English for specific purposes teacher education : an innovative online approach

Abstract

Despite the fact that the need for English for Specific Purposes (ESP) programmes has grown exceedingly during the last decades, a literature review demonstrates that Teacher Education (TE) in ESP is under-researched. Most ESP educators are General English (GE) teachers with insufficient training in ESP. The necessity for ESP TE has been intensely reported in the literature over the years. This study is a Technical Action Research (TAR) investigation, which aims at addressing the gap that exists in the area of ESP TE, which concerns the lack of flexible online solutions outside the bounds of formal university education that can help ESP practitioners develop their teaching practices. More specifically, the study focuses on the neglected need for ESP TE among a group of 24 language instructors, consisting of ESP practitioners representing different ESP fields or English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers. These language instructors expressed interest in educating themselves on issues of ESP teaching methodology or updating their knowledge on the latest developments in ESP teaching practices. The 24 language instructors came from different countries and different educational contexts.