3. Focus on the learner
“New development in educational psychology also contributes 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 importance of their learning” Hutchinson and Waters, 1987:8.
All three factors seemed to point towards the need for increased specialization in language learning.
b. The Definition of ESP
Hutchinson and Waters 1987: 21 define that “ESP is an approach to language teaching, which aims to meet the needs of particular learners.” ‘This means
in practice that much of the work done by ESP teachers is concerned with designing appropriate courses for various groups of learners’. ‘To create successful
performance, ESP design should be based on the learners’ need to develop particular English course, which later can determine the kind of syllabus and material
instruction’. Hutchinson and Waters 1987:18 show the definition of ESP as: First, ESP is not a matter of teaching “specialized varieties” of English. The
fact that language is used for specific purpose does not imply that it is not a special form of language. Certainly, there are some features which can be
identified as “typical” of particular context of use and which, therefore, the learners is more likely to meet in the target situation. Second, ESP is not just
a mater of science words and grammar for scientists, but we need to distinguish between the performance and competence and consider them in
the teaching learning process. The last, ESP is not different in content of learning. The foundation of all ESP is the simple question: Why does this
learner need to learn a foreign language? Then, the other questions related to the learners will flow down based on the learner’s reason for learning.
c. The Criteria of ESP
Robinson 1991: 2 suggests: a number of features are often thought as criteria to ESP courses”. First, ESP
is normally goal directed. Students learn English because they need English for study or work purposes. Second, an ESP course is based on a need
analysis, which aims to specify as loosely as possible what exactly it is that students have to do through the medium of English.
8 PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
d. Categorization
According to Hutchinson and Waters 1987: 16-17, ‘the categorization of ESP is according to whether the learner requires English for academic study or for
work and based on the general nature of the learners’ purpose and specific needs or specialization’.
There are two main types of ESP differentiated according to whether the learner requires English for academic study or for work. The first type is English for
Academic Purposes EAP.The examples of EAP are English for Medical Studies, English for Economics, and English for Psychology. The second type is English for
Occupational Purposes EOP. EOP is also known as English for Vocational Purposes EVP, and Vocational English as a Second Language VESL. The
examples of EOP are English for Technician, English for Secretaries, and English for Teaching.
There are three large categories identified based on the general nature of the learners’ purpose and specific needs or specialization. The first is English for Science
and Technology EST. The second is English for Business and Economics EBE, and the last is English for the Social Sciences ESS. This categorization is made
based on the assumption that people can work and study simultaneously, and it is also possible that the language learnt for intermediate use in a study environment will
be used later when the student takes up, or returns to a job. The categorization of ESP according to Hutchinson and Waters 1987:17 can
be seen in the figure 2.1. 9
Figure 2.1: The Branch of English Language Teaching, taken from ESP by Hutchinson and Waters 1987:17
2. Task-Based
Kategori