A�rnah Haji Om.'U·
Language Centre Univcr."lIy or Malaya Kuala Lumpur
Introduction
DIRECTIONS IN ESP RESEARCH:
IMPLICATIONS IN MALAYSIA
The topic for this paper bas a very important lag to it, and (here is a greater resounding effect 10 this lag than it appears (0 be, namely the implicaUons of ESP research in Malaysia. In view of the significance of the research on English language Icaching in Malaysia, it woultl be beller to start off oy giving a historical background nf the introduction of ESP in the cnul1lry, before going inlo the discussion of "uireclinlls"
in research.
Background on English Language Policy
The teaching of English for special purposes (ESP) in general may be said to come to the fore in the early seveJ1lies. This was the time when the English language leaching world began to have a concern for separate teaching methodologies for English as a second I.anguage (ESL) and English as a foreign language (EFL)
The division of English Language Teaching (ELT) into the teaching or the language as ESL and EFL may be viewed as a consequence of the language planning policies Ihat were being implemented in various cQunlries of the world, especially the developing cnullIfies, including Malaysia. These countries. particularly the young nalions in Asia, and various nation states in the Middle East, Africa and South America, have their own national languages which stood as the symbols of their sovereignty It was through lhese languages that they were able to unite their people, and il was also through these languages that they were able 10 give a sense of identity to themselves as nal.ion states.
Arter achieving independence, these countries had to embark on nation building In the effort to elt.:v3lc lhe educational and economic status of their people and to participate in the affairs of the world, they needed a language other than their own to see them through. For those counlries which were once ruled or protectcu by English speaking powers like Great Brilain and the United States, English became lheir
"Paper presented at Ihe Seminar on ESP, organised by Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, SkuJai, Johur 16 18 December 1991.
,
natural choice. With thll�e which were once under powers that were llun-Anglopbone. like !.he French :tnd l.he Dutch. there did not seem to be Illuch rc.<'islancc in ll(topling English eilher as u main Of an addi
tional international language,
The policies or these wuntries {lIffer one from the olher in the
�Iatus given to Engli�h. Although each has it� own idiosyncracies as opp(l�ed to Ihe other. these coulllries loan be placed ill two main cHegones. The (mit con)i�ts Of Ihose which maintain English as une of the languages u.�ed in jl� cdllcati()1l system as well as a language of admini!':lnliion, Ihc other J<llIguage hcing ule nfllionAl ];mgu<lge :md/or other language within its region.
The second categury comrri.�c� countries whicb u.�e only We na
tiunal language in nil its educational a.nd admini�trative �phen:s as well as in the juoJiciary Engli�h ill the�e countries i� laught a.� a mam language in Ihe sl'hool> and people are encouraged to acquire the language. Malaysia now belongs It) this secondary categ(Jry
JmplicaliHn� of Ihe Division Bet .... een ESl. and E}o'l.
The Ji\'i�ion t)f countric:; inLO ESI. and Ef'"L countrie.� may not give a true picture of what really happens in real life. Hnwevcr, this Jivi
�i(ln ha� given the ELT theorists amI methodologists as well as ESP
teachers directions, a,� it were, in carrying out their research. preparing
their ELT materials <lnd teaching English in the clas�rot)m.
A'I> �aid carlie., ESL counlries have auoflled English as one of their main languages of communication. This being the case, their students arc decmed to h:1ve a profiCIency in general English «(IE) of a level that enables them III handle various Iypes of communicallon in the language concerned. There �ecm� 10 be a general understanding that their adcplllCss in handling various :,iluations in English in their educa
tional anti professional pursuits grow with their constant use 01 Eng.
lish. AtisiJlg from IhIS, sutdents with ESI. are in general deemed to have :,uftkient proficiency in all Ihe four language skills of listening, speaking. reading and writing
Singapore and !be Phlliprinc� have often been cited as E..';;L coun·
tries. U�iJlg the EST. yarustiek vis-a-vis that of EFI.. the proficiency in English among their studems are said I() be of a high level.
