ESP KAO PRISTUP PODUČAVANJU ENGLESKOG JEZIKA U VISOKOM OBRAZOVANJU / ESP AS AN APPROACH TO ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING IN HIGHER EDUCATION

The paper presents the subject English for Specific Purposes (ESP) in terms of its conceptualization, and indicates a certain fluidity of this concept by defining both its variable and absolute characteristics owing to which ESP acquired its promising position in the field of TESL/TEFL. It is in these characteristics of the ESP approach that its purposeful nature is reflected, which makes it the most fruitful approach to teaching English in higher education. As an approach to teaching English on the basis of the special requirements of the future profession, ESP goes beyond a purely structural and linguistic approach to the text in an effort to enable students to better understand the social and contextual characteristics of different genres, their structural elements and ways in which they achieve their goals. There are many indications that the future development of English for Specific Purposes will head for even greater diversity, contextuality, complexity and critique.