Teaching English for Specific Purposes: An Introduction

ESP English for Specific Purposes) involves teaching and learning the specific skills and language needed by particular learners fur a particular purpose. The P in ESP is always a professional purpose — a set of skills that learners currently need in their work or will need in their professional careers. This broad definition can be taken to include business skills, such as English for Job-hunting or Presentations, but many ESP teachers sec their field as distinct from mainstream Business English. Preparation for an exam (such as the Cambridge PET or First Certificate) is not usually considered to be ESP (even though there is a particular reason for studying). ESP exams do exist, of course, but they tend to focus on the learners' ability to function effectively at work, rather than purely their level of English.
ESP contrasts with General English, which is aimed at a very wide range of learners. It also contrasts with Business English, although there is considerable overlap between the two branches. A lawyer and a marketing executive might both benefit from attending the same Business English course, focusing on the generic skills they both need at work (such as writing an email or participating in a meeting), but they might get more from attending an ESP course in legal or marketing English respectively as this will focus more precisely on their needs.