Types and features of esp

 David Carter (1983) identifies three types of ESP:

 English as a Restricted Language
 English for Academic and Occupational Purposes
 English with Specific Topics

 Mackay and Mountford (1978) clearly illustrate
the difference between restricted language and
language with this statement:
 ... the language of international air-traffic control
could be regarded as 'special', in the sense that
the repertoire required by the controller is strictly
limited and can be accurately determined
situationally, as might be the linguistic needs of a
dining-room waiter or air-hostess.

 However, such restricted repertoires are not
languages, just as a tourist phrase book is not
grammar. Knowing a restricted 'language' would
not allow the speaker to communicate effectively
in novel situation, or in contexts outside the
vocational environment.
 The language used by air traffic controllers or by
waiters are examples of English as a restricted
language.

 A reduced form of a LANGUAGE: ‘Some
REGISTERS are extremely restricted in purpose.
They thus employ only a limited number of formal
items and patterns [and] are known as restricted
languages’ (M. A. K. Halliday et al., The Linguistic
Sciences and Language Teaching, 1964). Such a
system is often artificial and highly specialized,
created and used with a particular end in mind:

 for example, BASIC ENGLISH, limited in its syntax
and lexis, but meant to be used as an international
medium; SEASPEAK, a form of English limited to
specific procedures and terms, serving to facilitate
the safe movement of shipping; headlines, a
register reduced in syntax and lexis, used to draw
attention to news and other reports, and to
indicate their content. See also AIRSPEAK.

 A human system of communication which uses
structured vocal sounds and can be embodied in
other media such as writing, print, and physical
signs. Most linguists currently regard the faculty of
language as a defining characteristic of being
human.

 A variety of language defined according to social
use, such as scientific, formal, religious, and
journalistic. The term was first given broad
currency by the British linguist Michael Halliday
who drew a contrast between varieties of
language defined according to the characteristics
of the user (dialects) and those defined according
to the characteristics of the situation (registers).

 SEASPEAK, also English for maritime
communications. The English of merchant
shipping, a RESTRICTED LANGUAGE adopted in
1988 by the International Maritime
Organization (IMO) of the United Nations for use
in ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore communications
as a necessary consequence of vastly increased
shipping during the 1960s–70s. The need for
regularization of practices in one language and the
training of officers in its use was agreed, and
English, already the language of civil aviation, was
chosen by the IMO.

 In 1982–3, Seaspeak was created by specialists in
maritime communications and applied linguistics,
working in Plymouth and Cambridge and funded
by the UK government and Pergamon Press. It was
made as concise and unambiguous as possible,
was restricted to no more than two propositions
in any message, allowed for constant checkback
and confirmation, and made as few changes as
possible to existing practice.

 The SEASPEAK Reference Manual by Weeks,
Glover, Strevens, and Johnson (Oxford: Pergamon,
1984) was published after worldwide sea trials.
Apart from special-format messages (as in
stereotyped weather forecasts), all messages
begin with a message marker that indicates the
nature of what follows, such as advice,
information, instruction, intention, question,
request, warning, or a response to one of these.

 Ship. Land's End Coastguard, Land's End Coastguard.
This is Sun Dragon, Sun Dragon. Over.

 Coastguard. Sun Dragon. This is Land's End Coastguard.
Switch to VHF channel one-one. Over.

 Ship.Land's End Coastguard. This is Sun Dragon. Agree
VHF channel one-one. Over.

 Coastguard. Sun Dragon. This is Land's End Coastguard
on channel one-one. Over.

 Ship. Land's End Coastguard. This is Sun Dragon.
Information: I am returning to Mount's Bay.
Reason: north-west gale and very heavy seas.
Over.

 Coastguard. Sun Dragon. This is Land's End
Coastguard. Information received: you are
returning to Mount's Bay. Reason: north-west
gale and very heavy seas. Question: do you
require assistance? Over.

 Ship.Land's End Coastguard. This is Sun Dragon.
Answer: no assistance required, thank you. Nothing
more. Over.

