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ENGLISH FOR
SPECIFIC PURPOSES

Final Assignment
Instructor: Duong Thi Nu, Ph.D.
Student: Hoang Linh Chi (Ms.)
Master student
Master of Education
PG 20+
Student ID: 15046237
University of Languages and International Studies,
Vietnam National University, Hanoi

QUESTION: What are the problems that you may face when teaching ESP to your
students?
RESPONSE:
Introduction
Recent developments in English language teaching and learning have witnessed an enormous
attention being paid to English courses tailor-made to adapt learners diverse needs such as
Business English, Medical English, English for Journalists, etc. Such an influx of demands for
English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses has led to numerous teachers voluntary or
involuntary switch from teaching general English to teaching custom-made English courses for
particular purposes. Being either way, the matter of teaching quality has been of grave concern
due to General English (GE) teachers lack of specialist knowledge and proper training for
teaching ESP. In response to this issue, several studies have been conducted to explore the
numerous challenges faced by ESP instructors and thus propose solutions that could better
facilitate them in their teaching. In this paper, I am going to review the concept of ESP, different
roles of ESP teachers and various problems of ESP teaching and learning discussed in past
papers and literature to anticipate possible difficulties I might encounter as an ESP practitioner in
Vietnam.
ESP and the roles of ESP teachers
English for Specific Purposes (ESP) or English for Special Purposes arose as a term in
the 1960s as it became increasingly aware that general English courses frequently did
not meet learner or employers wants.
(Brunton, 2009)
Since then, several attempts have been made to explore the origin of ESP of which Hutchinson &
Waters explanation is among notable ones. ESP, as detailed in their book, emerged as a result of
three factors: the demands of a Brave New World, a revolution in linguistics and the focus on
learners.

The End of War World II saw an age of enormous and unprecedented expansion in scientific,
technical and economic activity an on international scale resulting in the demand for an
international language as a tool of communication in international commerce and dissemination
of scientific and technological knowledge. English naturally took on this role for numerous
reasons but most imminently the economic power of the United States. Consequently, there
emerges new impetus to learn English for occupational purposes rather than for pleasure or the
cachet of knowing a foreign language. The Oil Crises of the early 1970s with massive flow of
funds and Western Expertise invested in oil-rich countries making English essential in big
business further accelerate this movement thus puts unrelenting pressure on ELT experts to
create cost-effective courses with clearly defined goals.
The revolution in linguistics, according to Hutchinson and Waters (1987, p.7) was sparked when
some linguists began to shift focus from defining the formal features of languages usage to
ways in which language is used for real communication. They also point out that the language
used for communication differs from context to context and it is feasible to select particular
features of language used in a specific situation to establish as the basis of a course. Such view,
as Hutchinson and Waters conclude, became the guiding principle of ESP, as in their own words:
Tell me what you need English for and I will tell you the English that you need.
(Hutchinson and Waters,1987, p.8)
According to Hutchinson and Waters, by placing crucial importance on the learners and their
attitudes towards learning, new developments in educational psychology also played a significant
role in the rise of ESP. As learners motivation depends largely on their needs and interests,
development of courses relevant to learners needs and interest is widely supported in the ELT
profession.
Since its emergence, ESP has captured undivided attention and numerous researchers
have attempted to constitute a definition for the term. Hutchinson and Waters (1987) perceive
ESP as an approach of language learning and teaching in which the learners needs play a central
role in determining the contents, approaches and teaching-learning methods. Strevens (1988), on

the other hand, associates ESP with distinctive characteristics, four absolute and two variable
ones.
I. Absolute characteristics:

designed to meet specified needs of the learner;

related in content to particular disciplines, occupations and activities;

centred on the language appropriate to those activities in syntax, lexis, discourse,

semantics, etc., and analysis of this discourse;

in contrast with General English.

II. Variable characteristics:

ESP may be, but is not necessarily:

restricted as to the language skills to be learned

not taught according to any pre-ordained methodology (Strevens, 1998)

Dudley Evans & St John (1998) modified Strevens definition to form their own set of
characteristics of ESP in which they also make a distinction between absolute and variable ones.
The revised definition of ESP is as follows:
I. Absolute Characteristics

ESP is designed to meet specific needs of the learner;

ESP makes use of the underlying methodology and activities of the discipline it serves;

ESP is centred on the language (grammar, lexis, register), skills, discourse and genres
appropriate to these activities.
II. Variable Characteristics

ESP may be related to or designed for specific disciplines;

ESP may use, in specific teaching situations, a different methodology from that of general
English;

ESP is likely to be designed for adult learners, either at a tertiary level institution or in a
professional work situation. It could, however, be for learners at secondary school level;

ESP is generally designed for intermediate or advanced students;

Most ESP courses assume some basic knowledge of the language system, but it can be
used with beginners (1998, pp. 4-5).

