From School To Workplace-Analysis Of The Gap Between ESP Teaching In A University Of Technology And Practical Use

English for Specific Purposes (ESP) refers to the language of English used in a specificprofession or field, it is a language course designed to meet specific needs of learners(Hutchinson and Waters,1987). As a branch of EFL, it is proposed based on the theory ofregister. After World War II, with the development of global exchange, people from differentcountries need a universal language as a tool to smooth their communication in various areas,such as trade and technology. While, the once expansion of the Great Britain and theeconomic boom of the United States after World War II contributed to the present globalstatus of English. Since1980s, more and more researchers are attracted to the field of ESPstudy. Strevens states that ESP is:①designed to meet specified needs of the learner;②related in content (i.e. in its themes and topics) to particular disciplines and activities;③centred on the language appropriate to those activities in syntax, lexis, discourse, semantics,etc., and analysis of this discourse;④in contrast with General English. About themethodology of ESP, scholars all reckon needs analysis to be the premise and effective meansby which ESP teaching aims and teaching methods are set and ESP syllabus are designed.Many scholars give definitions of needs analysis, which lay a theoretical foundation for thepractical research of ESP.This present research is conducted based on Hutchinson and Waters’ theory of needsanalysis, aiming to find out the gap between college ESP education and practical use inworkplaces. Data were obtained through questionnaires, interviews and class observations.The participants of the survey were from two main groups: one is the senior students of auniversity of technology; the other consists of employees who were from an institute and arefinery, the two workplaces that the students are most likely to choose after graduation. Twosets of questionnaires were designed for the groups respectively, and there were similarquestions on the English use in workplace (from employees) and in expectation (fromstudents), learning attitude, and their opinions on school ESP education. By comparing theresults from the two groups, and the later interviews and class observation, some problemswhich exist in English education are as follows:1) Most employees both in research institute and in the refinery often have exposure toEnglish. The English they use most is for the work and research in their professionalfields to read and translate. Listening and speaking are the two practical abilities thatcan enhance their working efficiency and boost their career development, but are found inadequate or limited in almost all of them.2) The gaps between school ESP teaching and practical use are:①students are notsufficiently trained in listening and speaking abilities at schools to cope withpractical use;②ESP is commonly used in employees’ work but is neglected inuniversity education.3) To bridge the gap, EGP and ESP teachers should work together. First, EGP teachersshould offer students good oral training to help them prepare for an active ESPteaching environment. Second, EGP class reading material may involve some readingmaterials related to their majors but not too professional. Third, more qualifiedteachers with language ability, professional knowledge and some work-relatedexperience should be trained to meet students and the society’s need. Fourth, realESP teaching material should be close to the reality, up-to-date, thought-provokingand involve a certain proportion of activities.With the development of the society, the emphasis of English study is graduallyconverted from the language itself to the specific field of study it is related to. Englisheducation will be more and more combined with knowledge from other majors (Liu Runqing,1996). Therefore, researches of this kind will play a part in building up an ESP educationalsystem that better serves practical use.