English for Specific Purposes (ESP) has grown to become one of the most prominent areas of EFL teaching today. This is partly due to the fact that so many courses and programs are labelled as ESP. Unlike many other genres which have clearly defined parameters, ESP is a somewhat vague discipline. Many educators define ESP differently and rarely agree on what purpose ESP actually serves. Dudley-Evans (1997) defined ESP as having both absolute and variable characteristics:

Absolute Characteristics -

- ESP is defined to meet specific needs of the learners.
- ESP makes use of underlying methodology and activities of the discipline it serves.
- ESP is centered on the language.

Variable Characteristics -

- ESP may be related to or designed for specific disciplines.
- ESP may use, in specific situations, a different methodology from that of General English.
- ESP is likely to be designed for adult learners.
- ESP is generally designed for intermediate or advanced students.
- Most ESP courses assume some basic knowledge of the language systems.

The links below illustrate just what a vast area of language can be assigned to the ESP genre.




Academic English for Engineers - from a UAE based Engineering College.
Business and Management English - good advice and many activities.
Computing Dictionary - online resource for those interested in computing terminology.
Earth and Nature Focus - lots of video, listening and reading exercises.
Economic Webcasts - many actvities from the World Economic Forum.
English for Airline Staff - a comprehensive list airline vocabulary.

English for Hotel Staff - a range of activities for hotel and customer focused positions.

English for Law - suggestions for resource and learning books.
English for Military Purposes in the age of Information Technology.
English for Science - online activities and lessons.
English for The Police - some interesting crime and punishment vocab/activities.
English for Tour Guides - practical lessons and specific vocabulary.
Extensive Medical English - comprehensive guide to the world of medicine in English.
Family Focus - lots of video, listening and reading exercises for students.
Financial Focus - lots of video, listening and reading exercises for students.

Food and Drink English - a variety of exercises for people in the service industry.

Health and Saftey Focus - lots of video, listening and reading exercises.
Law and Government Focus - lots of video, listening and reading exercises.
Medical Profession English - for Doctors, Nurses and other medical carers.

Military English - a focus on the military from the British Council.

Online ESP Periodical - covering a wide range of ESP topics.
Renting a Car - common questions and scenarios.
School and Education Focus - lots of video, listening and reading exercises for students.
Science and Engineering - excellent writing guide for students.
Science and Techonology Focus - lots of video, listening and reading.
Scientific Writing - helpful advice on writing at the university level for science students.
The Vocabulary of English for Scientific and Technological Occupational Purposes.
Traveller's Dictionary - multilingual dictionary for people on the move.

Traveller's Questions - a list of questions which are common to the traveller.

Working Focus - lots of video, listening and reading exercises for students.



http://www.bbctraining.com/onlineCourses.asp - The BBC has a wide selection of multimedia training guides which are given to BBC staff member in different areas. Last year these guides were made public in their original format and placed online for anyone to access. They feature full length PDF brochures as well as video clips showing correct protocol. The guides cover journalism, broadcasting technology, radio, television, health and safety and broadcasting management. These guides and the accompanying videos might be of use to media students, journalism students or simply to foreign language students looking for something new. It is also useful for teachers to get an inside look at what rules and regulations apply to BBC journalists with regards to language choice on this global icon of the English language.