English for specific purposes: discourse analysis and course design

Since the 60's there has been an increasing demand for the teaching of English for specialized purposes (ESP), a major concern in both the English and non-English speaking world. The purpose of this book is to present readers with an overview of the underlying framework of ESP and to provide ideas about the structure of an English for Science and Technology course. Issues such as the different stages in the development of ESP research and their influence on teaching materials, the main linguistic features of scientific prose, genre analysis and future avenues for interdisciplinary research are dealt with.