 Coastguard. Sun Dragon. This is Land's End
Coastguard. Nothing more. Out.

 Also Ogden's Basic English, BASIC [an acronym for
British, American, Scientific, International,
Commercial]. A reduced form of English devised in the
1920s by the writer and linguist C. K. Ogden, in
cooperation with the critic I. A. Richards. It was
favored by the British Prime Minister Winston S.
Churchill, with some support from the US President
Franklin D. Roosevelt. Basic was an exercise in
language planning, intended to extract from standard
English the minimum grammar and vocabulary needed
for everyday communication. Ogden saw it as serving
three ends at the same time: an international medium
in its own right, an introduction to ‘full’ English, and a
kind of plain English.

 Also Air Traffic Control English, Aviation
English. The English of international civil aviation,
a restricted language established after the Second
World War by the International Civil Aviation
Organization (ICAO). Although in some conditions
aircraft may use a local language, commercial
flying is universally conducted in English.

 When speech is necessary, it is as concise and
unambiguous as possible, uses only accepted
conventions for procedures and message types, is
not too dense (that is, does not contain too many
propositions before allowing the interlocutor to
speak), and has check backs so that speakers can
be sure that what was said is what was heard.

 Everything used for these purposes is English in
grammar, vocabulary, or pronunciation, but some
of the vocabulary is technical and specialized.
Radio conversation not relevant to a flight is
forbidden. International agreements ensure that
all pilots are trained in this English, and cockpit
conversations as monitored to ensure that rules
are adhered to.

 Control. BA six zero six Alfa: squawk indent.

 Pilot. Indenting, BA six zero six Alfa.

 Control.
BA six zero six Alfa, radar contact.
Descend to flight level three one zero.

 Pilot.Leaving flight level three nine zero.
Descending to level three one zero. BA six zero six
Alfa.

 The second type of ESP identified by Carter (1983)
is English for Academic and Occupational
Purposes. In the 'Tree of ELT' (Hutchinson &
Waters, 1987), ESP is broken down into three
branches: a) English for Science and Technology
(EST), b) English for Business and Economics
(EBE), and c) English for Social Studies (ESS). Each
of these subject areas is further divided into two
branches: English for Academic Purposes (EAP)
and English for Occupational Purposes (EOP).

 An example of EOP for the EST branch is 'English
for Technicians' whereas an example of EAP for
the EST branch is 'English for Medical Studies'.
 Hutchinson and Waters (1987) do note that there
is not a clear-cut distinction between EAP and
EOP: "· people can work and study
simultaneously; it is also likely that in many cases
the language learnt for immediate use in a study
environment will be used later when the student
takes up, or returns to, a job" (p. 16).

 Perhaps this explains Carter's rationale for
categorizing EAP and EOP under the same type of
ESP. It appears that Carter is implying that the end
purpose of both EAP and EOP are one in the same:
employment. However, despite the end purpose
being identical, the means taken to achieve the
end is very different indeed. I contend that EAP
and EOP are different in terms of focus on
Cummins' (1979) notions of cognitive academic
proficiency versus basic interpersonal skills. This is
examined in further detail below.

 The third and final type of ESP identified by
Carter (1983) is English with specific topics. Carter
notes that it is only here where emphasis shifts
from purpose to topic. This type of ESP is uniquely
concerned with anticipated future English needs
of, for example, scientists requiring English for
postgraduate reading studies, attending
conferences or working in foreign institutions.

 However, I argue that this is not a separate
type of ESP. Rather it is an integral
component of ESP courses or programs which
focus on situational language. This
situational language has been determined
based on the interpretation of results from
needs analysis of authentic language used in
target workplace settings.

 http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O29-
RESTRICTEDLANGUAGE.html
 http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/language.aspx#5-
1O29:LANGUAGE-full
 http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/register.aspx#2-
1O29:REGISTER-full
 http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O29-SEASPEAK.html
 http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Basic_English.aspx#1
-1O29:BASICENGLISH-full
 http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O29-AIRSPEAK.html

Types and features of esp

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