Two Types of English
The division of the English language studies into two types requires careful scrutiny of the needs and
interests of the learner. Traditionally a secondary school learner or even a college student does not think
much of the way he is going to use his foreign language knowledge. He realizes he needs this subject as it is
included in the general curriculum and may become an important component when entering a higher school.
On the other hand, general language teaching covers the teaching of the fundamentals of grammar, of
expression as well as of phonetics and provides a stronger or weaker basis for possible later language studies.
In any case the language teacher both at a secondary and at a higher school is in charge of the correct use of
the language by its learners.
Teaching language for specific purposes is determined by different – professional/occupational,
social and other – needs of the learner. Therefore English for specific purposes (ESP) includes specialized
programmes which are designed to develop the communicative use of English in a specialized field of
science, work or technology. To be able to speak on a professional subject is not enough to know general
vocabulary. However, a great part of professional vocabulary consists of general words, which either have a
shift of meaning or make a new unit, usually becoming a compound word or a combination of words.
In the case of ESP language teaching/learning is purposeful, i.e. predetermined by the need of the
student not only to get familiarized with both the language of science and technology, thus with the English
language of the subject he studies but also with the subject itself.