Though modifications have been made in response to changes in perception of ESP overtime,
the term is still commonly characterized with being designed to meet specific needs of the
learner for particular disciplines, occupations and activities. Since ESP emphasizes on the course
being tailor made for a homogeneous group of learners, ESP teachers tend to assume more roles
than just being an instructor in the classroom. Dudley Evans & St John (1998, p.13) prefer the
term ESP practitioner as this definition seems more accurate and complete when referring to
an ESP instructor whose jobs and duties may far outgrows those of normal GE ones. In their
book, they list out five key roles of an ESP practitioner:

Teacher: In an ESP class where the structure of a lesson can vary substantially depending
on the subject and the situation can get much more complicated than in a GE lesson as
the teacher might no longer be the primary knower, it is advisory that teachers adopt
great flexibility. As Dudley Evans and St John (1998, p13-14) suggest, they should be
able to draw on students understanding of the content to generate genuine
communication in the classroom, listen to learners [] to take an interest in the
disciplines or professional activities students are involved in, change tack in a lesson to
take account of what comes up, and to think and respond rapidly to events and take

some risks in their teaching.

Course designer and materials provider: ESP practitioners generally have to plan the
course they teach and correspondingly provide materials for it. Providing materials, as

claimed by Dudley Evans & St John (1998) does not simply mean selecting suitable
published materials or adapt materials when published materials are deemed irrelevant,

ESP practitioners also need to write their own materials if they can find noting suitable.
Researcher: It is essential that ESP practitioners keep themselves up-to-date with
research in the area they focus on so that they could incorporate findings of such research
in developing courses and teaching materials. ESP teachers are also expected to conduct
research to better understand the discourse of texts used in their students target situation

of communication.
Collaborator: As ESP practitioners tend to have no background in the specific subject
they work with, collaboration with subject specialists is highly encouraged. Dudley
Evans and St John recommend numerous possibilities ranging from simple, for example
ESP teacher finds out about the subject syllabus in an academic context to the fullest
type of cooperation in which language teacher and subject specialist team- teach

classes.
Evaluator: As an evaluator, ESP practitioners are often involved in various types of
assessment including most prominently the testing of students and evaluation of courses
and teaching materials. Students are tested at the beginning of the course to assess
whether they meet minimum language proficiency requirement for a particular course/
program and at the end of the course to assess how much learners have acquired from the
course. Course evaluation is an ongoing process being conducted during, at the end and
even sometime after the course has ended to check whether learning objectives have
been achieved so that timely adjustments could be made to the syllabus and teaching
materials.

The problems of ESP teaching

The problems of teaching ESP were first discussed by two notable researchers of the field,
Hutchinson and Waters. In their book titled English for Specific Purposes: A Learning Centered
Approach (1987), Hutchinson & Waters points out three major aspects that ESP teachers find
most challenging: the lack of orthodoxy, the lack of specialist knowledge and a change in status.
The lack of orthodoxy, according to Hutchinson and Waters, can be attributed to ESP being a
recent focus of attention in the ELT realm. Without sufficient guidance, ESP teachers find

themselves striving for the right direction in the middle of a hotbed of conflicts most
prominently over whether authentic texts should be used. In his paper discussing the crisis of
ESP pedagogy in Taiwan, Chen (2011) also mentions lacking theoretical basis in teaching
pedagogy as an unfavorable situation that weakens the position of ESP instructors.
The lack of specialist knowledge has also been widely recognized by numerous researchers as a
primary problem that shakes the confidence of ESP teachers. Le Thi Hong Duyen, in her case
studies of two Vietnamese General English teachers learning to adapt themselves as they shift to
teaching English for Medical Purposes, cites the lack of knowledge as a cause of embarrassment
for teachers obliged to work with texts whose content they barely grasp (Le, 2014, p.234).
Inadequate knowledge of the subject matter is also a challenge for teachers of Business English
at Division I, Faculty of English Language Teacher Education, University of Languages and
International Studies, Hanoi who admits to only knowing the subject matter at terminological
level (Nguyen, 2016).
Together with a change of status of the English language from being a subject in its own right to
a service industry for other specialisms comes a shift in English language teacher status, in many
cases, to a lowering position. John (1981, cited in Dudley Evans & St John, 1998) states five
problems that EAP teachers complain of, which are
-

Low priority in timetabling

Lack of personal/ professional contact with subject teachers
Lower status/ grade than subject teachers
Isolation from other teachers of English doing similar work
Lack of respect from students.

