Getting specific

Why are you learning English? Why are you learning business English?

What would you say if someone asked you these questions (assuming, of course, that you are learning English in some form)?

You might simply say, "I dunno, it's a kind of interesting thing to do." Or you might say, "Well, English is important, isn't it? Everybody needs it." Or possibly, "Why not? I've got nothing else to do at the moment."

You might say any of those things. But somehow, I suspect you wouldn't. You are more likely to have a specific reason — for example, because you need it in your current job, or think it might help you to get a future job, or because you want to study in an English-speaking country.

You might say that you need English for meetings or presentations or conference calls. You might need it to talk to engineers or doctors, or to work at an airport.

Of course, you might want English for purposes that are not related to work — to visit or live in an English-speaking country or to talk to your English-speaking boyfriend, girlfriend or whatever.

The point is that most adults have a specific reason for their learning — what teachers call "English for Specific Purposes" (ESP). And learners increasingly want English that is targeted at their specific needs.

The growth in interest in ESP could be seen last weekend in Ulm at a conference for which Business Spotlight was the media partner. More than 200 teachers and trainers gathered to discuss issues relating to topics such as English for law, finance, law enforcement, the automotive industry, technical jobs, HR, telecommunications and tourism.

The conference was kicked off with a plenary talk by Thomas Haeckel, of Cisco Systems Germany, looking at how technology is changing the way students learn, including the cute video below.

So, why are you learning English?

The next blog post by Ian McMaster will appear on 12 October 2009.