Innovation in Language Learning

English for Specific Purposes has established itself as a significant and very useful branch of Linguistics that can be divided into several sub-branches based on horizontal and vertical division. Horizontal division would imply division of English for Specific Purposes into Language for different professional fields, such as Medicine, Engineering, Geology, Construction, Economics, Finances, etc. whereas vertical division would imply division of ESP according to application medium: translation, interpretation and teaching English as a foreign language, implying teaching English for some concrete specific field. Although ESP requires different methods and approaches depending on the above-mentioned fields and practical applications of the language, some general framework, linguistic laws and approach to acquisition of terminology of certain specific fields can be singled out for branches of ESP. Design of adequate teaching materials for acquisition of ESP branches would be useful solution to facilitate the process of familiarization of English language specialists with terminology of certain field so that they can effectively render this knowledge to ESP learners.

Teaching ESP courses at higher educational institutions would become good basis for independent growth of the future specialists using all materials available in English including world-wide web, and it can also become basis for developing the ability to establish business communication and cooperation with colleagues from different countries. In this way, ESP can also be considered as certain means of intercultural communication.

The aim of the present work is to offer new way of classifying English for Specific Purposes, its practical applications from the viewpoint of different specific fields and modes of practical application. The newly offered classification is based on the principle of horizontal and vertical divisions of the phenomenon of ESP. Horizontal division of ESP would imply already existing division of ESP into English designed for different specific fields whereas vertical division of ESP would imply division of the phenomenon of ESP according to communicating medium: translation, interpretation, teaching of ESP as a foreign language. On basis of this division we would like to consider ESP as significant means contributing to the development of intercultural communication and, consequently, to the globalization in XX century.