4 < NALA 1. The origins of ESP We will now discuss in a little more detail the struggle for existence (Charles Darwin: The Origin of Spe ESP was not a’planned fa As with most developments in human act and coherent morement, but rather a phenomenon that grew ou of converging trends. These trends have operated in a vs round the world, but we can identify three main reasons common to che emergence ofall ESP. 1 The demands of a Brave New World The end of the Second World Wat 1945 heralded an age of enormous ientific, technical and economic is expansion created a world unified ited by two forces - technology and commerce — which in rogress soon generated a demand for an international cey to the internat and commerce. Previously of technology, reasons for earning English (or any other language) had -en well defined. A knowledge of a foreign language had been ger regarded as a sign of a well-rounded education, but few had really questioned why it was necessary. Learning a language Was, so to speak, its own justification. But as English became the 2ecepred international language of rechnology and commerce, it created a new generation of learners who knew specifically why they were learning 2 language — businessmen and -women who wanted to sell their products, mechanics who had to read instruction | manuals, doctors who needed to keep up with developments in their field and a whole range of students whose course of study included textbooks and journals only available in English. All these and many others needed English and, most ‘pportantly, they knew why they needed it. ‘ ‘This development was accelerated by the Oil Crises of the early 19705, which resulted in a massive flow of funds and Western expertise into the oil-rich countries. English suddenly became big business and commercial pressures began to exert an influence. Time and money constraints created a need for cost-effective courses with clearly defined oals, ee The general effect of all this development was to exert pressure on the language teaching profession to deliver the required goods. Whereas ish had previously decided its own destiny, it now became subject needs and demands of people other than language teachers. English had become accountable to the scrutiny of the wider world and the traditional leisurely and purpose-free stroll through the the English language seemed no longer appropriate in the ies of the market place. . 2 Arevolution i inguistics At the same time as the demand was growing for English courses tailored to specific needs, influential new ideas began co emerge in the study of language. Traditionally the aim of linguistics had been co describe the rules of English usage, that is, the grammar. However the new studies shifted attention away fr usage to discovering the way’ that the language we speak and write varies considerably, and in a number of different ways, from one context to another. In English language teaching this gave rise to the view that there are important differences between, say, the English ofcommerceand thatof engineering. These ideas married up naturally with the development of English courses for specific groups of learners, The idea was simple: if language varies from one situation of use to another, it should be possible to determine the features of specific situations and then make these features the basis ofthe learners" course. Swales (1985) presents an article by C. L. Barber on the nature of ientific English which was published as early as 196:. But it was the late 1960s and carly 19708 which saw the greatest expansion of research into the nature of particular varieties of En; tions of written s synonymous. But there were stud lies in other fields too, such as the izGISUTIGUTETTE TOLLS SHORGOSOVITDSIVGS ‘ESP? is of doctor-patient communication by Candlin, Bruton and 978) short, the view gained ground that the English needed by a icular group of learners could be identified by analysing the characteristics of their specialist area of work ot me what you need English for and I will tell you the English that you seed” became the guiding principle of ESP. 3. Focus on the learner New developments in educational psychology also contributed ta the rise of ESP, by emphasising the central importance of the learners and their attitudes to learning (c.g. Rodgers, 1965). Learners were seen have different needs and interests, which would have an importa influence on their motivation to learn and therefore on the effectiveness of their leacning. This lent support to the development of courses in h “relevance” to the learners” needs and interests was paramount The standard way of achieving this was to take texts from the learners it area texts about Biology for Biology stud. assumption underlying this approach was thatthe clear English course to their needs would improve and thereby make learning better and faster. Tasks 1 Why was ESP intcoduced in your country or teaching institution? ‘What kinds of ESP are taught? 2 ‘Tell me what you need English for and 1 that you need” (p. 8). How justifiable do you ESP? 3 ‘The clear relevance of the English courte to their needs would i learners’ motivation and thereby make learning Give three ways in which relevance’ can be achieved. + b) Inwhat ways can-motivation-affect language learning? from that of say, Biology or of General Engl 2 The development of ESP The best laid schemes o” mice and men Gang aft a-gley. (Rober ) From its carly beginnings in the 1960s ESP has undergone thrce main phases of develops rent. It is now ina fourth phase with a fifth phase Starting to emerge, We of the five phases in greater etal in later chapters, but i Ries pees a brief summary here. Ie should be pointed our frst of all thot EG ie Phenomenon. ESP has developed at different ind examples of allthe approaches we shall ing somewhere in the world at the present very general in its focus. wing overview that one area of a the development of ESP. This is the for Science and Technology). Swales ofEST to illustrate the development time. Oursummary Iewill benotice development “With oortwo exceptions... English for Science an and continues to st the rd i Janguage and in the variety of actual ‘We have not restricted our 0% ‘We stil need ro acknowledge, OFEST inthe ESP story. Melntosh and Strevens, 1964), Jack Ewer (Ewer John Swales Operating on the basic principle th fi sf Hectic Engineering constituted a speifc revi differene ch, the aim of the analysis