Abstracto

Functions of ESP: Criteria to Understand What Really makes it an Approach Not a Product

Abdelkader Bensafa

Regarding English and more precisely within higher education districts, a new branch is integrated namely ESP or English for specific purposes. This new discipline is fundamentally based on needs specification and thus, process adaptation, i.e., the English taught in the ESP situation should mainly be based on learners’ needs in terms of skills notably: reading; speaking; listening; and writing. The aim of this paper is to synthesize the rationale behind the contribution of the different function of ESP to make it an approach not a product.