1. English for specific purposes (ESP) is a subset of English as a second or foreign language.

It
usually refers to teaching the English language to university students or people already in
employment, with reference to the particular vocabulary and skills they need. As with
any language taught for specific purposes, a given course of ESP will focus on one occupation or
profession, such as Technical English, Scientific English, English for medical professionals,
English for waiters, English for tourism, etc. Despite the seemingly limited focus, a course of
ESP can have a wide-ranging impact, as is the case with Environmental English.

English for academic purposes, taught to students before or during their degrees, is one sort of
ESP, as is Business English. Aviation English is taught to pilots, air traffic controllers and civil
aviation cadets to enable clear radio communications.

2. English for academic purposes (EAP), commonly known as Academic English, entails
training students, usually in a higher education setting, to use language appropriately for study. It
is one of the most common forms of English for specific purposes (ESP).

An EAP program focuses instruction on skills required to perform in an English-speaking

academic context across core subject areas generally encountered in a university setting.
Programs may also include a more narrow focus on the more specific linguistic demands of a
particular area of study, for example business subjects. Programs may be divided into pre-
sessional courses and courses taken alongside students' other subjects. In the former case,
sometimes EAP courses may be intended to raise students' general English levels so that they can
enter university. In the UK, this often means endeavouring to help students get a score of 6 or
above in the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) examination. In the US,
this can mean helping students attain a score of 80 or greater on the TOEFL (Test of English as a
Foreign Language) or more than 4 on the iTEP (International Test of English Proficency).
Outside Anglophone countries, English-medium universities may have a preparatory school
where students can spend a year or two working on their English and academic skills before
starting degree courses. EAP courses running alongside other degree courses may be based on
the American English and Composition model, or may employ Content-based instruction, either
using material from the students' degree subjects or as an independent, elective-like course.
These in-sessional courses may be desirable more to help students develop study skills and
required academic practices than for language development.

In common with most language teaching, EAP instruction teaches vocabulary, grammar and the
four skills (reading, writing, speaking - including pronunciation - and listening), but usually tries
to tie these to the specific study needs of students; for example, a writing lesson would focus on
writing essays rather than, say, business letters. Similarly, the vocabulary chosen for study tends
to be based on academic texts. In addition, EAP practitioners often find that, either directly or
indirectly, they are teaching study skills and often having to tackle differences in educational
culture, such as differing attitudes to plagiarism. This trend has become more prominent as the
numbers of foreign students (especially from China) attending UK universities, and other
institutions across the English-speaking world, has increased over the last decade.

3. English in India

The origins of English in India

The British first arrived in India in the early 1600s and soon established trading posts in a
number of cities under the control of The East India Company. By 1765 the Company’s
influence had grown to such an extent that the British were effectively controlling most parts of
the country. This date is often taken as the start of what is referred to as The Raj — a period of
British rule in India that lasted until Independence in 1947.

Initially English was only taught to the local population through the work of Christian
missionaries — there were no official attempts to force the language on the masses. But by the
1700s, English had firmly established itself as the language of administration and many educated
Indians were demanding instruction in English as a means of social advancement. By 1857
universities had opened in Bombay, Calcutta and Madras. English was increasingly accepted as
the language of government, of the social elite, and of the national press.

After Independence

After Independence, India became a nation state, and it was intended that English would
gradually be phased out as the language of administration. But there was no simple solution as to
which language should replace it. At first Hindi, the most widely spoken language, seemed the
obvious choice, but following violent protests in 1963 in the state of Tamil Nadu against the
imposition of Hindi as a national language, opinion has remained divided. In a country with over
900 million people and more than a thousand languages, it is difficult to choose a single national
language, as mother tongue speakers of that language would automatically enjoy greater social
status and have easier access to positions of power and influence. So, although English is not an
indigenous language, it remains as an ‘Associate Language’ in India, alongside Hindi, the
‘Official Language of the Union of India’ and eighteen 'National Languages', such as Bengali,
Gujurati and Urdu, that have a special status in certain individual states.

English in India today

Despite continued pressure from nationalists, English remains at the heart of Indian society. It is
widely used in the media, in Higher Education and government and therefore remains a common
means of communication, both among the ruling classes, and between speakers of mutually
unintelligible languages. According to recent surveys, approximately 4% of the Indian
population use English. That figure might seem insignificant, but out of the total population this
represents 35 million speakers — the largest English-speaking community outside the USA and
the UK. In addition there are speakers of English in other parts of South Asia, such as Pakistan,
Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, where English plays a similar role. English is virtually a mother
tongue for many educated South Asians, but for the vast majority it remains a second language.
This means there are speakers whose spoken English is heavily influenced by speech patterns of
their ethnic language, alongside those whose speech reveals nothing of their racial background
and some who are ranged somewhere in between.

4. Three aspects of Language Pedagogy: Teacher, Learner, Classroom

• Teacher Roles

In the English classroom a teacher fulfills many roles with different aims.

The most common thought of a role might be the fully organized classroom in which everything
is controlled by the teacher (Controller). (Harmer 1991, 236)

Also teachers are expected to assess their students by correcting them and giving feedback to
their development and performance (Assessor). (Harmer 1991, 237)

Another very important role is the one of the classroom manager. Good organization is a key
factor in planning a syllabus, a lesson or just a particular task and helps to discipline the students
(Manager). (Müller-Hartmann 32)

Furthermore, the teacher acts as a resource by helping the students if necessary. He/She provides
additional information or simply talks to them providing the resource of spoken language
(Resource). (Harmer 1991, 242)

To increase the effectiveness of learning it is sometimes necessary to act with the students on the
same level as a participant. Not only will the teacher gain an insight about the way students
develop, but also give them the chance to interact with someone who has a much higher
comprehension of the target language (Participant). (Harmer 1991, 241)

A role not directly related to the behavior of the teacher is the investigator. The teacher analyzes
the way of teaching, observes what is going on in the classroom and investigates the ways
students learn, with the aim to develop his/her methods of teaching (Investigator). (Harmer 1991,
242)

The last role is the role model which goes beyond the classroom influencing children throughout
their whole life. Honesty, affection or fairness for example, are not only learned from parents but
also from teachers at school. Therefore a teacher must be fully aware that his behavior in general
has a huge impact on the personal development of his/her students. (Role Model) (Mathew)