Der sichere Umgang mit fremden Sprachen und Kulturen stellt heute ...

ibw-Forschungsbericht 143 | Fremdsprachen für die Wirtschaft HEIDEMARIE HAIDER
2. Literature Review
In this section, only the most relevant ESP literature closely related to the reality at part-time
vocational schools will be discussed.
2.1 General Definition of ESP
What is ESP? Robinson (1991) provides a useful definition of ESP in terms of two criteria cited
in McDonough (1998: 157):
(i) ESP is goal-directed, a means to an end and not an end in itself. Learners, then, study
English instrumentally, because it will help them to get a better job or increase their
mobility or achieve a higher degree, and not for its own sake.
(ii) ESP courses are derived from an analysis of learners’ needs.
2.2. Principles and Factors Applying to Both ESP
and General English
There are a number of factors that play a vital role in both EGP (English for General Purposes)
and ESP.
METHODOLOGY
ESP and General English teaching have the same roots and thus share the same methodology,
many writers contend.
There is nothing specific about ESP methodology. The principles which underlie good ESP
methodology are the same as those that underlie sound ELT methodology in general.
(Hutchinson and Waters 1987: 142)
MOTIVATION
The questions that teachers and materials writers are concerned with are ‘What can a teacher
do to motivate her/his students?’ and ‘How should the materials look? What motivates learners?’
Motivation, as mentioned by Hutchinson and Waters (1987: 48), is a complex and individual
matter. It has become clear that relevance to target needs is not enough in ESP courses.
They further state that ‘[t]he medicine of relevance may still need to be sweetened with the sugar
of enjoyment, fun, creativity and a sense of achievement.’
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Being able to communicate effectively in the target language is the ultimate aim of learning languages.
As Mountford (1988: 78) states, one ‘facet in the development of ESP is the claim by
practitioners that ESP is the best example of communicative language teaching.’
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