Thing� arc no\ considered III be as bright in the EfJ. situation. In the first place, Englhh in this .�lruatioJl has a limited range of ll.�. for most of the EFL counlrie:. like Thailand and Indonesia, olher than a few hours 01 English ltsson in the �chool and the university. Ute smdents do not �eem to have much exposure 10 Ihc language despite Ibe need 10 read Ihe latesl books on science and technology and various other field, of study in English. Here, it is the reading skill tliat is rcqul1l;�d, and readillg means reading serious boob in the aca-
DUW:fUwu In ESP RUNn:I! ,
dtmlc discipline which they have chosen AS their line of study. Hence, what they need from the EL T classes is reading Cor academic purposes.
Reading (or olher purposcs, c,g for plealiure Ilnd for cultural cnhal'lce·
menl, is consu.lered nOI n:lCVIIIII 10 thill Iype of EL T Arisine from Ihl!;
need. variou� methOlls and approaches in the leaching of reading comprehension to EFL students have emerged.
In drawing the line between ESL and El'L, EngliSh languagc Clperts have placed Malaysa in the i EFL category, as evidcnced from the many dehbc.nuions al annual conferences of REI�C (Asmlth Jlaji Omll!
1984), The labelling of Malaysia n.� an EFL COUntry is contmry to what Malaysia bas al .... ayl perceived herself 10 be. Malnysiu has always considered herself An ESL country, having officiully derined English as the second mosl important Janguuge for her people,
Regardless of how other people perceived her in the light of her nlnional language policy, Malaysia Implemented the communicative syllabus in the 1970'� in the schools, as the aim was to produce students who could cnmmunicatc in Engli5h. However, during the period, at the University level there emerged another objecthe, and thai was reading comprehension of academic teXl:!, Tile SludCnllI hod 10 be taught Ihis particuhtr skill in order 10 read their textbooks and referel!!;;c materials in English,
The development mentioned abnve bad motivated the UniversilY of Malaya to fonnulate an EL T policy which had reading comprehension as ilS objective. With thb, thc University's Language Centre in 1978 embarked OD a rcsearcb projeci known as Univcrsity of Mala)'a Eng·
!ish Cor Special Purposes Project (UMESPP) Thl� was a re�earcb whicb led to t.he production of materials for leacbing reading compre·
benSlOn in the academic field, under the banner
Skills for Lturfliflg
(See Bibliography)As expected. the focus on reading comprehension had brougbl aboul an imhalance in the acquisition of skill� in Englisb Graduates from the university were (ound to be lacking in their spoken English, It would not hElve been II ('rohlem if these Rraduates did not aspire for an employment III private or multinational companies which require tbe use of English. Even in the government 5Cctor, proncicncy in EngliSh was required to some extent.
A5 government servant$, the graduates woold be doing their job comfortabty In the national language provided they were not plAced in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the extem�1 affairs deparlments of other Ministries. Once they were associated wii.h external 01 foreign
affairs, they had 10 have a satisfactory Icvel of proridency in spoken
English,
Another category of people who needed spoken Engli�fl at a higb proficiency level were tho�e In the legal profession, as the courts were stili using English in their proceedings.
