the learner’s needs increases, ESP is divided into English for Academic Purposes and English for Occupational Purposes. At its turn, EOP is split into several branches: Navigational English, Business English, Technical English and so on. Every domain has its own linguistic identity, its specialized terminology used to communicate and interact in specific contexts. “[...] in ESP – English for Specific Purposes – the purpose for learning the language is paramount and relates directly to what the learner needs to do in their vocation or job.” [3, 6] Theorists Dudley-Evans and St. John state that ESP is mainly a materials- and teachingled movement. There has been a close interaction between Applied Linguistics, ELT and ESP.

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ESP has been shaped by developments and changes in Applied Linguistics and ELT, but, at its turn, the ESP movement has considerably influenced ELT. ESP has started to develop as a discipline since the mid 1960s. According to Hutchinson and Waters there were three main reasons for the emergence of ESP. The first reason was the development of the world economy: the progress of science and technology, the use of English as the international language of technology, science and commerce, the economic power of the oil-rich countries and the great number of overseas students studying in the USA, UK and Australia. The emergence of ESP was also influenced by a revolution in linguistics, as linguists began to focus on the ways in which language is used in real communication. Hutchinson and Waters state that one important discovery was in the ways that spoken and written English vary. Given the specific context in which English is used, the language will vary. So, if language varies in different situations, then it is also possible to tailor language teaching to meet the learner’s needs in specific contexts. The third element was the focus on the learner, due to new developments in educational psychology which emphasized the central importance of the learner and his attitude to learning. [5, 6-8] Nowadays, ESP is considered to be a well established and distinctive part of English Language Teaching.

What is ESP? There has been considerable debate over the last decades about what ESP means. Many theorists have studied and defined ESP since the early 1960’s. Hutchinson and Waters, in 1987, building on earlier definitions, defined English for Specific Purposes as “an approach to language teaching in which all decisions as to content and method are based on the learner’s reason for learning.” [5, 19] One year later, in 1988, Strevens defined ESP as “a particular case of the general category of special-purpose language teaching. The same principles apply no matter which language is being learnt and taught”. [6, 84] Strevens established that in defining ESP it was necessary to distinguish between four absolute characteristics and two variable characteristics. The four absolute characteristics are that ESP consists of English Language Teaching which is: • designed to meet specified needs of the learners; • related in content (in its themes and topics) to particular disciplines, occupations and activities; • centred on the language appropriate to those activities, in syntax, lexis, discourse, semantics, etc; • in contrast with General English The two variable characteristics are that ESP: • may be restricted as to the learning skills to be learned; • may not be taught according to any pre-ordained methodology. In 1998, Dudley-Evans and St. John defined the absolute and variable characteristics of ESP, based on Strevens’ previous definition, but they removed one absolute characteristic and added more variable characteristics. According to them, the absolute characteristics are: • ESP is defined to meet specific needs of the learners; • ESP makes use of underlying methodology and activities of the discipline it serves;

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• ESP is centred on the language appropriate to these activities in terms of grammar, lexis, register, study skills, discourse and genre. The variable characteristics they define are as follows: • ESP may be related to or designed for specific disciplines; • ESP may use, in specific teaching situations, a different methodology from that of general English; • ESP is likely to be designed for adult learners, in a professional work situation. It could, however, be for learners at secondary school level; • ESP is generally designed for intermediate or advanced students. Most ESP courses assume some basic knowledge of the language system, but it can be used with beginners. [1, 4-5] According to Dudley-Evans and St John, English for Specific Purposes is designed to meet specific needs of the learner, it is centred on the appropriate language, skills, discourse, it is not designed only for a certain age or proficiency group, and it is not necessarily related to a specific discipline. Harding states that in all definitions of ESP two elements are axiomatic: the sense of purpose and the sense of vocation. “In ESP the practical application and use of the language overrides other aspects of language learning. […] The sense of purpose gives the language work an immediacy and a relevance which is perhaps not always found in other sectors of ELT, particularly of the ‘General English’ variety […].” [3, 6] Thus, ESP focuses more on language in context than on grammar and language structures, the language is not taught as a subject separated from the learner’s real world, but, on the contrary, it is integrated into a subject matter area relevant to the learner.

