Assignment # 1
Topic: Differences between General English and ESP
Subject: English for specific purposes
Submitted to: Ms. Salma Kalim
Submitted by: Aqsa Sabir
Sadaf Afreen
Hifsa Kanwal
Zunaira Zareen
Noor-e-Sahar
(M.A Eng 4th, Section B)
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Date: 11-03-2013
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Introduction
English for specific purposes has been defined by many writers and researchers. Mackay and
Mountford (1978) indicated that the term ESP is generally used to refer to the teaching of
English for a clear utilitarian purpose. But the best definition for ESP is the one which defined by
Hutchinson and Waters (1987), they defined it as an approach to language teaching in which
all decisions as to content and method are based on the learner’s reason for learning, they added
also that the term ESP implies that, it is English which is somehow peculiar to the range of
principles and procedures which define that particular profession."ESP is an approach to
language teaching in which all decisions as to content and method are based on the learner's
reason for learning". (Hutchinson)
EGP refers to contexts such as the school where needs cannot be readily specified. It is more
useful to consider EGP providing a broad foundation rather than a detailed and selective
specification of goals like ESP. (Hutchinson. T & Waters. A)
About the differences of ESP and EGP Hutchinson wrote, "in theory nothing, in practice a great
deal". When their book was written, of course, the last statement was quite true. At the time,
teachers of General English courses, while acknowledging that students had a specific purpose
for studying English, would rarely conduct a needs analysis to find out what was necessary to
actually achieve it. Teachers nowadays, however, are much more aware of the importance of
needs analysis, and certainly materials writers think very carefully about the goals of learners at
all stages of materials production. Perhaps this demonstrates the influence that the ESP approach
has had on English teaching in general. Clearly the line between where General English courses
stop and ESP courses start has become very vague indeed.
Differences between EGP and ESP
In order to clarify their relation Widdowsen (1983) establishes distinctive features) of ESP and
EGP. The most important features are:
EGP’s focus is often on Education while in ESP focus is on training.
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In EGP the learner future needs are impossible to predict so the course content is difficult
to select while in ESP English is intended to be used in specific vocational/ professional
contexts, the selection of the course content and appropriate context is easier.
EGP is taught as a separate subject while ESP is not taught as a separate discipline;
instead it is combined into a subject matter that is important to a learner.
EGP is essential for primary level that leads to advance level instruction.
ESP focuses on register of certain profession while in EGP; they are not concerned with
any professional vocabulary.
There are some other differences between EGP and ESP that are as follows.
Difference in Teaching methodology.
The aim of ESP is to meet the specific needs of learners so it cannot be said that there is
any fixed teaching methodology for teaching ESP that can be applicable in all situations
but each situation, context and needs of learners belonging to a particular domain impose
a certain methodology of teaching.
As far as EGP is concerned all the teachers can have one specific methodology of
teaching. Because teachers have to teach basic vocabulary, grammar and language
structure so the course as a whole is in the knowledge of teachers that’s why all the
teacher who teach EGP can have same kind of methodology.
Difference in learner’s age and goal
Major difference between ESP and EGP is the purpose for learning English. ESP learners
are usually adults; they already have some background knowledge about the syntactic
structure of language. They learn the language in order to communicate professional
information and to perform some particular job-related functions.
On the other hand, in EGP the age of learner varies from children to adults. For them
learning English is a course subject and the purpose is to acquire basic information
(grammatical and structural) about English language.
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Difference in the Syllabuses
ESP syllabuses are according to the profession and learner’s needs and syllabuses are
centered to the context. So the English language is usable in employment context. The
learners are more interested in doing the course and they are highly motivated because
they are acquiring that language for specific purposes of their own choice.
On the other hand EGP syllabuses are descriptive linguistics syllabuses which focus on
grammatical and structural language and which describes language with the help or its
structure. And general vocabulary is also focused.
Skills
In ESP courses, it is needs analysis that determines what language skills are useful for
learner to be able to cope with certain contexts, for example for book editors and
newspaper editors the focus will be on reading skills.
On the other hand, in EGP courses all the four skills are equally treated and as these
courses are general so no priority is given to need analysis.
Drawbacks
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References.
Dudley-Evans, Tony (1998). Developments in English for Specific Purposes: A multi-
disciplinary approach. Cambridge University Press. (Forthcoming)
Hutchinson, Tom & Waters, Alan (1987). English for Specific Purposes: A learner-
centered approach. Cambridge University Press.
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