The H�cd for Ilral :;kill" in English had motivated the University of Malaya Language Centre to work on another projeu known a.� the Uni\'er:;ily of Malay;. S,wken ElIgli.sh Project (UMSEP). This project proouced a set of materials for teacbing Engli�h to the professionals . .speCIfically the executive ... manager!' and lawyc(.�. These materials can aJ'<o he categ(lri�ed a� bchmging to ESP Here we �ee that ESP, at least In the ca.'e of Univer�i1y of Malaya. hild moved rrom reading compre
hcnsion oj academic text� 10 using English in oral form in management and the lega! profession
UMESPP and lJMSEP were lwo separate projn:L� with two different oh.iective� Each had IL� own model to folll!W However. \he method
olc.gics Ilf tc:;earch fl.r the (10'11 were not entirely unrelatcu for there was a great oeal of overlapping between tltem. It i� with thi� back
�roun\] kn\lwlcdge of tllef,e two rrojceL� that J move on to the \lext s�'clion of this pflper on ESP re�earch
nll..�ic Premi�es In ESP-Research
Beforc ,tarting on a fe�earch on ESP, there afe certam basic I'remi�e�
that have to be made, and the�e take the form of the following hyj'Xlth- e:-e:;.-
(I) Thai there i� a need lor leaching ESL in Malay�ia and Ihat various J1roreS�i(lll� and service.� arc already usmg ESP
(2) That ESP is a variety of Engli�h thac shares a cummon core with
<.Ii:; hut In many ways deviate from the laller
'I he first prem!>e leads to a needs analy�is. while the !;eeond an all.tlysh of Engli�h language malerial.� ll.<.ed for the various �pecifjc purp()�cs.
Nr"ds AnltJysis
Fmm a general nhseTvatiou Dr the English used in administration, management and \'arillll� profes�iom. like the legal profeSSIon. ac
C\IulItaney, medicine, uentistry. hospitality �ervices Ctc., the first im
pression (llle get� i� that each type of service o r profcs�jon has it.\ own j:.rgon., 3.111] lis own way of puning communication aerms. Thi� is an
i1\(licallon that ESP is in lise and that there is a need for :u.:quiflug ic J\ilhou�h IIII� IIn[lrc.�si(Jn I() a certain eltent rcflects Ihe real �ituti
tiOll, research on the neeos for ESP still has to be carrieo out. 1t is ollly
lltlOU};h research tll:,t the ,lctalb of the needs can be i\lentiried. Among
Ihese IifC the Iypes of pn>fe�,ions or vocations that required ESP, the lallgu<tgc karnill!: obJcclive�. fhe types of �kdls required. the level o f
Dm!ct;mIS;1/ ESP Rl!ulIrch
proficiency to be aLlained, the educational background of the partici
pants (viz. the people who use or are likely to use ESP), intensity of use, situation of use, etc.
The needs survey will first of all result in.a list of the domains that require ESP Each domain may even have subdomains or related do
mains. For example, in the medical domain it may turn out that the needs for ESP are not just with the doctors but also with the therapists, the nutritionists, and the paramedics. The hospitality services may include hotel and catering, viz. for the receptionists, waiters and wait
resses, and hospitality in air travelling, viz. for the air stewards and stewardesses.
Hence, the model for the domains that require ESP may appear as follows.
Domain ProfessionNocalion Relared Domain!
ProfeSSIOn (I) Legal Solicitorship Draughtsmanship
Advocacy Judiciary
(2) Medicine Medicine Pharmacy
(Various branches) Pharmacology
Surgery Nursing
(various branches) Medical Technology, etc.
(3) Dentistry Various branches of Dentistry Dental Nursing
Dental Technology etc.
(4) Hospitality Hotel Catering Tourism (5) Foreign Ambassadorship
Affairs Administration External Trade etc.
(6) Finance Banking Accountancy Insurance
(7) Academic Various Sciences (8) Esthetics Cosmetics
Beauty care (9)
(10)
(,
Langua� Skin� and Lenl of Attainment
"Language ,klll�" here refer to the four basic skills of listen ing, speaking, reading and writing. Not all profeuions require equal profi.
ciency in all the four skill.� $uhdomains of a single domain may diller one from the other In the skill.� required.
for cx:ample, in t.he legal profession the judges and the lawyers require all the four skill_� Concerned, but the legal draughtl;man may require the reading and Ule writing skills !nOTe than the mher two.
Conversely. for airline �lewanls anu stewan.lesses, the r eadin!! and the writing �lcills may nul be important Mall, hUl the uther twu �kills, thai I�. Ilstcning and speakmg nrc most necessary in their line of duty The
�allle mny be said of those in the e�thctic� services.
