Research in English for Specific Purposes

Abstract

The domain of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) has had a strong research tradition since its inception in the 1960s. This chapter delineates the current research concerns of ESP in order to gain a sense of the direction inwhich the field ismoving, with a special focus on the years 2000-2002. The information is gleaned primarily from the pages of the flagship journal of the field, English for Specific Purposes, which editors of the journal have often used as an indicator ofmajor trends in the field (e.g., Dudley-Evans, 2001; Hewings, 2002; Master, 2001). The chapter surveys data-based studies as well as descriptions of ESP programs and environments, such as shadowing a business manager. It then examines current issues that concern the field and concludes with an investigation of the most significant research question that can be asked about ESP: Does it work?

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