In Nguyen (2016), teachers also complain about a lack of support from the Faculty as there are
no in-service training programs or workshops/ seminars for ESP teachers professional
development.
The brief presence of ESP in the ELT realm has also led to a lack of teaching and testing
materials a problem which was raised by participants in Le (2014) and Nguyen (2016). They
say that most course books are outdated thus unattractive to students and limited testing materials
calls for tremendous adaptation. Gatehouse (2001), in her paper investigating the key issues in
English for Specific Purposes curriculum development, also expresses concern for ESP material
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development as In the real world, many ESL instructors/ESP developers are not provided with
ample time for needs analysis, materials research and materials development. She negates John
(1990)s suggestion that no one ESP text can satisfactorily serve its purpose and his solution of a
resource bank which includes cross-indexed doable, workable content-based (amongst other)
resources as from her own experience, teachers would not even afford time to submit and
cross-index resources. Gatehouse is also among a few researchers to have examined in detail
how teacher performs as a course developer. Having developed and taught the curriculum for
Language Preparation for Employment in the Health Science, Gatehouse draws out three
competences needed to secure effective communication in a professional setting namely
-

the ability to use the particular jargon characteristic

the ability to use a more generalized set of academic skills
the ability to use the language of everyday informal talk to communicate effectively
(Gatehouse, 2001)

As it is crucial that course developers guarantee all these competences are fostered and integrated
in the course, an incredible amount of research is unavoidably required, which is not an easy job
for teachers especially GE-turn-ESP practitioners with meager knowledge of the subject matter.
It is also in Le (2014) and Nguyen (2016) & Gatehouse (2001) that the problem of students
motivation and level of proficiency comes to attention. Students motivation, according to Le
(2014), is largely due to ESP status as a compulsory subject of which students fail to see clear
learning objectives and useful application in their future professional life. In Nguyen (2016),
students lack of motivation derives from uncertain career choice and disinclination to familiarize
themselves with the subject matters, for example, business students do not have the habit of
reading business news. Regarding students level of proficiency, as most ESP courses are
designed for students at intermediate level and above (Dudley Evans & St John, 1998), students
at low level of English proficiency would have problems comprehending the study materials and
carrying out different activities designed for such materials even with extra scaffolding from
teachers. For example, in her paper, Gatehouse (2001) details a situation in which minimum
general language entrance requirement was dropped from high to low intermediate in order to
enroll enough participants and as the result, those students who failed to meet general language
proficiency standards for the course found the content activities to be overwhelming.

Implications for the Vietnamese ESP context

In his paper published in 2001 titled The institutional turn and the crisis of ESP pedagogy in
Taiwan, Doctor Chen discusses the rise of ESP in Taiwan an export driven country getting
ready to compete in a global market thus seeing the need to develop workforce capable of
communicating effectively in English, which led to a reconceptualization of English programs
in Taiwans higher education sector to gear for specified purposes. This is not simply a special
situation in Taiwan but a trend, a reality in Asian educational context. This paper was
published fifteen years ago when ESP was still in its infancy in Taiwan but Doctor Chen already
witnessed the struggle of GE-turn-ESP teachers amidst a myriad of unanswered questions
concerning re-allocation of institutional and human resources to implement ESP curricula, what
constitutes a successful ESP curriculum or if there is a theoretical basis teachers could depend on
to determine their teaching pedagogy.
In Vietnam, it has not exactly become a crisis as Vietnam has only joined the global market
since the 1986 Reformation while Taiwan was already an aid donor and major foreign investor in
the early 1960s, and by that reason English teaching & learning in Vietnam has only come into
bloom in recent years. However, I believe it is only a matter of time until ELT experts and
teachers especially those working with students at tertiary level have to deal with that crisis
and the future is not far-fetched. One good example is at the University of Languages and
International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi where I am currently working. The
requisite level of language proficiency for students to graduate is C1 of the European CEFR
framework and traditionally, General English courses are compulsory in the first two years to
ensure students achieve such desired level of proficiency. However, from my four - year
experience of teaching GE to first year undergraduates, students level of English proficiency is
rising up and many of them have achieved C1 before entering the University. Thus, students are
getting less motivated in classrooms where they are compelled to learn what they have already
mastered. I can foresee a future when students are allowed to skip GE courses if they are
qualified to straight away enroll for subjects of their major. In which case, what does that mean
for GE teachers like me? We have to choose either to teach a subject in English or ESP,
otherwise we will be redundant. I see a future in ESP as in my school, beside the English
language program specifically designed for Business students; more ESP courses such as English