The ductors and the dentist� need tD have fl high level of prnticiency
)0 listening. �reaking and reading. They require the. writing skills if
they are 1\1�1l in the research or academic line when they have to write p;!per�. The same may be said of those in other "high level" profes
sions like acclluntancy. bauk.ing. ctc.
The 19£10 UMSEP survey ()f profes�ional needs o( English in Ma
IHysia sh(lwed that in bU'iinc�.� and hanking both spok en and written Engli�h W:l� ntces�ary This was becau�e meetings were conuucted in Fnbli.�b and corrc�rxmdtnce� were mostly wrillen in English. Ovefllll, ht;lween 75% and 90% ol' itetivilies were in English
The situation wa� slightly uilletcnt in publie administration. The Milli�lric� or Foreign Affairs. Trade (bOlh internal and ellternal). the foreign relations divl�ion.� of all Mlltistrics, and the Defence Ministry sttmed In use English in internal mccting� which involveu senior [l(!:rsonncl Though corre�pondence was mainly i n Malaysia, reports were �Llh�tantially in EnghSh (John MtxlTe et al. 1980). ft has always
!'leen a rradition with MalaY�lan government departments and statutory bodies 10 proJucc rcpom in both Malay and EngliSh.
Annrher LJMSEP survey, this one on indiViduals. shows the type of
�kills expected of a gOVL\rncnent officer in the Ministry of Hsheries. To qUllle the rcport.
"The pnrlidpant is currently employed as a Settlement Officer with the Ministry of Fisheries. Kuala l.umpur lIis central duty i s III a��I�t in the rc�etllemclll III' I-:ast Coast fishennen into land
ha�ed occupatIOns. English is not required in the liaison with fishermen in tilt: �e\1lement process. However. English is needed for report writlllg and for liaising Wilh foreign consul/ants and fnr Ihe purpll�e of parliclpating in �eminau."
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Tile pmfessionfll life of the magistraTe may not be confined to the law courts. Like [he l'icuiemcnt officer in the Minhtry of fisheries. he may want ttl alTend seminars and liaise with fureigners who shnre the ,arne profcs�ion fl� himself lie may also harbour a desire tll he pro
IIl\>lcI\ 10 ,h\, po�ition 01 a 1Iigh Court judge and ultimatciy be Lortl PreslllenT. Fur such [lurpnscs, he needs more of EngJisll wan Just the si.:\ll to fe,lIJ law lexts.
The �cminar� llIay 11M! the legal jargons thlll he has been used 10 when he reads wrlltcn tc�rs, hut exchan�c,� of an academiC or proCes
simlal !lllll1fe require more [han j;ugons. The parth;ipallt� not only has w have llot1d oral skilL� but has lCI be ahle to communicaTe effectively in his fidd of sl"ecialisallon II can be predicted that lhe MaJ<ly�ian rnagislr<lte.� of today �ti1l require �p<)kcn English although Ihis particu- 1:1f �kill UI.IY llUI he ufu:n called fm in Ih� COUri.
l'urp(l�C i.� a functioll (Ir skills. The pl1rpo�s of having the oral ,klll.� arc In rarti�'ipate in �()cial I:(mversations, private discllssium, form,,1 dcp.Hlmenwl meetmgs. negollalions and Interviews. giving Icc
l\lrc�. pas�ing juugt,;ments etc.
With the wrill!lg skill, The purpusc.� arc writing leiters, memos.
