Abstract:

Definitions about the scope of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) include more components. Nonetheless, there are some basic elements in most of them: needs analysis, second/foreign language teaching, material selection and professional goals. Following the increasingly functionalist approach to education in general, ESP teaching must put more emphasis on the acquisition of skills that can be utilized in a professional context. However, these courses at university level do not seem to be sufficiently focused on preparing learners for their future professions. The aim of this paper is to show to which extent university ESP teachers use digital technology to facilitate and promote teaching and learning focused towards development of students’ professional skills. The main hypothesis is that the use of digital tools enhances the level of authenticity and simulation of job related situations to be encountered in students’ future careers. The paper also attempts to provide answers to the following questions: What is the role of technology in ESP and how can teachers mostly benefit from it? Can technology make up for the lack of teachers’ content knowledge necessary for successful ESP teaching and learning? The methodological approach consists of examination of data collected from the survey with one hundred and thirteen (113) students from Business English and English for Computer Sciences and interviews with English teachers at the South East European University (SEEU) in North Macedonia. The findings are expected to be useful for current and prospective ESP practitioners.

Keywords:

Technology, ESP, professional, teaching, university.