In this guide
Cambridge Veritas · Original TESOL self-study resources
Understand the idea
ESP starts with communication in a particular domain. EAP focuses on academic tasks such as reading arguments, taking lecture notes and presenting evidence. A needs-led course selects language from the tasks learners actually face.
What you will practise
- Explain the key idea in “ESP and English for academic purposes” using a concrete example.
- Choose a teaching response that fits the learner and the purpose.
- Identify evidence you could collect to evaluate that response.
A closer look at the teaching
Domain-specific teaching begins with a target event and its demands. An academic summary requires selecting another writer’s main claim without replacing it with a personal opinion; a technical clarification requires identifying missing information before acting. Gather a short sample of the target communication and separate specialist content knowledge from the language needed to explain, question or organise it.
Teaching choices begin with the relationship between the learner and the setting. A class preparing for everyday community interactions needs different practice opportunities from a group using English mainly for an examination or a specialist workplace task. Look beyond a broad course label: identify the events learners face, the language they already manage and the constraints on practice. A needs-led plan can then connect classroom activities with a purpose learners recognise.
In the classroom
A technician needs to clarify a fault; a university applicant needs to summarise a short article.
Before choosing an activity, identify what the learner needs to understand or communicate. Separate the language demand from other demands such as reading instructions, managing equipment or speaking to a large group.
A teaching sequence you can adapt
Use these stages as a starting point for this topic. Keep the language goal visible, and change the support when learner responses show a different need.
- 01
Gather a short description of the target situation and a small performance sample. Compare reported needs with what the learner actually does.
- 02
Select a realistic communication outcome and identify the language, background knowledge and interaction it requires.
- 03
Choose materials and grouping that work within the available time, class size and access conditions.
- 04
Observe the target performance, discuss the result with learners and adjust the next lesson priority.
Check whether the learner can complete the target message for a realistic reader or listener, using relevant information accurately.
A common mistake to avoid
A list of technical words does not constitute an ESP syllabus, and academic writing is not simply more formal vocabulary.
When reviewing the activity, distinguish what you observed from what you inferred. Use the task outcome and a fresh example to decide whether another explanation, a different scaffold or more independent practice is needed.
Adapt it for your learners
Make the task accessible.
Make the setting concrete with a sample message, visual or role card. Explain unfamiliar task conventions separately from the language being practised.
Extend the thinking.
Change the audience or constraint and ask learners to adapt their message. Have them explain which language choice changes and why.
Keep the intended outcome consistent when comparing responses. Record which support was available so you do not confuse a supported performance with the same task completed independently.
Try it, then compare.
Take a moment to make your own decision. Compare your reasoning with the example, then adapt it for a teaching context you know.
Try it in a teaching context
Write a performance objective for each learner.
Your questions, answered.
What is a common mistake with ESP and English for academic purposes?
A list of technical words does not constitute an ESP syllabus, and academic writing is not simply more formal vocabulary.
How can I check whether the teaching worked?
Check whether the learner can complete the target message for a realistic reader or listener, using relevant information accurately.
How can I support learners who find the task difficult?
Make the setting concrete with a sample message, visual or role card. Explain unfamiliar task conventions separately from the language being practised.
How can I add a useful extra challenge?
Change the audience or constraint and ask learners to adapt their message. Have them explain which language choice changes and why.
Quick revision
- The key idea: ESP starts with communication in a particular domain.
- The context to remember: A technician needs to clarify a fault; a university applicant needs to summarise a short article.
- A useful next step: Write a performance objective for each learner.
For your teaching portfolio: keep a brief plan, a note of what learners actually did and one change you would make next time. Use anonymous examples.
Take the module self-checkSources and authorship
This module maps to the supplied syllabus PDF, Learning and teaching contexts (3 pages). The study notes, examples, application tasks and self-checks on these pages are original Cambridge Veritas resources.
View the supplied PDF ↗ · Publication reference: source chapter
Written by Cambridge Veritas. Updated .
Use these resources for preparation and reflection. Browser self-check results are for personal study and do not award a qualification or replace observed teaching practice.