IIHnU\CS 01 medings, annual repons, liuryey reports, Icl'erences tiC R�aiJillg can he iJone fm getting mformation, for evaluation, and for pkil,urc
In ESP rC�Mch, informatiun t)n Ihe PurflOscs of requiring particular
skills has (() he obtaiueiJ. Information hesets information, and informa
tioll till the purpnsc.'l will give infllflllali(lll on the types or dj�course
u.�l·ll
Wilh the functiom clearly iiJell\ifie!l, the researr.:her can move on 10
�elllllg dJl!a consbting of aUlhentk materials Of tellL� used lor the V:lfWU' purposes
C .. llt'dion of D:IIOI
"l)ata" rclers to Ihe actual te)(t� or (\iseuurse� in vari{)u� situations
for v(lrioul'o profCM.iol\.'I. Research mw ESP .�boult! make u�e uf authcn
lie lIlaterials, thai h. langu;,\!'!e m:tteriab llctllally u.�ed by the profeli
silm.11 while carryin!; OUI their !luties,
/I. ljuCl'oll\1II may 01'. pmed r�ganlil\g Ihe English language materials u)lIccted III a Malaysian Situalion The ty[}C of English used in bu�i
ne�s meetmgs in firms in Malaysia may 1101 be of the type that ap
pro:w.imak-.' SlandMd Brilhh or American Englil'oh.
l1MSEP rccoruingl'o have �hown that the Engn�h of [he Malaysian hU'incs.� executive ... is a di�lance apart fl'Om these two standards. AI
VII «:Ij�". Itt I':.�/' N�.'·�,,,{ I> ,
bQI II (:111 be r\!ferrecJ 10 .lS wit;!, Platt fiml Weber calls MU, rha! is Ihe hi.sht�l lcvel 01 Malapi:m tflgh�h Jll ICrln� of gr:ullmar an,\ pfllllUn"
dillioll Even iJ J1 wcre �(), Ihl: Il1alcrial� larl PW\'C III he valuahlc data hnrn Ihe IillgUl�IIC :t.'! well al> (mUl Ihe pritgmatic ill>pccts \ll" lile dis"
((lurSI"
From the lin1!ul.Qic poinl of view. the dal;; contain yarl()U� Iypcs ()!
gnmrn:ltlcal clln�lru<.:lioll' rba! n:cur in a pilrlicular Iype of (11.\cou[Sc.
It mll� 111m llUI thel'c c"nSlrU':IIOIlS form Ihe IIII,ltU'''11C ,"haracl<.:rislkl>
01 the dl�nmrce. and tllil.t parridpant� 1(1 �ucb a ,h�c()ur�c haH" to utH)erstand and hc abic t(l lise sudl c()mtru(.:ti()n�
rh� l;lngu:J�'" used by Highl aueml:ulI� may :.h()w a Ilrealer recur"
rtlh;C 01 ccrtain .!!rallllnatu;al l"nll�lrUl"rion\ than. l>ilY, the ()Ile� used by lilt receptioni,t in a fivc"�tar hOld. !nlhe ,�me Wily, Ille langU:l.gc llsc\1
III I1I1,ille�� meeungs ma� show a l:crtain pwrcllsity for c{)I\'uuelion�
wllldl ha\'e a lower On"unenl"e III an ac�dcllljc s.:mlllar or III Ihe la\\
<'(l\1rl
Ilc.\idc� char:lcleristir hngui�li�' l"onstnlt·liuilS, mr.l as weI! as writ"
kD di.'CtlUfse ilia)" prod-ul:e jargonl> and iillOmalic e:>.rrcssh�n� wlikh
ut' pt:(l1liar to cfu,:11 typl.: \l( pr<llt'��i(lll_ The gr:unmlltkaI e'lIrstruclion�
c.lpt'nnlly ill sptlkCn Ian)!tragc may he pepren:!! Wilh 0:1\\, ()f crror�, IIlId thl.: j"rgolls and IdlOlllillk c:>.prcs'<i(llb may lUll bc tnuul"ialcd iu till,;
nh)�r :\c� ... prahIc way of pnmnullcill� Ihe langnllgc. flll' Iber arc jU�1
ra,,' [\(1111 which nrc- Ii\'in): prooh of the tOler Ibat :.uch language regi,"
Icr.� do (US!.
hlr the rCM!:lfcher who I' concerncd only With the illlalysl) 01 lc�islcrs. tl1<: dam arc oj an cmplfical n;ULlre, 1111(1 this ali(\<' to rh�
\�-icl\litl(" \"alue (If his allalysi�. For the applied linguist who pJ'eparc\
mJitcllal, fur the Icaching III ESP or who de.\!gns I"'SP IC!'>ts alld sylla"
i111.�C<. d:l\a raken from <I.:lual diS�II11nc will givc him an idea un lk�i!:nHl� his own E.SP framework and em the sticetion :\IId gradalill1l of ilelll' 10 hc laught. lie c:m eH::n usc Ihe raw data 10 refashiun .�nlh�ltIIC datil h) take the funn of language c"crci��, and Ill\k\.
