english-for-specific-purposes
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- PaperRELC Journal13 Jul 2026
Conceptualizing and assessing competence in English as a lingua franca context
Hyejeong Kim
This thematic review argues that current assessments fail to capture English as a lingua franca (ELF) communication and proposes using indigenous criteria from communities of practice. It advocates for a strong approach focusing on real-world task performance rather than language-specific aspects, and calls for evidence gathering on what experienced ELF users value in communication.
Original abstract
While the field of English as a lingua franca (ELF) has been growing, there is currently no assessment that fairly captures the nature of ELF communication. The necessity for such an assessment has been emphasized by some scholars, but concrete efforts to develop one have been slow. To stimulate discussion and evidence gathering, this thematic review examines ELF within the framework of communities of practice, highlighting key components of the theory to underscore the importance of learning in and through practice within these communities. The discussion then turns to indigenous criteria − that is what members of communities of practice actually value when evaluating or assessing their peers − which is highly relevant in English for specific purposes assessment. In fact, many ELF studies can be classified as contexts for English for specific purposes. By reviewing studies that explore indigenous criteria, we can gain a better understanding of how domain or non-language specialists determine what is important for performance or communication within their respective communities, as well as how these criteria differ from those perceived by language specialists or applied linguists. A strong approach (i.e., focusing on task performance in real-world contexts) is then suggested, as a weak approach (i.e., focusing on language-related aspects) is inadequate for assessing ELF interactions, based on characteristics described in both ELF studies and research on indigenous criteria in various English for specific purposes contexts. The discussion concludes with a call for evidence gathering on what experienced ELF users perceive as important for communication in ELF settings.
- PaperDOAJ — ELT & TESOL1 Nov 2021
The English Language Needs for Information Technology: A Comparison Case of Professionals and Students
Rizky Eka Prasetya
The study surveyed 243 students and 23 IT professionals to compare their English language needs for information technology. Professionals primarily need English for writing project reports, while students need it for global communication. Both groups value reading for summarizing information, but differ in speaking and writing priorities.
Original abstract
English has established itself as a global lingua franca. The global growth in the usage of English has resulted in many reforms within educational institutions. The study aims to ascertain and examine English needs for information technology purposes among professionals and learners on a wide scale. A quantitative descriptive approach with a survey research design was employed in the study, and it applied to the Cross-Sectional survey design. Mailed questionnaires were collected from 243 students’ and 23 professionals. According to the questionnaires, the result found that professional purposes for learning English are to complete written-project reports or papers, while students must communicate with the global community. The English learning outcome implied different aims. The professionals want to complete language instructions for information technology processing, but students expect information access to the products. Professional speaking abilities are concerned with asking clarifications in the group or personal meetings, yet students concern more in taking and receiving the phone calls. In the same manner as writing, professionals and students have the same expectation that is to produce formal reports in academic or professional situations. Both participants perceive the responses by reading ability concerned to the summarizing detail information. This study affirmed an interrelation between the English standing in professional IT and students’ IT positions in communication experiences in their present circumstances.
- PaperDOAJ — ELT & TESOL1 Jul 2020
An ESP textbook evaluation: the case of English for Islamic Insight
Faizatul Istiqomah, Binti Maunah
This study evaluated an ESP textbook for Islamic Education students at IAIN Tulungagung using established checklists. The textbook was found adequate in most categories but focused heavily on vocabulary enrichment, with recommendations for improvement related to technology integration.
Original abstract
Abstract. The crucial presence of instructional materials at English classes, especially English for Specific Purposes, has commonly been approved. ESP materials provide exposure to the genres needed by the students, including those at Islamic Education Department. It is, therefore, inevitable that the textbook meets some criteria for the success of the program. In this paper, the writers evaluated an ESP textbook institutionally prepared for students of Tarbiyah and Teacher Training Faculty at IAIN Tulungagung. The analysis in this qualitative descriptive research was based on Cunningsworth’s and Miekley’s checklists for textbook evaluation. The book was evaluated on the category of aims and approaches, design and organization, content, skills, topic, methodology, vocabulary and grammar, exercises and activities, attractiveness of the text and physical make up, context, and practical considerations. The results showed that almost all categories are marked as adequate. It is indicated that the textbook mainly focused on vocabulary enrichment. Some recommendations for textbook improvement and revision are given at the final part of this study, particularly those related to the challenge on the advanced of technology. Keywords. ESP; Textbook Evaluation; English for Islamic Insight