Teaching ESP There has been a certain debate whether ESP teaching involves a different methodology. Dudley-Evans states that specific ESP teaching makes use of its own methodology that differs from that used in ‘General English’ teaching, and the teaching process is goal-directed. [1, 4] Thus, any teaching activity is presented in a context, whether the goal is to practise language or skills. Authentic topics relevant to the subject area are used as vehicle for the ‘real content’. Any appropriate topic is the ‘carrier content’ used to teach specific language. The content and method used depend entirely on the learner’s reason for learning English. ESP teaching doesn’t have a long tradition in our country, being mostly a rather recent movement. Thus, examining and considering various views on ESP teaching seems an appropriate undertaking. ESP teaching is an ongoing process, permanently shaped by new targets set by the modern society, redefined by the current needs of the labour market and the fast developments of science and technology. Since the 1990s, ELT in our country has started to reshape, with a special focus on ESP teaching. One of the first steps in shaping ESP teaching in our country was the Prosper Project (Project for Special Purpose English in Romania) which had a significant impact on the professional practice of ESP teaching across higher education institutions in Romania. The goal of the project was to improve the teaching of ESP, to redefine the teacher-learner relationship, to develop new teaching methodology, and to adjust the teaching materials. The increasing demand for teaching and learning ESP in our country has led to an adjustment of the curriculum in order to meet the learners’ needs and the demand of the labour market. The development and improvement of ESP teaching is a current and constant

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preoccupation for trainers in our faculty, having in view the European Union professional standards that learners have to meet. We considered various views on ESP teaching and adapted them to the current and concrete educational situation we are confronted with. In this respect, we have centred our work on a close teacher-learner relationship, have applied new teaching methodologies and have adapted teaching materials and learners’ assessment. We have also taken into consideration the expertise of well-known linguists in the field and their researches’ results and have outlined a general framework for teaching ESP. Our research has highlighted several aspects we consider in the teaching process: • ESP teaching is centred on the learner and his/her final needs; • ESP focuses more on language in context than on teaching grammar and language structures; • The need to promote effective interaction between all participants in the teaching process; • The need for a goal-directed teaching process as language is used to achieve an end; • The need to increase learners’ self-confidence and self-appreciation, as well as their motivation; • Promotion of team-work; • Greater focus on the acquisition of specialized vocabulary; • The importance of real-life oriented materials; • Increasing the use of multimedia technologies, of various educational software and of the Internet; • Learners should benefit of a greater autonomy in learning; • Development of the learners’ self-learning and self-evaluation skills. The choice of materials was determined by the need for authentic and relevant texts that introduce language structures related to the ESP specialism. The relevance and pertinence of the materials was set according to the degree in which they met the current demands and real interests of the learner’s future profession. In this respect, materials have to be permanently adapted and closely related to the changes occurring in the labour market at a national and global level as well. While ESL teaching usually stresses equally the four language skills (listening, reading, speaking and writing), ESP teaching sometimes focuses on a certain skill utterly required in the learner’s profession. Thus, the development of reading and writing skills might be imperative for a graduate who will work in the academic environment while the improvement of speaking skills may be of great importance for a future tourist guide, secretary, etc. Consequently, for our students who learn English for tourism we have given a greater attention to the enhancement of speaking and listening skills, effective communication skills, to the acquisition of the specialized vocabulary in contexts related to their profession, and to tasks related to the learners’ current and future activities. One distinction was made between learners who are working and studying at the same time, and consequently have a background knowledge of the specialism, and learners who are not acquainted with it and will be working on the specialism sometime in the future. For both of them the course has to be shaped accordingly in order to meet their immediate or delayed needs. As ESP trainers, we have interacted closely with our learners and their needs, focused on understanding the nature of their vocation, examined their language needs and showed interest in their subject area. The use of authentic situations, texts and contexts has increased the

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learners’ interest and motivation. Multimedia and educational software also proved to be helpful in the learning/teaching process, by developing students’ self-learning and self-evaluating skills, and by offering them greater autonomy. Thus, in the process of teaching ESP we have to take into account several aspects: the ESP practitioner, the learner and his/her needs and characteristics, and the characteristics of the ESP courses.