:\11111�lll1C �p()ken matenals arc <11\0 valui\hlc d:U:l for rhc �Iudy nr I'rlS:Hl;ltic�_ [I projects Ihe real piclun' of Ihe .,lruCfure 01 the (·HII\'et'MI
IiI/I) ill Icrm� uf IlIrn laldnl)� and hcdrlng� un!1 �ll(b hkc fcatures I"rom Ihi�. rnc ecse:trchtr can rchuihl a '·mould". !l;, i t \\cre, in wilieh to l·a,!
rC("()II�lructcd (CXts for II'!:: 111 the ESP chl�,f{)(lm.
It l' lmp-onalll Ihal wh:lI llIlaJly ,'ppears ill learhmg mannUtll� rellen Ihe Iloe oj language in real life Situation, Resc:tr�hen Itave often rui!llCI' Out that lhe langUllge tauli'hr in the .:1a..�Ho(lm is (hfl�rcnl [rom
\I.·b,tl reOI'll! normally u�c in the conduct (If their d:l>" lu da) affflif\
Maril)l\ Wll1i;un, (19RH) Il;(S rneardlcd till Ihe langnage fUllction� or I:UlSllage !;Iugbt for meetings alltl Iangual!': Ii,ed in llll'ellllg�, flcr fmdin£, �h{lw lh:\! there Is ilhn()�t nil ('(In·c�p{l\JdcIlCC bcl\>oCCIl Ihe nrl)]I�'nr5 of 1\,1' JUIll"lIUnS III rile \\>00 C(,!IIC}!I,
Rc�earch using authentic texts takt:s what Sager and Dungworth call
"the naturalness appro.1ch" With authenlic and natural hmguagc as data. the ESP researcher will pave lbe way for the writing of ncar
natural materials for tl.!aehing ESP
Research (In ESP which foo.:usses on reading should also be hased on authentic written materials. f\lr ESP taw rl!ading, fur example, maten
als �hould come from law texts. texthooks. journal�. records of judge
mt:nt�. acts and rcgulati(ln.� elc.
[n terms of data collection. it is easier to get to the written text than the �p(lken one. Tn terms of " stamlard-', as it were, written texts arc in general alllhorcd hy pcople who are knowledgeable In their uwn I)ro
fe�sional field. Funhennore, before publication. the manuseript� get edited hy prMessionaJ editors. Thi� being the case. the researcher in MalaYl'i;"! can take nny res()CClahlc texlhook in Ibe field thai be IS working or as his source of ESP data. Evcn if he uses a book or an article wriuen by 3. Malaysi�n, he will not have much to worry about usmg a text writtcn in unacceptahle English,
TlJere ha� not been much �tlldy on academic or professional English wriuen by Malaysillils in terms uf grammatical constructions. How
cver, there ha� heen memillil here lind there ahout MalaySIan lexical itcm� and idiomatic expressioll� creeping into the English texts written by �hJapian�, Eve!! If such Hems occur in those texts that are u�ed for ESP research> they will not detract born the ohJe(;tive of identify
iIlg hngubtic and pragmatic characteristic� of text� in the various tlctds
AUlltner ,l\!vant<l!:e which written teXIs have oller oral di�oulse is the �tahility {If the written wtlrd. It i� easier and perhaps much faster 10 identity the linguislic mul pragmatic characleristics of the wrillen texts than it i� with the oral une.
