Major Problem Areas and Challenges in ESP

Abstract

By the 1960s, there was a well established movement from simply teaching English as a Second/Foreign Language to teaching English for Specific Purposes (ESP) to meet the communication needs of a new category of people willing to learn English not for prestige or pleasure but rather as a key to success in different academic and occupational settings. Thus, this global language becomes a necessity that is highly required to be used in different domains such law, economics, medicine, etc. As a matter of fact, ESP has developed considerably in the last decades. However, it still suffers from several problems and complexities in different areas, including the areas of research, inadequate English language communicative skills, students’ low English proficiency, the qualifications of teachers, teacher and employees training, inadequate teaching methodology, lack of textbooks, evaluation and so many others. Based on the mentioned problems, it can be said that the current education system still supplies students with an abundance of theoretical knowledge and not enough practical skills so that universities should deliver professional education and training that will satisfy the needs of their students once they join the workplace. In this respect, an ESP teacher or ‘an ESP Practitioner’ is expected to play five key roles: teacher, course designer and materials provider, collaborator, researcher, and evaluator just to prepare a course that is relevant, efficient, and tailor-made to meet the learners’ professional needs of their future professional careers. Achieving the previous roles successfully in the process of teaching English for Specific Purposes poses a real serious challenge for not only new but also experienced language teachers. In fact, the current study addresses one main question: what can an ESP practitioner do to bridge the gap between classroom and the profession? Furthermore, the study focuses on identifying the current major challenges that ESP practitioners face in view of the diversity of disciplines because students need to acquire special skills during their studies which should serve the needs of their future professional careers. All in all, the study will highlight a theoretical framework of some issues with implications for the integration of ESP and professional practice.