science

Language for specific purposes

Language for specific purposes is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Language for specific purposes rather than just read about it. In short: Language for specific purposes (LSP) has been primarily used to refer to two areas within applied linguistics: One focusing on the needs in education and training One with a focus on research on language variation across a particular subject field LSP can be used with any target language needed by the learners as a tool for specific purposes, and has often been applied to English (English for specific purposes, or E…

Key takeaways

Language for specific purposes belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Language for specific purposes to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Language for specific purposes from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Language for specific purposes (LSP) has been primarily used to refer to two areas within applied linguistics:

One focusing on the needs in education and training One with a focus on research on language variation across a particular subject field LSP can be used with any target language needed by the learners as a tool for specific purposes, and has often been applied to English (English for specific purposes, or ESP). A third approach, content or theme-based language instruction (CBI) has also been confused with LSP. These several uses of the label of LSP have caused some confusion internationally.

Education and training LSP is a widely applied approach to second or foreign language teaching and training that addresses immediate and very specific needs of learners who need that language as a tool in their education, training or job. Needs analysis is the underlying "driver" for the development of LSP programs. For example, English native speaking nurses who work in hospitals with a high percentage patient whose native language is Spanish might have to study Spanish for the very specific purpose of communication between nurses and patients. Students are encouraged to take active roles in their own learning and question what they have been taught. This is likened to negotiated syllabus about which Hyland (2009) writes, "A negotiated syllabus means that the content of a particular course is a matter of discussion between teacher and students, according to the wishes and needs of the learners in conjunction with the expertise, judgement, and advice of the teacher" (p. 208).

Research "Language for specific purposes" has also been used to refer to a branch of applied linguistics which deals with a variety of language used by members of a particular subject field, concentrating on its genres, stylistic features and technical lexis. This research is relevant for such problem-based areas as language education, translation and the design of specialised dictionaries. Some in the training area consider such research on Professional Communications as LSP-related research when it is paired with or applied directly to an LSP training program.

Relationship to content-based instruction Content-based language instruction (CBI) is also sometimes confused with ESP. At the post-secondary level it is frequently used to motivate groups of learners who may be interested in the same professional field, providing meaningful communication opportunities. However, as in their regular studies they are usually not studying through a foreign/second language (except for sheltered courses), they do not need English as a tool in their immediate studies. "Content-based instruction (CBI) is the integration of selected content with language teaching aims". Thus, when trying to identify which approach being taken, the question is: "Is it English for Specific Purposes or English through specific content themes or content areas?"

See also Controlled vocabulary Domain-specific language Language for specific purposes dictionary

References

Basturkmen, H. & Elder, C. (2004) "The Practice of LSP", in The Handbook of Applied Linguistics ed. by A. Davies & C. Elder, Oxford: Blackwell, 672-694 James, G. & Purchase, J. (1996) English in Business Studies and Economics. A Corpus-based Lexical Analysis, Hong Kong: Language Centre, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Robinson, P. (1991) ESP Today: A Practitioner's Guide, New York & London: Prentice Hall. Trimble, L. (1985) English for Science and Technology. A Discourse Approach, Cambridge: Cambridge U.P.

Further reading Brinton, D., M. A. Snow. (2008) TESOL Virtual Seminar: The evolving architecture of CBI. Alexandria, Virginia: Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages. (Available through the online TESOL Resource Center.) Hutchinson, T. & A. Waters. (1987). English for Specific Purposes: A learning-centred approach. Cambridge: CUP. Hyland, K. (2002). Specificity revisited: how far should we go now? English for Specific Purposes,'' 21. Robinson, Pauline. (1980). ESP (English for Specific Purposes). Oxford: Pergamon. Swales, J. M. (1985). Episodes in ESP. Oxford/ New York: Pergamon. Swales, J. M. (1992). Language for specific purposes. In W. Bright (Ed.), International Encyclopedia of Linguistics (Vol. 2, 300–302). New York, Oxford: OUP.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Language for specific purposes

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Language for specific purposes claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Language for specific purposes before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Language for specific purposes ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Language for specific purposes

In research: Language for specific purposes appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Language for specific purposes in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Language for specific purposes is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Applied linguistics, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Language for specific purposes outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Language for specific purposes in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Language for specific purposes means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Language for specific purposes out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Language for specific purposes in simple terms?

Language for specific purposes (LSP) has been primarily used to refer to two areas within applied linguistics: One focusing on the needs in education and training One with a focus on research on language variation across a particular subject field LSP can be used with any target language needed by…

Why does Language for specific purposes matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Language for specific purposes?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Language for specific purposes.