The ESP practitioner Knowledge of the subject area is of critical importance for the ESP teacher. He/she needs to understand what is involved in the specific area, and to be aware of the language requirements involved. In order to get a clear image of the subject area, the ESP practitioner has to consult and collaborate with specialists in the field, to analyze the language that is required in the profession, and to conduct needs analysis. The ESP trainer’s task is to determine the learner’s needs, set the aims and objectives, select and adapt relevant and authentic materials, design lessons, develop an interactive and motivating learning environment, and assess learners’ progress. The needs, aims and objectives are defined according to the learners’ target situation. A close interaction between the teacher and the learners and their needs, and generally relating to the learners on as many levels as possible, is also beneficial to the teaching process. The collaboration between the ESP practitioner and his learners builds progressively throughout the course. Each profession has its own distinctive features and this is reflected in the way that the English language is used. Thus, besides a general knowledge of the subject area, the understanding of these features enables the trainer to teach more effectively. As mentioned above, the work of an ESP trainer is particularly varied and it goes beyond the mere teaching of a foreign language. ‘For this reason we use the term ‘practitioner’ rather than ‘teacher’, to emphasise that ESP work involves much more than teaching.’ [1, 13] According to Dudley-Evans the ESP practitioner has five main roles: • Teacher or language consultant: “In the more specific ESP classes, however, the teacher sometimes becomes more like a language consultant, enjoying equal status with the learners who have their own expertise in the subject matter.” [1, 4] • Course designer and material provider. The ESP teacher has to choose appropriate materials, to adapt them when necessary or to even write materials when there is no suitable printed material. • Researcher. The ESP teacher is not only the materials provider, he/she has to understand the nature of the material of the ESP specialism, has to carry out research to grasp the meaning of the texts that learners use. The teacher needs to be familiar with the subject area, and to be aware of the skills involved. • Collaborator. The subject-specific work of the ESP teacher involves collaboration with subject specialists as the practitioner has to find out about the tasks the learners have to carry out in a work situation. The best collaboration is when a subject expert and a language teacher work closely. • Evaluator. The ESP teacher often undertakes various types of evaluation which involves the testing of the learners and the evaluation of the courses and teaching materials. [1, 13]

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All in all, an effective ESP practitioner requires experience, permanent and up to date training in both language and the subject area of the their learners, and also flexibility.

The ESP learner The ESP learners are usually adults who already have some knowledge of English and are learning the language in order to communicate a set of professional skills and to perform particular job-related functions. As English has proven to be the main language of international communication, of business and career opportunity, the teaching of English tends to become more directly employment-related. Some learners study English as they need to learn legal language, or English for tourism, banking, accounting, and more than often business English. For example, Business English offers learners the appropriate skills to operate in English in the business world. It teaches them specialized vocabulary, needed in business transaction, contracts, correspondence, negotiations etc. Other learners need English for Academic Purposes (EAP) as they are going to study at an English-speaking university or college, or because they need to access academic texts written in English. The purpose of learning English in ESP contexts is to achieve the required English proficiency level for the situation in which the language is going to be used. [4, 11] One key characteristic of the ESP learner is that he/she has a further purpose. The ESP learner more than often studies English in order to achieve something specific beyond the language itself. The final aim of the learning process provides the best motivation for the ESP learner. Learners who need English for specific tasks will be motivated if the course addresses their difficulties with those tasks. Moreover, learners should be encouraged to set their own objectives and to adopt realistic goals. Hutchinson and Waters classified the learner’s needs into target needs, what the learner needs to do in the target situation, and learning needs. [5, 58] Instead of focusing on the method of language delivery, more attention was given to the ways in which learners acquire language and the differences in the ways language is acquired. Learners use different learning strategies, different skills, and are motivated by different needs and interests. Consequently, focus on the learner’s needs became a key characteristic in disseminating linguistic knowledge. A natural consequence of this feature was a similar focus on designing specific courses to better meet these individual needs. “Learners were seen to have different needs and interests, which would have an important influence on their motivation to learn and therefore on the effectiveness of their learning. This lent support to the development of courses in which ‘relevance’ to the learners’ needs and interests was paramount.” [5, 8]

The ESP course According to the theorists who have studied and analysed ESP, needs analysis is the starting point for any course design. Thus, ESP courses develop from a needs analysis and are designed to meet the specific needs of the target situation. ESP courses make use of authentic materials in the specific area and are centred on the learners’ real needs in the future profession. Finding out about and analyzing the needs of the learners is vital in ESP teaching. The ESP practitioner needs to gather information in the form of a needs analysis which will help him/her to determine where the learners are, in terms of communicative competence, and where they have to be to meet their final aims. Therefore, the teacher will collect and examine

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critically information about the learner’s current level and the learner’s target level of knowledge he/she needs to gain at the end of the teaching process. The difference between these two circumstances, the current and the target one, leads to the course design, and explains the choice of the syllabus, of various approaches, learning strategies and so on. Needs analysis is not just a mere data collection, but its main function lies in the interpretation and use of this data, offering the chance to focus on those areas which are relevant to the learner. Referring to the nature of a needs analysis, Evan Frendo states that: A needs analysis is unique to a specific training situation. There is no standard model of needs analysis, and there is no ‘single best way’ to do it. A needs analysis is not an objective exercise; it entails exercising judgment and finding compromises to make the best use of resources in a particular teaching context. It is about working with learners to decide on the best way forward. [2, 16]

