ReadingAWhatIsESP?Totravelhopefullyisabetterthingthantoarrive,andthetruesuccessistolabour.RobertLouisStevensonReadingAOnceuponatimetherewasacitycalledELT.ThepeopleofELTledacomfortable,ifnotextravagant,life,pursuingthenoblegoalsofliteratureandgrammar.Thereweredifferences,ofcourse:somepeoplepreferredtocallthemselvesEFLpeople,whileothersbelongedtoagroupknownasESL.Butthetwogroupslivedineasytoleranceofeachother,moreunitedthandisunited.1ReadingANowithappenedthatthecitywassurroundedbyhighmountainsandlegendhaditthatthelandbeyondthemountainswasinhabitedbyilliterateandsavagetribescalledScientists,BusinessmenandEngineers.FewpeoplefromELThadeverventuredintothatland.Thenthingsbegantochange.SomeofthepeopleinELTbecamerestless.Theoldcitycouldnotsupportitsgrowingpopulationandeventuallysomebravesoulssetofftoseektheirfortuneinthelandbeyondthemountains.ManyinELTwereshockedattheprospect.ItwassurelynoplaceforpeoplebroughtupinthegentlelandscapeofEnglishliteratureandlanguage.2ReadingABut,asitturnedout,theadventurersfoundarichandfertileland.Theywerewelcomedbythelocalinhabitantsandtheyfoundedanewcity,whichtheycalledESP.Thecityflourishedandprosperedasmoreandmoresettlerscame.Soontherewerewholenewsettlementsinthispreviouslyunchartedland.ESTandEBEwerequicklyfollowedbyEAPandEOP(thelatterconfusinglyalsoknownasEVPandVESL).OthersmallergroupstookonthenamesofthelocaltribestofoundahostofnewtownscalledEnglishforHotelStaff,EnglishforMarineEngineers,EnglishforMedicalScienceandsoon.Afutureoflimitlessexpansionandprosperitylookedassured.3ReadingAButaswithallthingstherealityprovedlessrosy.Anumberofpeopleatthefrontierswereforcedtoabandontheirsettlementsandreturntothelargercities.Manysettlers,whohadcometothenewlydevelopedlandbecauseELTcouldnolongerprovidethemwithaliving,longedforthecomfortsandcertaintiesoftheoldcity.Otherswereconfusedastowheretheirloyaltieslay:weretheystillcitizensofELT?WasEAPanindependentcityorasuburbofESP?DidthepeopleofEnglishforMedicalScienceoweallegiancetoEAP,EOPorESP?Worstofall,therewereevenexamplesofgroupsfromELTbeingtransportedagainsttheirwilltothenewterritories.4ReadingAAddedtoallthis,theScientists,Businessmenandothertribeswerebecomingmoredemanding.Somebegantoresenttheinterferenceofthesettlersintheirarea;otherscomplainedthatthepromisedbenefitshadnotmaterialised.Thefutureinshortbegantolook,ifnotgloomy,thenalittleconfusedanduncertainforthebravenewworldofESP.ReadingAWhichbringsustothisarticle.Itwill,wehope,serveasaguidetoallpresentandfutureinhabitantsofESP,revealingboththechallengesandpleasurestobeenjoyedthereandthepitfallstobeavoided.Butfirstletustakeamomenttoexplain:“WhatisESP?”Toanswerthisquestionfully,weneedfirstofalltoestablishacontextwhichwillhelpustoseehowESPatthepresenttimerelatestotherestofELT.WhatexactlyisthestatusofthecitizensofESPanditssatellitesettlementsinrelationtothegeneralworldofELT?56ReadingAInthetime-honouredmanneroflinguistics,weshallrepresenttherelationshipintheformofatree:7ReadingATheanalogyofatreecanhelpustogetabitclosertoadefinitionofESPnotsomuchbyshowingwhatESPis,butratherbyshowingwhatESPisn’t.a)ESPisnotamatterofteaching“specializedvarieties”ofEnglish.Thefactthatlanguageisusedforaspecificpurposedoesnotimplythatitisaspecialformofthelanguage,differentinkindfromotherforms.Certainly,therearesomefeatureswhichcanbeidentifiedas“typical”ofaparticularcontextofuseandwhich,therefore,thelearnerismorelikelytomeetinthetargetsituation.ButthesedifferencesshouldnotbeallowedtoobscurethefarlargerareaofcommongroundthatunderliesallEnglishuse,andindeed,alllanguageuse.8ReadingAb)ESPisnotjustamatterofSciencewordsandgrammarforScientists,HotelwordsandgrammarforHotelstaffandsoon.Whenwelookatatree,weseetheleavesandbranches,butthereismuchmoretothetreethanjustthese—muchofithiddenfromviewinsideandbeneaththetree.Theleavesdonotjusthangintheair:theyaresupportedbyacomplexunderlyingstructure.Inthesamewaythereismuchmoretocommunicationthanjustthesurfacefeaturesthatwereadandhear.Weneedtodistinguish,asChomskydidwithregardtogrammar,betweenperformanceandcompetence,thatisbetweenwhatpeopleactuallydowiththelanguageandtherangeofknowledgeandabilitieswhichenablesthemtodoit.ReadingAc)ESPisnotdifferentinkindfromanyotherformoflanguageteaching,inthatitshouldbebasedinthefirstinstanceonprinciplesofeffectiveandefficientlearning.ThoughthecontentoflearningmayvarythereisnoreasontosupposethattheprocessesoflearningshouldbeanydifferentfortheESPlearnerthanfortheGeneralEnglishlearner.Thereis,inotherwords,nosuchathingasanESPmethodology,merelymethodologiesthathavebeenappliedinESPclassrooms,butcouldjustaswellhavebeenusedinthelearningofanykindofEnglish.ReadingASowhatisESP?Havingstressedthecommonalityoflanguageandlearning,howdoesESPdifferfromotherformsofELT?Toanswerthis,ESPmustbeseenasanapproachnotasaproduct.ESPisnotaparticularkindoflanguageormethodology,nordoesitconsistofaparticulartypeofteachingmaterial.Understoodproperly,itisanapproachtolanguagelearning,whichisbasedonlearnerneed.ThefoundationofallESPisthesimplequestion:Whydoesthislearnerneedtolearnaforeignlanguage?Fromthisquestionwillflowawholehostoffurtherquestions,someofwhichwillrelatetothelearnersthemselves,sometothenatureofthelanguagethelearnerswillneedtooperate,sometothegivenlearningcontext.9ReadingAButthiswholeanalysisderivesfromaninitialidentifiedneedonthepartofthelearnertolearnalanguage.ESP,then,isanapproachtolanguageteachinginwhichalldecisionsastocontentandmethodarebasedonthelearner’sreasonforlearning.ReadingBASelf-assessmentasanEnglishMajorinHowardUniversityApplyingtoHowardUniversity,Ioperatedunderthesuppositionthatthecurriculumwouldconsistoftheexaminationofclassicliterature,admittedlythatofEuropeanorigin,andtheninterpretingthesepiecesfromablackperspective.IassumedthatasanincomingEnglishmajor,Iwouldbechallengedintheartofinterpretationandliterarydismemberment.IenteredtheHowardEnglishDepartmentrehearsingthelinesfromthemissionstatement,andprayingtoGodthatIwouldfitin.IwilladmitthatuponarrivalIinitiallyfeltatoddswiththewaysoftheuniversity.Callingthisschoolacultureshockwouldbeanunderstatement.1ReadingBWhatIdiscovereduponarrivaltoHoward,istheemphasisondevelopingacomplexunderstandingofself,andanunrivaledappreciationforblackliterature.ThecriteriaforEnglishmajorsaremuchmorevariedandcomplexthanIhadoriginallyexpected.WhatseparatesHowardfromitscompetitionistheschool’sunwaveringdedicationtothepromotionandanalysisofthenegrorace,oneverylevelandineveryclassroom.ReadingBInmyshorttimehere,IhavedevelopedmorethanIcouldhaveeverimagined.Beingrecognizedinhighschoolformyoratoryandexpositoryabilities,Ienteredtherealmofhighereducationextremelyconfidentinmywritingabilities.Onthecollegiatelevel,however,Ihavebeenswiftly,andrightlyhumbled.Theprocessofstrippingthewriterofherloftinessisatacticthat,whileIamnotentirelysureispurposeful,iscertainlyoneofeffectivity.Itismyopinionthattheaveragefreshmanentersthecollegecircuitwithanauseatingairofarrogance.PerhapsthisispartofwhatDuBoisreferstoas,“youthfulswagger.”Whileentirelynaturalinitsexistence,Irecognizethepositiveimplicationsthatcomewithdeflatingthepompousheadofanincomingstudent,asitallowsforgreateraptitudetolearn.2ReadingBWhileIwasnotentirelypreparedfortheemotionaltrappingsofcollege,Iwasrelativelyprimedforthestressesoftimemanagement.Iwasawarethatincollegethecurriculumwouldberigorousandtherewouldbenoonetaskedwithholdingmeaccountable.Consequently,Ienteredintomyfreshmanyearwithafierycommitmenttokeepingupwithallofmyclassworkassignments.Irecognizedearlyonthatitisveryeasytosuccumbtolaziness,soIhaveaspiredtoneverallowmyselftofallintothatslump.MystrategyistohaveastricthomeworkschedulethatIseldomstrayfrom.Theaforementionedapproachdoesnotcomewithoutdifficulties.Infact,Ihavefoundthatoneofmygreatestchallengesarecourseassignedreadings,whichareoftentimesbothlengthyanddense.3ReadingBInitially,Iwasturnedoffbythelevelofdifficultyofthereadings;inorderformetosucceedashiftinparadigmwasrequired.Ratherthanregardingthereadingsasaburden,theybecomeawelcomeandnecessarychallenge.Tobefacedwithsomethingseeminglyfutile,andthenlaterovercomingitisanintenselygratifyingfeeling.IbelievethatthisistheessenceofwhatitmeanstobeanEnglishmajor.Thisisafieldofstudythatcomeswithendlessdisappointmentandunfathomablemomentsofrecompense.Moreover,thereisnoendtoliterarytoil.Nomatterhowadvancedyouare,thereisstillanotherleveltoadvanceto.TheeternalnessofstudyandadvancementispartofwhatmakesEnglishsuchaworthydiscipline,andisthecoreofitsappealtomyself.ReadingBFromanallencompassingperspective,Iwouldsaythatperhapsmygreateststruggleisfindingtheconfidencetoparticipateinclassdiscussions.Inthisdiscipline,eloquenceiseverything.IfeelasthoughpartofmydevelopmentasanEnglishmajorhasbeenfindingthecouragetospeakmymind,forcingmyselftoignoremyownscreaminginsecurities.ThestudyofEnglishandcompositionhelpsyoutoorganizeyourthoughts,tofilethemawaysystematically,thendispensethemattheappropriatetimes.Ourclassdiscussionsforceustobeboldandmentallythorough,todosoistobecomepainstakinglyintouchwiththesubtleworkingsofyourmind.4ReadingBThemostheartbreakingpartofbeinganEnglishmajor,isthejudgementthatcomesalongwithit.Unlikeotherdisciplineswhereyouaregradedbasedonyourcomprehensionofthecurriculum,anEnglishmajorisjudgedbaseduponthesagacityoftheirideas.Thegradingprocesssuddenlybecomesespeciallypersonalandintimate.Theprofessoristakingaglimpseintotheinnerworkingsofyourmindandmakingajudgementcall.Thecommentsonpapersandassignmentsarethetangibleresultofthisinspection.Whenthefeedbackisgood,itservesasasortofvalidationinthemindsofastudent,butwhenthefeedbackisnegativeitcanbedevastating.5ReadingBIthinkitisfairtosaythatEnglishmajors,alongsidevisualartists,aresomeofthemostsensitiveandagitableindividualsintherealmofhighereducation.Beinggradedonsuchapersonallevelishardtostomach,butthisisperhapswhatmakesussounique.ReadingBLearninghowtoproperlyrespondtocriticismissomethingthattheEnglishmajormustlearnearlyintheircareer.Indee