English for Specific Purposes (ESP) – Lecture Review

These flashcards cover definitions, features, types, teaching stages, needs analysis, and course-design approaches in English for Specific Purposes (ESP).

What does ESP stand for in language teaching?

English for Specific Purposes.

According to Mackay & Mountford (1978), ESP is the teaching of English for what kind of purpose?

A clearly utilitarian purpose.

Robinson (1991) states that students study English mainly because they need it for what two broad areas?

Study or work purposes.

Basturkmen (2006) says ESP is learned not for its own sake but to facilitate what?

Entry or greater linguistic efficiency in academic, professional, or workplace environments.

Hutchinson & Waters (1987) describe ESP as an approach in which all content and method decisions are based on what?

The learner’s reason for learning.

What does it mean when we say ESP is goal-oriented?

Topics and activities are chosen to help learners achieve a specific academic or workplace goal.

Why is needs analysis fundamental in ESP course design?

Because course content is built around analysing students’ initial, learning, and target needs.

What does the ‘time-bound’ feature of ESP imply about course duration?

Learners expect to reach their goals within a specific, often short, time frame without unnecessary activities.

Which age group most commonly takes ESP courses?

Adults.

ESP courses are usually -specific, meaning they tailor content to one profession or academic field.

Discipline-specific.

Compared with General English, ESP is primarily -centred.

Learner-centred.

What are the two main branches of ESP?

English for Occupational Purposes (EOP) and English for Academic Purposes (EAP).

What is the main aim of English for Occupational Purposes (EOP)?

To develop English needed for work or a job.

What is the main aim of English for Academic Purposes (EAP)?

To improve language proficiency so learners can function in higher academic settings.

Give one example of a discipline-specific ESP course.

Examples include English for Medical Purposes, English for Legal Purposes, English for Business Purposes, etc.

According to Kashani et al. (2007), an ESP teacher is primarily a and a facilitator of learning.

Knowledge provider

Hutchinson & Waters (1987) add that an ESP teacher must also focus on what major task?

Designing suitable syllabi and courses for learners with differing needs.

List the five key stages in the ESP teaching process identified by Dudley-Evans & Johns (1998).

1) Needs analysis, 2) Course/syllabus design, 3) Materials selection/production, 4) Teaching and learning, 5) Evaluation.

In Graves’ (1996) model, what is the very first step of systematic syllabus design?

Conducting needs assessment/needs analysis.

In ESP, what is meant by ‘needs analysis’?

The process of determining and prioritising what learners need to do with English in their target situations.

Name the three main components of needs analysis.

Target Situation Analysis (TSA), Present Situation Analysis (PSA), and Deficiency Analysis.

What does Target Situation Analysis (TSA) focus on?

The learners’ needs at the end of the course or in their future target situation.

What is examined in Present Situation Analysis (PSA)?

Learners’ current abilities, strengths, and weaknesses at the start of the course.

What gap does Deficiency Analysis seek to identify?

The distance between learners’ present abilities and the requirements of the target situation.

According to Hutchinson & Waters, what three categories make up ‘target needs’?

Necessities, lacks, and wants.

Define ‘necessities’ within target needs.

The language and skills learners must have to function effectively in the target situation.

Define ‘lacks’ within target needs.

The skills or knowledge learners do not yet have compared to what is required.

Why are ‘wants’ in target needs considered subjective?

They reflect learners’ personal expectations, which may differ from institutional or employer necessities.

Learning needs answer what key question?

How are we going to reach the destination (i.e., how will learning take place)?.

Give one purpose of conducting a needs analysis.

Examples: Determining required language skills, identifying students’ lacks, or checking if an existing course meets learners’ needs.

Name two common methods used to gather data for a needs analysis.

Interviews and questionnaires (others include observation, document review, etc.).

List two possible sources of information for a needs analysis.

Learners and teachers (others include domain experts, published materials, administrative staff, etc.).

What are the three main approaches to ESP course design outlined by Hutchinson & Waters?

Language-centred, skills-centred, and learning-centred approaches.

The language-centred approach primarily focuses on what aspect of learner performance?

The linguistic performance required in the target situation.

State one weakness of the language-centred approach.

It is often static and inflexible, taking little account of real learning processes or contextual factors.

What is the central aim of the skills-centred approach?

To develop learners’ skills and strategies that will continue to be useful after the course.

In a learning-centred approach, who holds ultimate responsibility for successful learning?

The learner.

Give one guiding principle of the learning-centred approach.

Learning is determined by the learner, who negotiates meaning using prior knowledge and skills.