Is ESP (English for Specific Purposes) a Monolithic Universal Phenomenon ?

ESP (English for Specific Purposes), differentiated with EGP (English for General Purposes), is not a monolithic universal phenomenon. Yet it has been impacted by a variety of factors, one of which is the linguistic needs of the learners. The paramount focus of ESP course teachers and syllabus designers is on the individual needs of the learners, which is a distinguishing feature of ESP courses. Unlike many EGP courses, which are designed based on the general needs of learners and the certain policies of educational authorities, ESP courses are more tangible concerning the particular needs of individual learners. ESP has emerged from a variety of sources, some of the most important of which are linguistic and paralinguistic phenomena. In this paper, register analysis, rhetorical discourse analysis, genre analysis, paramount skills and strategies as major developmental ESP trends are discussed, and the merits and demerits of which are also elaborated. In addition, at the meta-analysis section, the most appropriate ESP programs are suggested with regards to the learners' linguistic and learning needs.

کلیدواژه ها:

Register analysis ، genre analysis ، rhetorical discourse analysis ، skills and strategies ، learners’ needs