Should an ESP Course be Specific or General? A Literature Review of the Specificity Debate
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Abstract
Subject content is an important part of ESP courses. However, it is controversial how much subject content should be integrated into course content. This paper reviews the debate over specificity of ESP courses in three ESP development periods since 1960s. It will provide ESP practitioners, course writers and managers a theoretical overview to inform their teaching and researching practices.
Keywords: Specificity, ESP, literature review, course development.
Article Details
References
[1] Starfield, Sue. "Historical Development of Language for Specific Purposes." In Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics edited by Carol A. Chapelle, 1-6: Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 2013.
[2] Hyland, K. "Specificity Revisited: How Far Should We Go Now?" English for Specific Purposes 21, no. 4 (2002): 385-95.
[3] Paltridge, Brian. "Systems of Genres and the Eap Classroom." TESOL Matters 1, no. 12 (2000).
[4] Anthony, Laurence. "Products, Processes and Practitioners: A Critical Look at the Importance of Specificity in Esp." Taiwan International ESP Journal 3, no. 2 (2011): 1-18.
[5] Dovey, T. "What Purposes, Specifically? Rethinking Purposes and Specificity in the Context of the 'New Cocationalism'." English for Specific Purposes 25, no. 4 (2006): 387-402.
[6] Hutchinson, Tom, and Waters, Alan. "Esp at the Crossroads." In English for Specific Purposes. Corvallis: Oregon State University, 1980.
[7] Spack, R. "Initiating Esl Students into the Academic Discourse Community: How Far Should We Go?" TESOL Quarterly 22, no. 1 (1988): 29-51.
[8] Basturkmen, Helen. "Specificity and Esp Course Design." RELC Journal 34, no. April (2003): 48-63.
[9] Clapham, Caroline. "Discipline Specificity and Eap." In Perspectives on English for Academic Purposes, edited by John Flowerdew and Matthew Peacock, 84-100. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001.
[10] Dudley-Evans, T., and M.J. St John. Developments in Esp: A Multi-Disciplinary Approach. 2nd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998.
[11] West, Robert. "Needs Analysis in Language Teaching." Language Teaching 27, no. 1 (1994): 1-19.
[12] Starfield, Sue. "Cummins, Eap, and Academic Literacy." TESOL Quarterly 28, no. 1 (1994): 176-79.
[13] Herbert, A.J. The Structure of Technical English. London, England: Longman, 1965.
[14] Ewer, J. R., and G Latorre. A Course in Basic Scientific English. London, England: Longman, 1969.
[15] Huddlestone, R. The Sentence in Written English. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1971.
[16] Ewer, J. R., and Hughes-Davies. "Further Notes on Developing an English Programme for Students of Science and Technology " English Language Teaching 26, no. 1 (1971): 65-70.
[17] Lackstrom, J.E., L. Selinker, and L. Trimble. "Technical Rhetorical Principles and Grammatical Choice." TESOL Quarterly 7 (1973): 127-36.
[18] Munby, J. Communicative Syllabus Design, 1978. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1978.
[19] van Ek, J.A. Systems Development in Adult Language Learning: The Threshold Level. Strasbourg: The Council of Europe, 1975.
[20] Wilkins, D. Notional Syllabuses. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1976.
[21] Brindley, G. "The Role of Needs Analysis in Adult Esl Program Design." In The Second Language Curriculum. , edited by R.K. Johnson, 63-78. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989.
[22] Flowerdew, Lynne. "Needs Analysis and Curriculum Development in Esp." In Handbook of English for Specific Purposes, edited by B. Paltridge and S. Starfield, 325-46. West Sussex: UK: Wiley -Blackwell, 2013.
[23] Nunan, D., and Clarice Lamb. The Self-Directed Teacher: Managing the Learning Process. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996.
[24] Hutchinson, Tom, and Waters, Alan. English for Specific Purposes: A Learning-Centred Approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1987.
[25] Bloor, M., and T. Bloor. Language for Specific Purposes: Practice and Theory. Dublin: Trinity College, 1986
[26] Blue, G.M. "Individualising Academic Writing Tuition." In Academic Writing: Process and Product. Elt Document 129, edited by P.C. Robinson, 1988.
[27] Paltridge, Brian. "Afterword: Where Are We Now and Where Have We Come From?" In English for Specific Purposes in Theory and Practice, edited by D. Belcher, 289-96. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2009.
[28] Huckin, Thomas. "Specificity in Lsp." IBÉRICA (2003), http://www.aelfe.org/documents/text5-Huckin.pdf.
[29] Robinson, Pauline. Esp Today: A Practitioner's Guide. Edited by Christopher N. Cardin, Language Teaching Methodology. London: Prentice Hall, 1991.
