The Differences between Syllabuses for English for Special Purposes and Syllabuses for General Purposes

Abstract

This paper is divided into two sections. First of all and in the first section, we will try to point out to what the term English for Specific Purposes (ESP) is used to refer, and then look very briefly at the situation and requirements that led to its emergence. The rest and the main body of the section is devoted to a discussion of how a syllabus catering for the needs of specific group with specific purposes for learning English might differ from English for General Purposes (EGP). Then an attempt is made to point out how such differences could affect teaching materials and techniques by reference to specific group of learners I have in mind and whose needs, purposes for learning English, and other relevant factors are outlined. In the second section, we try to look at some of the arguments raised against teaching ESP rather than EGP. In the meantime, we point out whether these arguments do or do not invalidate the use of ESP in the situation given in this paper. Then, we conclude by assessing the need for a ‘specialized’ material and a ‘specialized’ approach to language teaching for specific learners with specific purposes for learning English. At the end, there is a conclusion in which we sum up what has been discussed throughout this paper.