The English language u�ed in two diflerent physics books written hy IWO different pefSllns (say. one in U_K. and the Other in USA) may have a dmer aHinity HI eadl other III term� of the choice of linguistic (;()lJ�tructi(Jns than tIle language u,ed in dehates on physie� in the two omruricl> eono.:crnetl. Furthermore, the pmgmalics of the written lan
£ulige i� eaSI�r to identify and explain than those of tbe oral diS{:our�e.
All thIS means that data col1eo.:tion for oral discourse requlreR a great tle:.l ,"ore time and effort Ihan the (lne 011 wrillen leXL�.
At this juncture, il is appwpriate for me to add thaI the pragmafics (If �denti!k M;tlay a� well a� M:.lny in rcpurt writing is very mueb.
idrnl1cal 10 Ih:1I ill English in these two registers. This i.� becaust' the U'ie (lr Malay for these rcgiMers ha$ been modclled on English ill the same context By mentioning thi�, J am offering a suggestion that Mal;"!)' uscd In (coain rcgisler.� can he useful in the research un ESP and vice v(;r�a.
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!l1;\>' fe,nlt in (Ii�a,ttr The crash of a British cargo planc in 11)89 as it aPJ'lroachcd Suhall� intenmtional airport was, ",ccording to reports, thc rC�\l1l of the pilot's miscoroprehension of the mes�age relayed 10 him tnom the control lower fhe message wa� " De�cend two faUT zero,
�cro, l.:CrI> fc.:(' whkh was �uppo�ed to mean �Dcs'etld 10 24000 fcct:'
I he pil()f who die,l ill the cra�ll could hllVe interpreted it 10 mean
"Dc�ccnd 10 4000 fee!" , taking the "two" in Ihe controller's message a� "ID"
It :lppcar ... Ihm the eunuol l\lwer had dc\'i:lled rrom Ute international COllvCI\[lOn wll11.:h requires that the figures �[ating allilut1e� should be U\lCfl',1 11\ full. and not according 10 (ilgits " the rule was observed,
thell the IIlI:S':lgc would havc laken the form "ne�ccn(l 24 thousand
tCCL"
Th..: typo' of re,earch �ugge$ted bere i s one Ihat also takes the lIpproa,'h of the elhnography 01 speaking, heside� discourse analysis, H(lwcn�t. since ESP research in Malay,�ia generally h.as Ihe ohjective of produdng leaching mfl1eriab, It w(luld al�(J be !ea�ible to incorpo
r;Itl' InlO it an approach Ilf a linguistic and rsych()lingui�tic nature, w)lich may look into crron and a�rects llf language al:qubition,
A ,!lle�tion �hOllld now be asked aod answered, Is ESP or any 1:\1lgllag� wilh SP so rarefied [hill it L, wllcerned unly with the ,�ub
,t:ll1(C III parllculOlf rrofessiun� 01 academic discirline.�·l If the answcJ' b in the po.,ill\''':, then ESP IS all entH)' on its own, apart (wm genCJ:l1 En}!!i .. h
On thc other hand, from a genCT;l! l)bserVatlOn, we can see that in mml ESP " ituation� there is a great deal of general English, Thib m..:all� that aran from jargons, �pedric construo.:tions aud f'/llT(icularislic l11l'lllULle, lht' othcr element� of ESP afe those that one gets in general Fllglish fbis explain., why a non-biolugist who is competent in Eng, Ii�h may be ahle 10 read and get an idea lIf whal is said in a passage on blllio)!), e:u:epl flIT ,pedalised biological terms, nomenclatures and phra,�(llotlie�. All Ihi� CtlC� to show thaI ESP is none Olher than iI
vilfiCly 01 Eng1i,�h
()hl"i()II.�ly. ESI-' belong): 10) the varkty bt':\ler known as reglsler Sil1�� Ullucr ESP therc are so many types 01 English for �pecial pur
pml'\, il IlO Ihl!n fca,�lblc 10 re";llgnilOc a Icvt:! of ESP wbich aCls as a ,u!1rarqp,tcr bt!low which are Illldes indicating vanOlls ly[les of ESP�
,'h"wing �uh\':trietic� used in the vari()u� pfl)fe��ions or l.lomaiM. The 11odo may undergo furlher �plt(!ing with the division,� of domains into
�uhllo!!la 11l�,
A." fa! a� (TE is nmcernt:lL research into ESP sh,"Jid also lake into
(Jlr.rr" ",.' ii, l::Si' RararY'll n
rtlllSHicratioll the featufes of general EngJj�II. Amung these featun.:s
Arc tlwsc 01 a �ocioculturaJ naturc.
