Annual Review of Applied Linguistics (2004), 24:165-186 Cambridge University Press

Copyright © 2004 Cambridge University Press

doi:10.1017/S026719050400008X

TEACHING LANGUAGE IN SPECIFIC SETTINGS

8. TRENDS IN TEACHING ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC

PURPOSES

Diane D. Belcher

Abstract

This review of trends in the teaching of English for specific purposes (ESP) presents recent developments
in ESP praxis from three different but not mutually exclusive points of reference: the sociodiscoursal,
sociocultural, and sociopolitical. In addition to a selection of exemplar practices, theoretical analogues
are considered for each of these three socially oriented perspectives on ESP. For the sociodiscoursal
approach to ESP, genre theory and genre-informed pedagogy are highlighted; for the sociocultural,
theories of situated learning and their practical corollaries are focused on; for the sociopolitical, theories
and applications of critical pedagogy are emphasized. Possible research directions for all three social
turns of ESP are also suggested.

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B3C00BB74540.tomcat1?fromPage=online&aid=223402

Networking for Learning and Teaching English for Specific Add to

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Book Series Educational Linguistics Add to
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Volume Volume 7
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Book Information Technology in Languages for Specific Permissions
Purposes & Reprints
Publisher Springer US Recommend
this chapter
DOI 10.1007/978-0-387-28624-2
Copyright 2006
ISBN 978-0-387-28595-5 (Print) 978-0-387-28624-2
(Online)
Part Part III.
DOI 10.1007/978-0-387-28624-2_9
Pages 139-153
Subject Collection Humanities, Social Sciences and Law
SpringerLink Date Friday, October 13, 2006
 PDF (958.8 KB) Free Preview
Educational Linguistics
Information Technology in Languages for Specific Purposes
Issues and Prospects
10.1007/978-0-387-28624-2_9
Elisabet Arnó Macià, Antonia Soler Cervera and
Carmen Rueda Ramos

Deborah Healey7

(7) English Language Institute, Oregon State University,

Corvallis, OR, USA
7. Conclusion
The Project was affected throughout by political and
economic barriers, but some adoption of
technological enhancements occurred nonetheless.
The Project set up interim websites for the partner
institutions and faculty (some of which are
ongoing), created a mailing list for participants,
offered workshops in Oregon and Tunisia for faculty
and administrators, and continues to provide online
consultation and support. The teaching of English
for Specific Purposes in Tunisia has been enhanced
where Internet and computer resources are
available. Rapid growth in Internet availability to
faculty and students bodes well for future use. It
was clear from this experience that teachers, even
in countries without extensive resources, can take
advantage of low-cost or free Internet material
available for online or offline use. A theme often
repeated throughout the Project, too, was that
teachers were preparing not only for the present,
but also for the future. As computer and Internet
access continue to expand in educational
institutions, English language teachers need to be
prepared to seize opportunities as they arise and to
create, sustain, and extend change. The Project
benefited both the American and the Tunisian
partners by offering an opportunity to share ideas
in a new environment and thus gain a broader
understanding of the uses and limitations of
technology in education. Our teaching will be better
for it.
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