PAPER

THE ORIGIN OF ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES

A Paper on Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for

the assignment of the coures English for Specific Purposes
Submitted to: Dina Novrieta M.Pd.

By:
Fedrata Erdinansyah 1713011
Tri Utami Miyagi 1713035

TARBIYAH DEPARTMENT
ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM
STATE INSTITUTE OF ISLAMIC STUDIES
SYAIKH ABDURRAHMAN SIDDIK
BANGKA BELITUNG
2019
 PREFACE

Praise and thank you, we pray to the presence of Allah SWT, because we have
bestowed mercy and love on all of us so this paper can be carried out well and in
time.

This paper is structured so that readers can know about The Origin of English
for Specific Purposes. This paper was compiled with help from various parties.
Both parties come from outside as well as from parties concerned itself. We also
thanked to our lecturers, Mrs. Diana Novita as the lecture in the course of English
for Specific Purposes, who have been willing to give the opportunity and guide us
in compiling this paper.

Hopefully the paper that we have compiled will also enrich the insights of
education science and can add to the knowledge and experience of the readers.
Perfection requires a lot of knowledge and experience, we realize that this report
still has shortcomings, therefore we really expect criticism and suggestions that can
help so that in the future papers with similar themes can be made better.

Authors

13th October 2019

i
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

PREFACE ............................................................................................................ i

TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................................................................... ii

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ...................................................................... 1

A. Background ............................................................................................... 1
B. Problem formulation ................................................................................. 1

CHAPTER II: DISCUSSION ............................................................................ 2

A. The Demands of a Brave New World ....................................................... 2

B. A Revolution in Linguistics ...................................................................... 3
C. Focus on the Learner ................................................................................. 4
D. The History of ESP ................................................................................... 5

CHAPTER III: CLOSING ................................................................................. 9

A. Conclution ................................................................................................. 9
B. Suggest ...................................................................................................... 9

REFERENCES .................................................................................................... 10

ii
 CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

A. Background

English for Specific Purposes (ESP) is an approach to language teaching

that targets the current and/or future academic or occupational needs of learners,

focuses on the language, skills, discourses, and genres required to address these

needs, and assists learners in meeting these needs through general and/or

discipline-specific teaching and learning methodologies. (Anthony 2015:2).

From the early 1960's, English for Specific Purposes (ESP) has grown to

become one of the most prominent areas of EFL teaching today. The main goal

of this work is to explain the term of ESP - ´English for specific purposes´ such

as a part of ´English language teaching´ and to introduce the difference between

English for specific purposes (ESP) and General English (GE). In addition,

expose students to the features which are usually thought as being criteria to ESP

courses, and to acronyms which related to this course.

Certainly, a great deal about the history and origins of ESP could be

written. Notably, there are three reasons common to the emergence of all ESP:

the demands of a brave new world, a revolution in linguistics, and focus on the

learner (Hutchinson & Waters, 1987).

B. Problem Formulation

1. How did the origin of English for Specific Purposes emerge?

2. How is the history of English for Specific Purposes?

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 CHAPTER II

DISCUSSION

A. The Demands of a Brave New World

The end of the Second World War in 1945 heralded an age of enormous

and unprecedented expansion in scientific, technical and economic activity on

an international scale. This expansion created a world unified and dominated by

two forces (technology and commerce) which in their relentless progress soon

generated a demand for an international language. For various reasons, most

notably the economic power of the United States in the post-war world, this role

fell to English.1

English was the key to the international currencies of technology and

commerce and it became the accepted international language of technology and

commerce. Then it created a new generation of learners who knew specifically

why they were learning a language. For the example the doctors who needed to

keep up with developments in their field.2

The development was accelerated by the Oil Crises of the early 1970s,

which resulted in a massive flow of funds and Western expertise into the oil-rich

countries. Time and money constraints created a need for cost-effective courses

with clearly defined goals. English now became subject to the wishes, needs and

demands of people other than language teachers.3

1
Tom Hutchinson and Alan Waters, English for specific purposes: a learning-centred approach,
(Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1987), p.6
2
Jeanne Domasing, "The Origins of ESP", https://www.academia.edu/19559909/The_Origins_
of_ESP, (accessed on October 12, 2019)
3
Tom Hutchinson and Alan Waters, op.cit, p.7

2
B. A Revolution in Linguistics

At the same time as the use of English which was growing up for specific

needs, it also influenced the study of language itself. Traditionally the aim of

linguistics had been to describe the rules of English usage shifted usage, that is,

the grammar. However the new studies shifted attention away from defining the

formal features of language usage to discovering the ways in which language

actually used in real communication (Widdowson, 1978).

