ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES (ESP) HAS BECOME FASHIONABLE IN FACING CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

Abstract

Abstract

A lot of ideas and opinions regarding ESP have been discussed by a lot of scholars and educators in conferences, seminars, and English Language Teaching (ELT) journals. Most of the topics deal with needs analysis of learners who need English for specific purposes both in academic settings and the work places, for example English for Academic Purposes (EAP), English for Science and Technology (EST), English for Occupational purposes (EOP). For EOP courses, many organizations need to improve their staff to be good at English to achieve the goals of their organizations. Therefore, ESP has become fashionable in facing challenges regarding the Quality of higher education, the work places, and into an era of ASEAN Economic Communities (AEC). This paper addresses the issues such as ESP and language skills, Areas of ESP Research, and ESP and Pedagogy. It also discusses English course design and the right approaches implemented for specific needs of the learners. Suggestions are made how to get opportunities to design ESP course. Thus, it is important that English lecturers, teachers, and instructors study the way ESP courses are designed. Hence, to understand needs analysis of a certain group of learners is an important key in preparing ESP course.

Keywords: ESP, needs analysis, course design.