for Journalism and English for Tourism are being developed. However, if there would be such an
institutional turn as described in Doctor Chens paper (2011), GE-turn-ESP teachers like me
might inevitably encounter numerous obstacles and suffer from an identity crisis. Having
familiarized myself with a myriad of research on issues and problems in ESP teaching in the
world, in Asia and particularly in Vietnam, I can somehow foresee some of the struggle I may
face.
A lack of specialist knowledge might be the biggest challenge for me when I start teaching ESP.
Having worked with Business students during my six-week practicum confirms two important
things for me. Firstly, preparing for a lesson teaching Business English does not simply mean
looking up subject-specific terms in dictionaries. If teachers wish to fully grasp the concept they
have to do a great deal of googling and reading, which might take a tremendous amount of time.
I do not need to have a background in that specific area in order to teach ESP as long as I make
enough effort to learn and do research on my own. However, I am not the same as I was four
years ago. I am not one of those stereotype teachers who, as expected by a number of outsiders,
after their morning teaching session, stay home, plan lessons, grade students papers and take
care of their family. Due to their humble salary, most teachers at my University have to take on
evening extra classes to make ends meet and I am not an exception. Such tight schedule simply
does not allow me much time to embark on a new field of knowledge fully prepared. I believe
this would be a common problem for GE-turn-ESP teachers in my school. Though they know
that the only way for them to develop professionally in ESP teaching is to get themselves
familiarized with the subject matter by constant self-study, they cannot afford time for that under
family and financial pressure.
Not having been properly trained in ESP teaching, I believe I might struggle with methods and
approaches as a novice ESP teacher. However, this is not a long-term problem that cannot be
solved as I can consult with subject teachers in my school, plus, I can learn from my own
mistake as I get a hands-on experience on ESP teaching. Furthermore, once there is such an
institutional turn as described in Chens paper (2011), it would be impossible for policy-makers
in my Faculty to turn a blind eye and take no actions. In-service training programs for GE-turnESP teachers are undeniably to be organized. Therefore, I would not be particularly worried
about a lack of support from my Faculty.

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One last concern of mine, which has been discussed in Le (2014) and Nguyen (2016), is
students motivation, particularly in the context of the institution I am working for. In the Faculty
of English Language Teacher Education, University of Languages and International Studies,
VNU, Hanoi, English Language students are allowed to choose the Double Major Program in
which they study both General English and Communicative Business English. Many students
select this option in the hope that they would get a double degree in both English language and
business upon graduating. However, it turns out that Business English is not stated one of their
majors in the degree. As a consequence, though many students are genuinely interested in
business English, their fear of unemployment or undesired working circumstance get on their
nerves and discourage them from ESP. Another source of students motivation is their lack of
background knowledge for the subject matters. Many students choose to study Business English
to enhance their chance of getting a high-paid jobs since international commerce is on the rise in
Vietnam rather than being genuinely interested in business. Consequently, they do not have the
habit of researching business matters or reading business news in English. A lack of background
knowledge makes business English courses more and more challenging as they progress to
advanced level. For example, my colleague once shared with me the story of her Business
English class. The whole class stayed silent and unresponsive in a listening lesson in which they
had to listen to a lecture discussing a complicated business issue. Even after they had read the
transcript of the recording, students were still unable to grasp the ideas because of their lack of
knowledge and topic vocabulary. Such an atmosphere in turn adversely affected the teachers
motivation.
During a transition from GE to ESP practitioners, teachers may encounter several challenges and
particularly in my context of teaching, such challenges could possibly be the lack of knowledge
and proper training in ESP teaching as well as students motivation. Nevertheless, I believe
having foreseen such difficulties give me an advantage of knowing what I could be faced up to
thus motivate me to properly prepare myself for that. Just like trainee teachers during their
practicum, ESP-turn- GE practitioners may need to again step by step learn their way in a whole
new field of English teaching, however, the emotional satisfaction of achievement - as they
finally master ESP teaching- is just as well rewarding.

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Purposes, 8(3). Retrieved June 20, 2016, from http://www.esp-world.info/Articles_24/An
account of ESP.pdf
Chen, Y. (2011). The institutional turn and the crisis of ESP pedagogy in Taiwan. Taiwan
International ESP Journal, 3(1), 17-30. Retrieved June 22, 2016.
Dudley-Evans, T., & St John, M. (1998). Developments in ESP: A multi-disciplinary approach.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Gatehouse, K. (2001). Key issues in English for specific purposes (ESP) curriculum
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