English for Specific Purposes

Gabriela Januov
Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra Faculty of Education Department of Language Pedagogy and Intercultural Studies Year of study 2009/2010

ESP (English for Specific Purposes)

-has been referred to as applied ELT

-the content and aims of any course are determined by the needs of a specific group of learners -is often divided into - EAP (English for Academic Purposes) - EOP (English for Occupational Purposes)

Characteristics of ESP
-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
-is centred not only on the language (grammar, lexis, register), but also the skills, discourses and genres appropriate to those Activities

(according to Dudley-Evans (2001))

Importance of ESP
-there has been an increase in vocational training and learning throughout the world -more and more people are using English in a growing number of occupational contexts

-students are starting to learn and therefore master general English at a younger age, and so move on to ESP at an earlier age -an increasing number of learners are taught in schools using approaches such as CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning).

Acronyms in ESP
CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) EAP (English for Academic Purposes) EBP (English for Business Purposes) ESAP (English for Specific Academic Purposes) EGAP (English for General Academic Purposes) EMP (English for Medical Purposes) EOP (English for Occupational Purposes) EPP (English for Professional Purposes) EST (English for Science and Technology) EVP (English for Vocational Purposes) EWP (English for/in the Workplace)

Legal English
-used by lawyers and other legal professionals
-has particular relevance when applied to legal writing and the drafting of written material, including: -legal documents: contracts, licences etc -court pleadings: summonses, briefs, judgments etc -laws: Acts of parliament and subordinate legislation, case reports -legal correspondence

Key features of Legal English

-extensive use of words and phrases derived from French and Latin -use of ordinary words in apparently peculiar contexts -lack of punctuation -use of doublets and triplets -unusual word order -use of unfamiliar pro-forms -use of pronominal adverbs -use of phrasal verbs

. Phrasal verbs play a large role in legal English, and are often used in a quasi-technical sense. For example, parties enter into contracts, put down deposits, serve [documents] upon other parties, write off debts, and so on.