WHY TEACHING ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES AT
UNIVERSITIES?
By Zarela Cruz
Wouldn’t it be great to have the chance to study English for Academic
purposes while being at university? Of course, it would be. In itself it is a
very important comparative advantange in terms of marketing, but as we well
know, English studies are postponed by students who most of the times consider
it is just a requirement to fullfill, either to graduate or to get their
Master’s degree.
Below, some basic concepts and FAQ
that will allow you discover the potential of this field:
DEFINITION: ESP is defined to meet specific needs of
the learners and is centered on the corresponding language in terms of grammar,
lexis, register, study skills and discourse.(1) An important aspect to take
into account is the fact that ESP is generally designed for intermediate or
advanced students since it is assumed that students have some prior knowledge
of the language to make the most of it, otherwise it will be restricted to a
set of isolated phrases and long lists of words, as indeed, is taught in some
universities. At least this is what I concluded from getting information from
some public and private university students in Lima and provinces.
HOW IS ESP (ENGLISH FOR SPECIF PURPOSES)
IS DIFFERENT FROM ESL (ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE)?
The most important difference is the learner since they need it to communicate
at work or with work-related issues. It is mostly based on teaching language in
a particular context which is related to the learners’ field of knowledge.
There is nothing more motivating for a student than to put the language into
practice in a meaningul situation to them. This reinforces and increases their inner
motivation.
WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE ESP TEACHER? A teacher must be experienced. This will
allow them to exploit the academic background not only in teaching strategies
but also in designing lessons for specific academic fields. Ideally, the
teacher must be a source of information for the student.
DOES THE ESP STUDENT HAVE ANY
RESPONSIBILITY IN THEIR LEARNING? Of course they do! They bring to class their subject matter knowledge
and must be commited to develop their language knowledge and skills and use
them in authentic contexts paying attention to cultural aspects as well. This
is the most effective way to become fluent in their fields.
And now a few questions to reflect on:
Are you interested in becoming a ESP teacher? Are you up to take a ESP course? If
so, what do you expect from them?
I do expect that instead of discouraging you from becoming an ESP
teacher or student, this article turns into a wake-up call to redefine your own
goals regarding the teaching and learning of English and realize the many advantages
it has when studying it during your upper studies or tertiary education.
Let us know what you think and share your experience with us!
References
English for Specific
Purposes: What does it mean? Why is it different?
Teaching
English for Specific Purposes (ESP)
Biodata
Zarela Cruz graduated from Ricardo Palma University as a translator. She
also finished her master’s studies in Linguistics and took
some specialization diplomas in English and Spanish: Higher Education, Virtual
Courses Design, and Spanish for Foreigners. She has also completed a number of
certificates: Teaching the Working Adult, Online, Hybrid and Blended
Education, among other self-study courses. During her more
than 20 years’ teaching experience, she has taught different courses, programs and
levels. This article aims not only to encourage other teachers to specialize in one field to teach ESP courses but also professionals to keep improving their knowledge of the language.
