1 ESP is not a matter of teaching ‘specialized varieties’ of English.
2 ESP is not just a matter of Science words and grammar for Scientists,
Hotel words and grammar for Hotel staff and so on. 3
ESP is not different from any other form of language teaching, in that it should be based in the first instance on principles of effective and
efficient learning. Hutchinson and Waters, 1987: 18-19
They state that ESP has to be seen as an “approach” to language leaning based on learners’ needs rather than as a “product”. It
is “an approach to language teaching ….. based on the learner’s reason for learning” 1987: 19.
b. The Categorization of ESP
Hutchinson and Waters categorize ESP based on learners’ need and on “learners’ specialism” 1987: 16.
1. ESP Based on Learners’ Needs There are two types of ESP, which are English for
Academic Purposes EAP and English for Occupational Purposes EOP. In this study, the personnel of Kaban Group Shops are
learners who need English to support their job. Thus, they are categorized as people who learn English for occupational purposes.
Figure 1: The Classification of ESP Based on the Learners’ Specific Needs Hutchinson and Water, 1987: 17
ESP
EAP EOP
English for the Owners and the Employees of Kaban Group Shop
2. ESP Based on Learners’ Specialism There are three categories of ESP based on learners’
specislism, they are English for Science and Technology EST, English for Business and Economics EBE, and English for the
Social and Science ESS Hutchinson and Waters, 1987: 16. In this study, the personnel of Kaban Group Shop mostly involve in
trading activities. Therefore, based on their specialism, they are categorized into EBE.
c. The Characteristics of ESP Program
Robinson describes the characteristics of ESP 1991: 2-5 as follows:
1 ESP is goal directed ESP is goal directed because students follow ESP program
to achieve particular goals that related to their need for study or work purposes.
2 An ESP course is based on a needs analysis Needs analysis is conducted before starting ESP course to
elicit what students have to do with the medium of English. Needs analysis will reveal students’ necessities, wants, and lacks that are
used to consider the designing of the ESP program. 3 An ESP course has a clear specified time period
Time period needs the specified objectives and the realization are related to it.
4 ESP students are likely to be adults rather than children It is assumed that ESP students are not beginners but people
who have already learned EGP English for General Purposes before.
5 An ESP course consists of identical students All the students in a class come from the same kind of
work or specialist studies.
One characteristic of ESP program is the existence of needs analysis
to get
information about
the would-be-students.
Hutchinson and Waters state the urgency of conducting needs analysis by considering “necessities, lacks, and wants” 1987: 55-
58. a Necessities
It is what the learners need in order to ease their purpose. It can be the reasons why they need to learn the target language.
b Lacks It is the gap between the target proficiency and the existing
proficiency of the learners. c Wants
It is what the learners want to learn.
The table of Necessities, lacks and wants below illustrates the relation between necessities, lacks and lacks.