The needs analysis allowed us to gather and examine information about the learners’ current situation and the target situation. By considering the difference between these two situations we designed the ESP course in terms of syllabus, methods, learning strategies, etc. An important step was the examination of the data gathered and consequently deciding on the areas which are more relevant to the learner. As ESP course designers, we also bore in mind that needs analysis is not just an initial one-off activity, but it should be an ongoing process that does not end until the course is over. We also noticed that the ESP course designed in accordance with the results of the needs analysis led to a more effective teaching-learning process, the learners were more interested in the topics, and they were more communicative and clearly more motivated in their studies. The choice of materials was determined by several factors: • • • • •

To meet the specific requirements of the target situation; To include culturally appropriate content; To be authentic and come from the real world of the respective profession; To include authentic tasks; To include, if possible, audiovisual materials and authentic spoken material.

Effective ESP materials enable the learner to produce the language he/she will need in the workplace. A greater diversity of activities, such as role-plays, simulations, case studies, also improves the final output and creates a stimulating learning environment. An ESP course designed according to the learners’ specific needs has unquestionably obvious advantages. Dudley-Evans best summarizes Strevens’ point of view on the advantages of an ESP course, as follows: • • • •

It wastes no time, as the course is focused on the learner’s needs; It is relevant to the learner; It is successful in imparting learning; It is more cost-effective than ‘General English’. [1,9]

These advantages point out “that ESP teaching is more motivating for learners than ‘General English’. Generally speaking, this is true; the focused nature of the teaching, its relevance and cost-effectiveness ensure that its aims are widely accepted by learners.” [1, 10] Motivation is a key element to be taken into account in setting up an ESP course. High motivation on the part of the learner enables more subject specific work, while low motivation may lead to focus on less specific work. A key feature of the ESP course is that the teaching is flexible and adapted to the learners’ needs.

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Hutchinson and Waters discuss the role of the syllabus in the course design process in terms of several approaches to course design. First, it is presented the language-centred approach, where the syllabus is the main generator of the teaching materials and the basis on which proficiency will be evaluated. It follows the next steps: analyse target situation, write syllabus, write or select texts to illustrate items in the syllabus, write exercises to practise items in the syllabus, devise tests for assessing knowledge of the items in the syllabus. The skillscentred approach instead of presenting and practising language items, it focuses on providing opportunities for learners to use and evaluate the skills and strategies needed in the target situation. [5, 90-92]

Conclusions During the last decades, ESP has become one of the most significant areas of teaching English as a Foreign Language. A lot of consideration has been given to the teaching of ESP and many efforts have been made so that the teaching process may reach its main goal. Consequently, trainers have started to focus their efforts on meeting the learner’s needs, which are of great importance in teaching ESP, and designing ESP courses for a variety of fields. ESP teaching is centred on the learner and his/her final needs and focuses more on language in context than on teaching grammar and language structures, taking into account the fact that language is used to achieve an end . The key feature of ESP teaching is that English is not taught as a subject separated from the learners’ real world but, on the contrary, it is integrated into a subject matter area important to the learners.

Bibliography 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

D u d l e y - E v a n s , T . , S t . J o h n , M a g g i e - J o , Developments in English for Specific Purposes: A Multi-Disciplinary Approach, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998. F r e n d o , E ., How to Teach Business English, Harlow: Longman, 2008. H a r d i n g , K ., English for Specific Purposes, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007. H a r m e r , J . , How to Teach English, Harlow: Longman, 2007. H u t c h i n s o n , T . a n d W a t e r s , A . , English for Specific Purposes: A learning – centred approach, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1987. S t r e v e n s , P ., ESP after twenty years: A re-appraisal. In M. Tickoo (Ed.), ESP: State of the Art, Singapore: SEAMEO Regional Center, 1988.

Predarea limbii engleze pentru scopuri specifice Rezumat Engleza pentru scopuri specifice este definită ca îndeplinând scopurile şi nevoile specifice ale studentului şi de aceea, predarea sa este centrată pe limbajul potrivit pentru achiziţia abilităţilor cerute. Conţinutul şi metoda folosite depind în totalitate de motivul pentru care studentul învaţă engleza. ESP îşi îndreaptă atenţia într-o măsură mai mare asupra limbajului în context decât asupra predării gramaticii. Principala caracteristică a englezei pentru scopuri specifice este că limba engleză nu se predă ca o materie separată de lumea reală a studentului, ci este integrată într-o tematică relevantă pentru acesta.

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