[30] Huhta, Maratta, Karin Vogt, Esko Johnson, and Heikki Tulkki. Needs Analysis for Course Design: A Holistic Approach to Esp. Edited by David R. Hall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2013.
[31] Mahboob, Ahmar, and Namala Tilakaratna. "A Principles-Based Approach for English Language Teaching Policies and Practices." California: USA: TESOL International Association, 2012.
[2] Hyland, K. "Specificity Revisited: How Far Should We Go Now?" English for Specific Purposes 21, no. 4 (2002): 385-95.
[3] Paltridge, Brian. "Systems of Genres and the Eap Classroom." TESOL Matters 1, no. 12 (2000).
[4] Anthony, Laurence. "Products, Processes and Practitioners: A Critical Look at the Importance of Specificity in Esp." Taiwan International ESP Journal 3, no. 2 (2011): 1-18.
[5] Dovey, T. "What Purposes, Specifically? Rethinking Purposes and Specificity in the Context of the 'New Cocationalism'." English for Specific Purposes 25, no. 4 (2006): 387-402.
[6] Hutchinson, Tom, and Waters, Alan. "Esp at the Crossroads." In English for Specific Purposes. Corvallis: Oregon State University, 1980.
[7] Spack, R. "Initiating Esl Students into the Academic Discourse Community: How Far Should We Go?" TESOL Quarterly 22, no. 1 (1988): 29-51.
[8] Basturkmen, Helen. "Specificity and Esp Course Design." RELC Journal 34, no. April (2003): 48-63.
[9] Clapham, Caroline. "Discipline Specificity and Eap." In Perspectives on English for Academic Purposes, edited by John Flowerdew and Matthew Peacock, 84-100. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001.
[10] Dudley-Evans, T., and M.J. St John. Developments in Esp: A Multi-Disciplinary Approach. 2nd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998.
[11] West, Robert. "Needs Analysis in Language Teaching." Language Teaching 27, no. 1 (1994): 1-19.
[12] Starfield, Sue. "Cummins, Eap, and Academic Literacy." TESOL Quarterly 28, no. 1 (1994): 176-79.
[13] Herbert, A.J. The Structure of Technical English. London, England: Longman, 1965.
[14] Ewer, J. R., and G Latorre. A Course in Basic Scientific English. London, England: Longman, 1969.
[15] Huddlestone, R. The Sentence in Written English. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1971.
[16] Ewer, J. R., and Hughes-Davies. "Further Notes on Developing an English Programme for Students of Science and Technology " English Language Teaching 26, no. 1 (1971): 65-70.
[17] Lackstrom, J.E., L. Selinker, and L. Trimble. "Technical Rhetorical Principles and Grammatical Choice." TESOL Quarterly 7 (1973): 127-36.
[18] Munby, J. Communicative Syllabus Design, 1978. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1978.
[19] van Ek, J.A. Systems Development in Adult Language Learning: The Threshold Level. Strasbourg: The Council of Europe, 1975.
[20] Wilkins, D. Notional Syllabuses. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1976.
[21] Brindley, G. "The Role of Needs Analysis in Adult Esl Program Design." In The Second Language Curriculum. , edited by R.K. Johnson, 63-78. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989.
[22] Flowerdew, Lynne. "Needs Analysis and Curriculum Development in Esp." In Handbook of English for Specific Purposes, edited by B. Paltridge and S. Starfield, 325-46. West Sussex: UK: Wiley -Blackwell, 2013.
[23] Nunan, D., and Clarice Lamb. The Self-Directed Teacher: Managing the Learning Process. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996.
[24] Hutchinson, Tom, and Waters, Alan. English for Specific Purposes: A Learning-Centred Approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1987.
[25] Bloor, M., and T. Bloor. Language for Specific Purposes: Practice and Theory. Dublin: Trinity College, 1986
[26] Blue, G.M. "Individualising Academic Writing Tuition." In Academic Writing: Process and Product. Elt Document 129, edited by P.C. Robinson, 1988.
[27] Paltridge, Brian. "Afterword: Where Are We Now and Where Have We Come From?" In English for Specific Purposes in Theory and Practice, edited by D. Belcher, 289-96. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2009.
[28] Huckin, Thomas. "Specificity in Lsp." IBÉRICA (2003), http://www.aelfe.org/documents/text5-Huckin.pdf.
[29] Robinson, Pauline. Esp Today: A Practitioner's Guide. Edited by Christopher N. Cardin, Language Teaching Methodology. London: Prentice Hall, 1991.
[30] Huhta, Maratta, Karin Vogt, Esko Johnson, and Heikki Tulkki. Needs Analysis for Course Design: A Holistic Approach to Esp. Edited by David R. Hall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2013.
[31] Mahboob, Ahmar, and Namala Tilakaratna. "A Principles-Based Approach for English Language Teaching Policies and Practices." California: USA: TESOL International Association, 2012.