The axis tlhesis of this paper is that, today, it is ESP （English for Specific Purposes） in particular, rather than General English, that is the agent of the spread of globalization. Currently, ESP is witnessing an ...The axis tlhesis of this paper is that, today, it is ESP （English for Specific Purposes） in particular, rather than General English, that is the agent of the spread of globalization. Currently, ESP is witnessing an unprecedented spread, to a point of almost taking over the relevance and frequency of teaching of General English. Hereby, we look at the phenomenon of globalization as a social concept that demands of education that students are taught performativity, therefore just skills needed for the global economy functioning, and not education as a move towards change, refinement, and individuation of a personality. ESP is taught as a sort of socially neutral language, as it presumably deals only with the language of some specific science or profession. Relying on the relevant work of the acclaimed social theorists, it is our claim that as there is no socially and/or ideologically neutral language, and that this fact applies for ESP. It is because of this, that we hereby advocate a strong and urgent need for the application of critical pedagogy and critical literacy stances in the practice of ESP, and we give some broad directions of how that can be achieved.展开更多
文摘The axis tlhesis of this paper is that, today, it is ESP （English for Specific Purposes） in particular, rather than General English, that is the agent of the spread of globalization. Currently, ESP is witnessing an unprecedented spread, to a point of almost taking over the relevance and frequency of teaching of General English. Hereby, we look at the phenomenon of globalization as a social concept that demands of education that students are taught performativity, therefore just skills needed for the global economy functioning, and not education as a move towards change, refinement, and individuation of a personality. ESP is taught as a sort of socially neutral language, as it presumably deals only with the language of some specific science or profession. Relying on the relevant work of the acclaimed social theorists, it is our claim that as there is no socially and/or ideologically neutral language, and that this fact applies for ESP. It is because of this, that we hereby advocate a strong and urgent need for the application of critical pedagogy and critical literacy stances in the practice of ESP, and we give some broad directions of how that can be achieved.
