THEORIES OF ESP

With respect to a definition of ESP practice as learning/teaching English in specific

contexts of language use:

ESP as superordinate variety of English (Super-variety theory) Bloor, M. and T.

Bloor (1986)

ESP as function of specificity of purpose (Continuum theory) Bhatia, V. K.

(1986); See also Dudley-Evans, T. and M. J. St John (1998, p. 9)

ESP as discourse (Discourse-oriented theory) Thomas, S. (1991, 1994); Martin,

J. R. (1992)

Bhatia, V. K. 1986. Specialist-discipline and the ESP curriculum. In M. L. Tickoo (Ed.).

Language Across the Curriculum. Singapore: SEAMEO RELC, pp. 47-63.
Bloor, M. & T. Bloor. 1986. Languages for Specific Purposes: Practice and Theory. CLCS
Occasional Paper No. 19. Dublin: Trinity College.
Dudley-Evans, T. and M. J. St John. (1998). Developments in English for Specific
Purposes, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Martin, J. R. 1992. English Text: System and Structure. Amsterdam: John Benjamins B. V.
Thomas, S. 1991. A merging of voices: an investigation of the way discourse is reported in
medical research articles. Unpublished PhD thesis. Birmingham: University of
Birmingham.
Thomas, S. 1994. A discourse-oriented approach to ESP. RELC Journal, 25(2): 94-122.
THEORY 1: ESP AS SUPERORDINATE VARIETY OF ENGLISH

THEORY 2: ESP AS FUNCTION OF SPECIFICITY OF PURPOSE

EGP

ESP

(ENGLISH FOR
GENERAL PURPOSES)

(ENGLISH FOR
SPECIFIC PURPOSES)

= Infinity

THEORY 3: ESP AS DISCOURSE (DISCOURSE-ORIENTED THEORY)

LANGUAGE IN ITS SOCIAL CONTEXT