Job Discussion Forums

gsmith68 · Joined: 03 Jul 2003 Posts: 5

Can someone tell me what ESP stands for (not extra sensory perception). I'm familiar with ESL and EFL teaching but went to apply for a United Arab Emirates job and it asks are you applying for EFL or ESP. Perhaps I've been out of the field too long? Question

johnslat · Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2003 8:34 pm Post subject: ESP

Dear gsmith68,
E(nglish) for S(pecial) P(urposes). The University College London is one of the institutions that offers a special certificate in it.

http://www.ucl.ac.uk/language-centre/english/english-special-purposes/index.shtml

Here's another site that offers links.

http://www.usingenglish.com/links/English_for_Special_Purposes/

Regards,
John

Truth Hurts · Joined: 05 Jul 2003 Posts: 115 Location: Truthville

Actually, that might not be entirely helpful.

'(E)nglish for (S)pecific (P)urposes' is the more widely accepted term.

See here for more detailed information:

http://iteslj.org/Articles/Gatehouse-ESP.html
http://antpc1.ice.ous.ac.jp/Abs&Sums/ESParticle.html
antpc1.ice.ous.ac.jp/Abs&Sums/Aizukiyo97.pdf

TH

johnslat · Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2003 12:30 pm Post subject: Specifically Special

Dear Truth Hurts,
On the other hand, it might be. Of course, one can't always judge by quantity, but still - if you go to Google and enter in

English for Special Purposes

you'll get about 1,890,000 hits

whereas, if you enter

English for Specific Purposes

you'll get about 1,760,000 hits

Regards,
John

Truth Hurts · Joined: 05 Jul 2003 Posts: 115 Location: Truthville

John

I'd hate to teach you how to use Google properly but unfortunately I may just have to.

Try your search again with quotation marks: " "

And trust me you will see a completely different picture. Smile

Of course the word 'special' is more frequent than 'specific'. Duh!

"english for special purposes" 6190 results
"english for specific purposes" 26400 results

TH

johnslat · Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2003 2:09 pm Post subject: And you can quote me

Dear Truth Hurts,
Thanks - never knew about starting with quotation marks before. I stand corrected.
Regards,
John

cornishmaid · Joined: 02 Feb 2003 Posts: 5

You don't say which institution you're thinking of applying for, gsmith68; however, if they're asking if you're applying for ESP or EFL, and you don't know what ESP is, then I suggest that you shouldn't apply for that job. If it's at UAEU, then the ESP department is quite small, and they require candidates to have a strong background in ESP if they are to consider you for a post there. If you don't have any (or much) ESP experience, I would suggest you apply for the EFL position.

guty · Joined: 10 Apr 2003 Posts: 365 Location: on holiday

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

Guty

What are you? a troll? You have made 79 postings on this board and you don't know what EFL is? Rolling Eyes

I can only hope this was meant as a joke---

VS

guty · Joined: 10 Apr 2003 Posts: 365 Location: on holiday

VS,

Guty

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

Guty

Whew--- I was worried there for a minute. Shocked

VS

Stephen Jones · Joined: 21 Feb 2003 Posts: 4124

John Slat,
The quotation marks tell Google to search only for the whole phrase, that is to say to ignore all hits that do not have all the words in the correct order.

Now normally it doesn't matter because that is what Google does anyway for deciding which comes at the top, but if you want to draw any conclusion from the total number of hits you must do it.

johnslat · Posted: Sat Dec 06, 2003 9:54 pm Post subject: Special versus Specific

Dear Stephen,
Thanks for the info. It's pretty much a "tempest in a teapot" issue anyway, I think - a "you say tomato and I say tomAto" sort of thing. I could well be wrong but I have the sneaking suspicion that Mr. Truth Hurts
is - well, how can I put it? "Gunning for me", perhaps, in that it sometimes seems that no matter what I might post (on the Saudi Forum), he almost inevitably succeeds in finding something to contend about. Now that's OK with me - but much of the time, I have a little difficulty is seeing exactly what we're disagreeing about. All in all, I'd say our views aren't so very divergent.
Regards,
John

Truth Hurts · Joined: 05 Jul 2003 Posts: 115 Location: Truthville

John

Just for the record, I specifically/specially reject outright Huntingdon's Clash of Civilizations and off shoots eg 1424 theory, War on Terror, religion=terror and so on.

Are our disagreements still a storm in a teacup? I sincerely hope so.

TH

johnslat · Posted: Sun Dec 07, 2003 3:48 pm Post subject: Have a cuppa

Dear Truth Hurts,
Well, as for Mr. Huntington, do we disagree? Please see my posting:
"Now you've done it" of Sat., Nov. 1. 1:11 am on the " Going to Iraq and Ruin" thread (page 2). Regarding my 1424 analogy (not really a "theory") and what you wrote as "religion=terror", we probably do disagree. I still maintain that the world-view/mind-set of some Muslims, especially those in the poorer countries where education is so very limited, such as Pakistan, isn't so very different from that of many Europeans 500 or 600 years ago. Religion - or perhaps I should say more accurately, the misapprehension of the message of religion - has inspired and does inspire some horrendous acts. Considering the evidence of history, I'd say this is more than just my opinion.
Regards,
John