Theories of Esp

THEORIES OF ESP

With respect to a definition of ESP practice as learning/teaching English in specific contexts of language use:

 ESP as superordinate variety of English (‘Super-variety theory’) – Bloor, M. and T. Bloor (1986)

 ESP as function of specificity of purpose (‘Continuum theory’) – Bhatia, V. K. (1986); See also Dudley-Evans, T. and M. J. St John (1998, p. 9)

 ESP as discourse (‘Discourse-oriented theory’) – Thomas, S. (1991, 1994); Martin, J. R. (1992)

Bhatia, V. K. 1986. Specialist-discipline and the ESP curriculum. In M. L. Tickoo (Ed.). Language Across the Curriculum. Singapore: SEAMEO RELC, pp. 47-63. Bloor, M. & T. Bloor. 1986. Languages for Specific Purposes: Practice and Theory. CLCS Occasional Paper No. 19. Dublin: Trinity College. Dudley-Evans, T. and M. J. St John. (1998). Developments in English for Specific Purposes, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Martin, J. R. 1992. English Text: System and Structure. Amsterdam: John Benjamins B. V. Thomas, S. 1991. A merging of voices: an investigation of the way discourse is reported in medical research articles. Unpublished PhD thesis. Birmingham: University of Birmingham. Thomas, S. 1994. A discourse-oriented approach to ESP. RELC Journal, 25(2): 94-122.

THEORY 1: ESP AS SUPERORDINATE VARIETY OF ENGLISH THEORY 2: ESP AS FUNCTION OF SPECIFICITY OF PURPOSE

∞ ∞ EGP ESP (ENGLISH FOR (ENGLISH FOR GENERAL PURPOSES) SPECIFIC PURPOSES)

∞ = Infinity

THEORY 3: ESP AS DISCOURSE (‘DISCOURSE-ORIENTED THEORY’)

2 LANGUAGE IN ITS SOCIAL CONTEXT