ESP

Hi again, I made a summary of ** //“English for academic (EAP) or English for Specific purposes (ESP)/ English for occupational purposes (EOP): Who needs what?” By Nasreen M Ahsan.// **

= =  This article attempts to point out the importance of English for the undergraduate students, in particular in Pakistan. At the same time, it makes a clear distinction among different nomenclatures. The article starts by answering the question: //Why is English an international language?// The author reckons that English is considered the language of political, economic and military power, and he gives different examples to argument so. In consequence, students need to be taught adequate language skills to deal with the situation they are facing. That is when EAP is needed: it teaches students to cope with the academic demands, that is, it teaches English focusing in the academic field. According to Ahsan, the difference between ESP and General English lies on the purposes for learning it, either on language in context, or on grammar and language structures, respectively. An ESP course will be determined by the needs of the learners. In this case, we can distinguish between EAP (English for Academic Purposes) and EOP (English for occupational Purposes). Both terms accept sub-divisions, since the language requirements of the different groups are not alike. The different groups of learners will face different types of communication, therefore they demand different knowledge and skills. In conclusion, the article clearly distinguishes between EAP and EOP and quotes Dudley-Evans to define the characteristics of ESP as follows: // • ESP is designed to meet the specific needs of the learners. • ESP makes use of the underlying methodology and activities of the specialism it serves. • It is centred not only on the language (grammar, lexis, register), but also the skills, discourses and genres appropriate to those activities. //