The Role of an Ideal ESP Practitioner
- 1 Department of English Language, Faculty of Arts, University of Sinnar, Sinnar, Sudan
Abstract
This paper aims to reflect onthe role of an ideal ESP practitioner. There are a lot of challenges and problems which affect an ESP practitioner to teach ESP courses such as lack of modern use of technology and lack of learners’ motivation. The paper starts with key concepts about ESP. Then; it discusses the role of an ESP practitioner. Next, problems and challenges affect teaching ESP. Finally, the status of an ESP today is presented. The researcher followed a descriptive method to shed some lights on the variety of the topics to make clear distinction especially between a general English (GE) teacher and the English for Specific Purposes (ESP) teacher and to what extent they are different. The findings of this paper showed that lack of training and lack of specialist knowledge were considered as the main obstacles. It is recommended for any educational institutions to train ESP practitioners in advance before starting to teach ESP courses/programs. It also recommended for educational institutions to establish ESP Units in order to overcome the challenges and problem.
- Anthony, L. (1997). English for Specific Purposes: What Does It Mean? Why Is It Different? On-CUE, 5, 9-10.
- Carter, D. (1983). Some Propositions about ESP. The ESP Journal, 2, 131-137.
- Cummins, J. (1979). Cognitive/Academic Language Proficiency, Linguistic Interdependence, the Optimum Age Question and Some Other Matters. Bilingualism, 19, 121-129.
- Dudley-Evans, T. (1997). Five Questions for LSP Teacher Training. In R. Howard, & G. Brown (Eds.), Teacher Education for LSP (pp. 58-67). Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
- Dudley-Evans, T., & St. John, M. J. (1998). Developments in English for Specific Purposes: A Multi-Disciplinary Approach. Kuala Lumpur: Oxford University Press.
- Fanning, P. (1993). Broadening the ESP Umbrella. English for Specific Purposes, 12, 159-170. https://doi.org/10.1016/0889-4906(93)90016-H
- Hussin, S., Maarof, N., & D’Cruz, J. V. (2000). Sustaining an Interest in Learning English and Increasing the Motivation to Learn English: An Enrichment Programme. In Millennium MICELT 2000: 3rd Malaysian International Conference for English Language Teaching.
- Hutchinson, T., & Waters, A. (1987). English for Specific Purposes: A Learning-Centred Approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511733031
- Johns, A. M. (1991). English for Specific Purposes (ESP): Its History and Contribution. In M. Celce-Murcia (Ed.), Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language. Boston: Heinle and Heinle.
- Jordan, R. R. (1997). English for Academic Purposes. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511733062
- Kennedy, C., & Bolitho, R. (1984). English for Specific Purposes. London: Macmillan.
- Larson-Freeman, D. (2000). Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching. China: OUP.
- Mackay, R. (1978). Identifying the Nature of the Learner’s Needs. In R. Mackay, & A. J. Mountford, (Eds.), English for Specific Purposes, Longman (pp. 21-42). London: Longman.
- Nunan, D. (1989). Designing Tasks for Communicative Classroom. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Perren, G. (1974). Forward in Teaching Languages to Adults for Special Purposes. CILT Reports and Papers, London: CILT.
- Robinson, P. (1991). ESP Today: A Practitioner’s Guide. Hemel Hempstead: Prentice Hall.