In English language teaching this gave rise to the view that there are

important differences between, say, the English of commerce and that of

engineering. These ideas married up naturally with the development of English

courses for specific groups of learners. The idea was simple: if language varies

from one situation, of use to another, it should be possible to determine the

features of specific situations and then make these features the basis of the

learners’ course.4

It can be explained that in the real life there are some differences of the

usage of language in some parts of life e.g engineering, hospital, and more. Then

it developed that if the use of language varies from one situation to another, it

should be possible to decide the features of specific situations and make these

features as basis for learning the language. Since then, especially in the late 60’s

and 70’s, the research were developed into the varieties of language. In

conclusion, by analyzing linguistic characteristics of the specialist area of

4
Tom Hutchinson and Alan Waters, op.cit, p.7

3
 language study, particular group of learners could be identified.5 “Tell me what

you need English for and I will tell you the English that you need,” became the

guiding principle of ESP at that time (Hutchinson and Waters 1987). 6

C. Focus on the Learner

The new developments in educational psychology contribute to the rise of

ESP, by emphasizing the central importance of the learners and their attitudes to

learning. Learners were seen to have different needs and interest, which would

have an important influence on their motivation to learn and therefore on the

effectiveness of their learning. This lent support to the development of courses

in which relevance to the learners need and interest was paramount. The

assumption underlying this approach was that the clear relevance of the English

course to their needs would improve the learners’ motivation and thereby make

learning better and faster.7

The growth of ESP was brought about by a combination of three

importance factors. The expansion of demands for English to suit particular

needs and developments in the fields of linguistics and educational psychology.

All three factors seemed to point towards the need for increased specialization

in language learning.8

5
https://espeed2016.blogspot.com/2016/06/chapter-1-origins-of-esp.html, (accessed on October
12, 2019)
6
Yasemin Kırkgöz and Kenan Dikilitaş, Key Issues in English for Specific Purposes in Higher
Education, (Switzerland: Springer, 2018), p.2
7
http://makalahlaporanterbaru1.blogspot.com/2009/04/makalah-esp-oleh-mahasiswa-
universitas_9444.html, (accessed on October 12, 2019)
8
Tom Hutchinson and Alan Waters, op.cit, p.8

4
D. The History of ESP

From the early 1960's, English for Specific Purposes (ESP) has grown to

become one of the most prominent areas of EFL teaching today. English as a

communicative language in so many areas have new development base on every

periode.9 The development of english because of so many factors and the users

always try to find what is factors of those changing to be an increasing of english

use. Users in this part who attand the problem in every changing and

development of English, they use an approach with call as English for specific

purpose. This kind of approach was born in the 1960s as a technical-analysis

area. Study about language use over language form strengthened at the end of

the decade and materials development is the popular trend. The years 1970s and

1980s when central concepts such as genre, rethorical moves and expert

consultant were introduced by the study of language skill and about the booming

research in english.10

The definition about ESP change in every part of development, with

approach by the the concept of display and discipline by others and so many

characteristics of variables. So, ESP has and always related with learners because

of their analysis need of English study, such as a vocational language or specific

9
Laurence Anthony, "English for Specific Purposes: What does it mean? Why is it different?",
https://www.academia.edu/34422447/English_for_Specific_Purposes_What_does_it_mean_Why_
is_it_different, (accessed on October 12, 2019)
10
Brian Paltridge and Sue Starfield, The Handbook of English for Specific Purposes, (New York:
John Wiley & Sons, 2013), p.78

5
 pofesional it‘s should be relevance and has avalidity. Because of ESP teaches

“the language for getting done” (Harding, 2007).11

Trace of the early origin ESP is happen when the end of second world war,

because of the English acepted as an internaional language. Non-native speaker

saw it as the new lingua franca because people in the world were connecting

with English easily in science technology, and business. The time that have been

changed and there were so many development in technology, economic power

of oil rich countries, and the spirit of students in English-speaking countries

englis for specific purpose were difine this situation.12 ESP has a function in

those situation to makes specific the need of English material base on the learners

or people need to getting done their matters. Study English not only to make

clearly about english knowledge and communication but also as a neutral

language to be used in international communication (Johns and Duedley Evans,

1991).

