ABSTRACT
This chapter examines issues related to four topics in ESP course design. It examines rst the topic of language varieties, that is, descriptions of language use in speci c academic, workplace, or professional environments. Second, it examines the topic of needs analysis, the type of investigation ESP curriculum developers use to identify the gap between what learners already know and what they need to know in order to study or work in their speci c target environments. Curriculum developers use ndings from needs analyses to help them specify the content of syllabuses. Third, it examines the topic of the syllabus. A number of different types of syllabus have been identi ed in the literature. Finally, it examines the topic of wide-versus narrow-angled course designs. Narrow-angled courses are devised for learners with very similar needs and are highly specialized. Wide-angled ESP courses are devised for learners with needs that are only somewhat similar and less specialized. The chapter concludes with discussion of speci c and speci able aspects of ESP.