Tcxtbooks teaching ESP do flOt seem II) give pJlori ly 10 sociocul
tural fC,llures. Such fe:"I!ufCs ma)' !1m be Significant in certain ESP"
t.g. �c)cnti"c texts Of comrnu!llcation$ from the deck.fIight crew, as
litn�l1as\! us�d in Ihe.�e situations is very l(1w in terms or soci()culiural tonIc.!!. flolA.'ever, \lther types of ESP may have 11 hi
gh
a SOci(ICultur"!'.-I)HteXI. e g. the ESP in the hnspitality busines� nr in husines� manage
meut. Pilrticipilnts h;lve 10 address each olher in Ihe prnpcr manner and in lunc wilh Ihe context the �rcccl) event takes rlace,
In on.l.illary llinlluftge usc. Malay can be �aitl to have a high socio
cultural contexi cnmp:ued 10 English. M()r� honMifics arc u�ed ill an I'rdirlllf)' WTlvenlilioll in Ma!ll)' compflred l() that in English. What then h ... , Ihls gOl tO do witb ESP!
.:>Ioq of (1m profc�siOllals afe !m)Tl;: liKely going to U�e ESP in 1.he home context. Thl,� means that ESP when used III M<tJaysia Ila); III fit lU!O Iflc ).ia!ayshl contcxt. four cJutlllple, ESP in a bu�tIless meeting .. hkh lnvoh'es a VIP, e�rcdall)' a go\'ernmcnl minister Of :l Illcmher of (lnt of thc ro)'ltl housebold�. has to tate into account thc ::;(Icioliu
£Ili�tlc� fl.!lc� that fire requircu in such a coU\ext even if the language i�
lIlll Mahl). In sllch a meeting. Ihc oflhnary parliciranl i .. nut free to use the demllcratic "you" to the VIP cllnn:rued. He ba� to reSllI\ to the
�rrml\riate �r:.lay honorific.
Conc]u. .. iDIl
III Icnm III t1irection� ill re�earch, what I alIl proposing hefe is one that hlOb for fe:llun:s 1>1" ESP u�ed in the English language ... orld in
gcn�rnl a� well a� Ihe features that are idiosyncralic to MaI3y�ja.
I han� al�tI suggested a categorisation of ESP into upper Rnd lower lllliln ahovc which is Ihe !Upfafcgister ol ESP. Such a clllegori\3lion will ... ervt <I� a 1I . ..efu! guide ill the selection of areas or dOTl\3im ami
�lJhd()nlaim tn I':ork on. And Ihe cS\.llh!ishment uf domains and �uhdllmains .lwulti ht U�tJ in nceJs flnal y�is.
J'� '-,Sf' may C()n�iM (If written texIs as. well as oral dl.�CllUr,�e.
Tc..:!tOlTCh into Ihe register shoulJ apply the t�xt or dhcourse ;mal)'�b mClh(�.L 1[l lhi� w:,y. the It.��archcr i.� able 10 idenlif�' the linguistic anll pupn(llic (cat\lrc� which make up a text OT a discour�e
l't<tllucing llnd r�cci\'i!lg lltnguagt communication is nm only a l�Jl�u:l!!C OIeli\·ily. It i� alsu a psycholOGIcal nnc. Hen!.."C. Nycboljngul�tI.::s ,llout(l also be a pan 01 this Iype of research.
14 JurnaJ Baha.ra Moden
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