Firstly ESP were thinked by people from the register analysis and technical

writing. So the movement gave special importance to semi- or subtechnical

vocabulary. This case study discribe that ESP help to difine the learners need in

technical field.13

Every years ESP are getting increase base on Hewings (2002), co-editor

journal English for specific purpose, analyzed that isues of about the cenclusions

11
Maria Ulfa, "ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES AN INTRODUCTION",
https://www.academia.edu/36878483/ENGLISH_FOR_SPECIFIC_PURPOSES, accessed on
October 12, 2019.
12
Yasemin Kırkgöz and Kenan Dikilitaş, op.cit, p.2
13
Carolina González Ramírez, "English for Specific Purposes: Brief History and Definitions",
Revista de Lenguas Modernas, No.23, 2015, p.380

6
in his article “a History of ESP through English for specific purposes”. First, the

increased number of studies conducted outside the U.S. and U.K., such as central

and south America, China and Hongkong, demonstrates the growing acceptance

of ESP as an academic discipline. In the second that ESP include EAP and EOP.

Third that EOP oriented and apparently, they have obviated more general

program descriptions. According to Hewings, the current trend that the article is

text of discourse analysis. This cenclude that the growing of ESP course material

need to understand the target situations. ESP makes specific the every contex

study base on learners need, so teach ESP has meaning that they study in the

deeper context of knowledge of the context and texts that occur within it. In the

decades of the 1990s and 2000s have seen a rapid increase in research and have

continued the expansion on major ESP topics.14

According to johns (2013), the emergence of international journal as well

as the marked rise in the amount of internasional submissions and the

publications have consolidated the importance and relevance of ESP today. The

new emphases given to already established concepts, such as international

rhetorics and learner genre awareness, as well as the more profound and

continuous research on corpus studies, it‘s demonstrate in ESP area of the

evolution of research on corpus studies. ESP has existed as separate branch of

language teaching for around 40 years. In the begining of ESP focused upon the

specific lexicon of technical and scientific text, and changed its emphasis

towards the rhetorical uses of language in precise discourses. And after that the

14
Carolina González Ramírez, op.cit, p.382-283

7
 study about the four skill and language that students need to achieve in their

performance. Today the development of ESP is about focus on teach or study

about procedure and materials development in teaching its principles and theory

have been more clearly outlined and shaped by the passing of time.15

15
Abdel-Rahman Abu-Melhim, "Exploring the Historical Development of ESP and its Relation
to English Language Teaching Today", European Journal of Social Sciences Vol. 40 No. 4, 2013,
p.623

8
 CHAPTER III

CLOSING

A. Conclusion

ESP in brief is the use of a particular variety of English in a specific context

of use and justified by learners’ needs. From the early 1960's, English for

Specific Purposes (ESP) has grown to become one of the most prominent areas

of EFL teaching today. ESP was not a planned and coherent movement, but

rather a phenomenon that grew out of a number of converging trends. Certainly,

a great deal about the origins of ESP could be written. Notably, We can identify

three main reasons common to the emergence of all ESP: the demands of a Brave

New World, a revolution in linguistics, and focus on the learner.

B. Suggest

So far we have realized that our paper still has many deficiencies.

Therefore, constructive criticism and suggestions are needed to improve our

paper.

9
 REFERENCES

Abu-Melhim, Abdel-Rahman. (2013). Exploring the Historical Development of

ESP and its Relation to English Language Teaching Today. European Journal
of Social Sciences. 40 (4). 615-627.

Anonymous. (2009, April). Makalah ESP oleh mahasiswa Universitas

Muhammadiyah Gresik.Retrived from http://makalahlaporanterbaru1.blogspot
.com/2009/04/makalah-esp-oleh-mahasiswa-universitas_9444.html.

Anonymous. (2016, June). Chapter 1 The Origin of ESP. Retrived from

https://espeed2016.blogspot.com/2016/06/chapter-1-origins-of-esp.html

Anthony, Laurence. English for Specific Purposes: What does it mean? Why is it
different?. Retrived from https://www.academia.edu/34422447/English_for_
Specific_Purposes_What_does_it_mean_Why_is_it_different.

Domasing, Jeanne. The Origins of ESP. Retrived from:

https://www.academia.edu/19559909/The_Origins_of_ESP.

Hutchinson, Tom and Alan Waters. (1987). English for specific purposes: a
learning-centred approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Kırkgöz, Yasemin and Kenan Dikilitaş. (2018). Key Issues in English for Specific
Purposes in Higher Education. Switzerland: Springer.

Paltridge, Brian and Sue Starfield. (2013). The Handbook of English for Specific
Purposes. New York: John Wiley & Sons.

Ramírez, Carolina González. (2015). English for Specific Purposes: Brief History
and Definitions. Revista de Lenguas Modernas. (23). 380-386. doi:
10.15517/rlm.v0i23.22359.

Ulfa, Maria. ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES AN INTRODUCTION.

Retrived from https://www.academia.edu/36878483/ENGLISH_FOR_SPECI
FIC_PURPOSES.

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