A、Three groups of learners. B、The importance of business English. C、English for Specific Purposes. D、Features of English for dif

There are three groups of English learners: beginners, intermediate learners and learners of special English. Beginners need to learn the basis of English. Students who have reached an intermediate level benefit from learning general English skills. But what about the students who want to learn special English for their work or professional life? Most students who fit the third group have a clear idea of what they want to learn. A bank clerk, for example, wants to use the special English vocabulary and technical terms of finance. But for teachers, deciding how to teach special English is not so easy. For a start, the variety is enormous. Every field, from air pilots to secretaries, has its own vocabulary and technical terms. Teachers also need to have an up-to-date knowledge of that special language and not many teachers are exposed to working environments outside the classroom. These issues have influenced the way special English is taught in schools. This type of course is usually known as English for specific purposes or ESP and there is ESP course for almost every area of professional and working life. In Britain, for example, there are courses which teach English for doctors, lawyers, reporters, travel agents and people working in the hotel industry. By far, the most popular ESP courses are for business English.