Types of

ESP
  ESP is basically divided into two types:
EOP (English for Occupational Purposes)
EAP (English for Academic)

Types of  From the names themselves, learners

ESP who are enrolled in EOP and EAP
have specific objectives, that is to
develop English in preparation for
work or job and improve language
proficiency to survive and function
better in a higher academic setting,
respectively.
 David Carter (1983) identifies three
types of ESP:

Types of  English as a restricted language

ESP  English for Academic and
Occupational Purposes

 English with specific topics

English as
restricted
language
  The language used by air traffic
controllers or by waiters are
examples of English as a
English as restricted language. Mackay
restricted and Mountford (1978) clearly
language illustrate the difference
between restricted language
and language with this
statement:
 ... the language of international air-traffic
control could be regarded as 'special', in
the sense that the repertoire required by
the controller is strictly limited and can
be accurately determined situationally,
as might be the linguistic needs of a
English as
dining-room waiter or air-hostess.
restricted
However, such restricted repertoires are
language not languages, just as a tourist phrase
book is not grammar. Knowing a
restricted 'language' would not allow the
speaker to communicate effectively in
novel situation, or in contexts outside
the vocational environment.
 The second type of ESP identified by Carter
(1983) is English for Academic and
Occupational Purposes. In the 'Tree of ELT'
(Hutchinson & Waters, 1987), ESP is broken
down into three branches:
a) English for Science and Technology
(EST),
EOP and b) English for Business and Economics
EAP (EBE),
c) English for Social Studies (ESS).

Each of these subject areas is further

divided into two branches:
 English for Academic Purposes (EAP)
 English for Occupational Purposes (EOP).
 • Hutchinson and Waters (1987) do note that
there is not a clear-cut distinction between
EAP and EOP: " people can work and study
simultaneously; it is also likely that in many
cases the language learnt for immediate
use in a study environment will be used
later when the student takes up, or returns
EOP and to, a job"
EAP • Perhaps this explains Carter's rationale for
categorizing EAP and EOP under the same
type of ESP. It appears that Carter is
implying that the end purpose of both EAP
and EOP are one in the same: employment.
However, despite the end purpose being
identical, the means taken to achieve the
end is very different indeed.
English for
Occupational
Purposes
  is a branch of ESP that
covers situations in which
learners are studying English
English for for work related reasons.
Occupational
Purposes
 The courses are based on an
analysis of their specific
communicative needs in their
work.
  For example, a waiter dealing
with foreign clients might need to:

- describe the content of dishes on the

menu and the way they are cooked (It's
English for pasta with seafood cooked in a white
Occupational wine and cream sauce.)
Purposes
- understand and respond appropriately
to requests and orders (Can we have a
bottle of the house white?)

- ask about requirements (Would you like

coffee?) etc.
  EOP courses will therefore have often
titles like: English for Nursing, English
for Shop floor Staff, and English
for Accountants.

 Where communicative needs become

English for more complex, the courses may
Occupational become more specific, not aiming to
Purposes deal with the full range of needs
involved in the job, but just with
one area. This is particularly true in
Business English, which may focus on
e.g.: English for Sales Presentation,
English for Business Report, and
Negotiation Skills in English
  Alternatively, the courses may focus
on the more general needs of a
specific industry: English for Banking
and Finance, Legal English, English for
Military Purposes, English for the Oil
Industry.
English for
Occupational
 The function of EOP is concerned
Purposes with enabling learners to function
well in English in a particular job or
profession. EOP is designed for
someone who wants to be ready for
work.
English for
Academic
Purposes
  English for Academic Purposes
(EAP) is commonly known as
Academic English.
English for
Academic
 It entails training students, usually
Purposes
in a higher education setting, to
use language appropriately for
study.
  An EAP program focuses
instruction on skills required to
perform in an English-speaking
academic context across core
subject areas generally
English for encountered in a university setting.
Academic
Purposes
 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.
English for
Academic  In the former case, sometimes
Purposes EAP courses may be intended to
raise students' general English
levels so that they can enter
university.
  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
English for these to the specific study needs
Academic of students; for example, a writing
Purposes 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
English for skills and often having to tackle
Academic differences in educational
Purposes culture, such as differing attitudes
to plagiarism.
  There is some debate amongst EAP
teachers as to the best way to help
students with academic English.

 On the one hand, students might

be taught particular conventions
English for but not expected to understand
Academic why they need to adapt their
writing; a pragmatic approach.
Purposes
 On the other hand, students might
be encouraged to challenge writing
conventions and only adopt them if
they seem justified; a critical approach.
  Recently, attempts have been made
to try and reconcile these opposing
views. A critical pragmatic approach
English for to EAP encourages students to
Academic develop writing conventions required
by universities while also
Purposes
encouraging them to think about
the reasons why these conventions
exist.
  Recently, attempts have been made
to try and reconcile these opposing
views. A critical pragmatic approach
English for to EAP encourages students to
Academic develop writing conventions required
by universities while also
Purposes
encouraging them to think about
the reasons why these conventions
exist.
English with
Specific
Topic
  Carter notes that it is only here where
emphasis shifts from purpose to
topic. This type of ESP is uniquely
English with concerned with anticipated future
specific English needs of, for example,
scientists requiring English for
purposes
postgraduate reading studies,
attending conferences or working in
foreign institutions.
  However, some argue that this is not
a separate type of ESP. Rather it is an
integral component of ESP courses or
English with programs which focus on situational
specific language. This situational language
has been determined based on the
purposes
interpretation of results from needs
analysis of authentic language used in
target workplace settings.
ESP vs EGP
• ESP teaching approach is known to be learner-centered
where learners‟ needs and goals are of supreme value,
whereas General English approach is language centered, and
focuses on learning language from a broad perception
covering all the language skills and the cultural aspects of
the English speaking community.

• Further distinction between General English courses and

ESP is that, learners of the latter are mainly adult with a
certain degree of awareness concerning their language
needs (Hutchinson & Waters 1987). Whereas, General
English courses are provided to pupils as compulsory
module at schools, their unique purpose is to succeed in the
examinations.
 The most important EGP features are:

1. the focus is often on education;

2. as the learners‟ future needs are

impossible to predict, the course
English for
General content is more difficult to select;
Purposes
3. due to the above point it is
important for the content in the
syllabus to have a high surrender
value.
 The most relevant ESP features are:

1. the focus is on training;

2. as English is intended to be used in

specific vocational contexts, the selection
English for
of the appropriate content is easier;
Specific
Purposes
3. it is important for the content in the
syllabus to have a high surrender value,
most relevant to the vocational context;

4. the aim may be to create a restricted

English competence.
 Activity
 create a graphic organizer that
shows the similarities and
differences of the types of ESP. It
can be any of the following:

 Venn-Diagram
 T-chart
 Any diagram

 You will just do one graphic

organizer so just choose one
above.
Example:
Venn-
Diagram

EOP EAP
 Types of ESP Similarities Differences

Example: EOP
T-Chart
EAP