ESP In Morocco! What For? [Madrasati @ Abdessalami On

Introduction

It is generally agreed upon the fact that E.S.P is an approach meant to teach adult learners who need a strictly limited range of Lexis, expressions and functions to use only in their specific professional or vocational environment. In a word, ESP is a method "based on the learner's reason for learning", Hutchinson & Waters (1987:19). Thus, this approach is subject to a multitude of divisions and sub-divisions according to the different reasons, study disciplines and specializations spreading in the world day after day.

Yet this doesn't mean that ESP is useless with young students in secondary school settings. On the contrary, it is, nowadays, the most required method to meet both the learners' and the labor market needs. ESP branches are multiplying with time. Each branch is dividing into sub-branches. Therefore, ESP becomes more and more required and talked about all around the world. Take this example from Hutchinson & Walters's tree of the sub-branches of ESP : Check the acronyms

ELT

ESP

EST

EAP

English for Medical Studies.
...

EOP

English for Technicians.
...

EBE

EAP
EOP

ESS
...

Hey, teachers...!

The teacher's task, consequently, is to be greatly affected by this diversity of study sections. Therefore she should exert intensive efforts; first, to be able to cope with this "breeding" situation of new branches every day. Second, to widen her all-discipline language repertory (esp. technological jargon) because she deals, at the same time, with General English as it is conceived and used in traditional academic schools, and professional one. So in order to be in harmony with all branches needs and interests and eventually succeed in her task "an ESP teacher must master more than a specialized vocabulary. Thinking styles, problem solving methods, and communication strategies within professional groups differ as well" Sutherland (1995:6)

ESP as a strategy in Moroccan schools

Let's first make it clear from the beginning that ESP in Morocco is still in its theoretical phase. No serious decisions have been taken in this field so far. It seems that the English language does not still have any major role to play in our economy priorities; which doesn't sound practical, logical and modern. Apart from this, Teachers of English in Morocco can do a lot, if they are given the opportunity, to change the language into a productive tool in many sectors notably scientific and technological schools, hotel management, business, banking, finance, agriculture and all the sectors connected to the basis of our economy resources. Yet it should not be introduced in the way the 3^rd year syllabus "Bridges" was designed and assigned as an ESP curriculum. This textbook is more an amalgamation of different scientific topics than a specific discipline based course. If it is considered as an ESP program, so an optician is also a dentist. "Bridges" can be anything but not a component of an ESP curriculum in the practical sense of the term. I can even say that integrating ESP should at least occur in two major economical sectors notably tourism and agriculture. They represent the backbone of our economy and have a lot to do with English as an international language. Accordingly, it is imperative to redirect our attention towards these two rich labor markets to draw as a goal intensifying our students' job-related skills.

It goes without saying that the English language has become an international lingua franca in almost any field of study. On this basis ESP has already gone a great deal in USA and Japan and many other developed countries; whereas in Morocco we still can't make our minds about it. Nevertheless what might encourage adopting this approach in our schools is the fact that we have all the ingredients necessary to make it a very delicious "Tajin".

If ESP is activated in contexts where modernization is the target objective, Morocco now has all the reasons to adopt and approve it. The objectives of modernization in our country are clearly set, defined and begun to get concrete. Our telecommunication field is fertile, the same thing for international trade through important ports and airports. But the most urgent projects of all, as mentioned previously, are tourism and agriculture which constitute the main pillars of our economy. Why then delay launching the project of ESP officially?

More reasons

If ESP understands English as a variety of languages characterized by two important features, notably

A definite conceptual orientation.
A set of linguistic restrictions imposed upon the contextual functioning of words.
A.I Komarova & A.A Lipgart

Morocco has to provide and develop high quality training in the language and communication skills because its economy is dynamic and growing in such a pace which allows it to be at the center of the business world interest. It could easily be a substitute to the former Hong Kong market. Its geo-strategic situation as a bridge between Africa (a growing economy) and Europe (a developed economy) has a lot to do with the progress and fluorescence of the networked business. Tangiers is going ahead in this direction.

The problem is that we still don't conceive the real importance of the opportunity that we are hesitating to seize. We still consider English as a foreign language despite the fact that it is at home everywhere in the modern world. It is thanks to it that the Asian economies, for instance, emerged. In Morocco, however, we still rely on French as the only language available to grasp science and technology whereas France, ironically, is developing an ESP strategy to find itself a place in the worldwide market. We can even talk about a sort of a French English or better an English of a French nationality thanks to the French scientists who contributed a lot to development and evolving of some scientific facets.

A Moroccan English, Why not?!

It is more than just true that English used in ESP methodology is not the language used by British, Americans, Australians or Canadians. It is rather the language of science and technology. Therefore, every country apart can have its own way of conceiving and using English to, eventually, meet the basics of the international means of communication. Is English metamorphosing? No. The obscurity of defining the English language has been made opaque by the multitude of users of English from other languages. It is not clear enough, is it?

Well, a French or a German or a Japanese or whoever scientist who uses English in the sphere of scientific communication is not obliged to take native speakers for standard to weigh or test his/her spelling or pronunciation accuracy. Whatever nationality the scientist is, the English she or he uses is simply a different one referred to as scientific English; which is the International Language.

Many other disciplinary factors may interfere to enrich the lexical repertoire of this international English. Each new discovery can contribute to the jargon of English be it scientific, financial, business, or tourism one. Couscous, Tajin, Meshwi, Pastilla, Mint Tea... are English words of Moroccan origin. Hence, they are part of the English specialized vocabulary repertoire despite their nationality. This does not mean that the internationalization of English will negatively affect the native classical English accuracy. On the contrary, the use of these imported words, for instance, into English will be limited and constrained in communicating "the Moroccan Cuisine" as it is the case here. The specification of some Englishes are healthy signs. They simply show that, scientifically speaking, "all the world will be one". (Imagine, John Lennon). The scientific English, let's state it differently, encloses many languages because all scientists, including those working in USA or Britain, are not merely American or British.

In brief, speakers of other languages participate in the enrichment and diversification of the English language used for specific purposes. There are in English words and terms which are more German, Russian or Indian than English. Why not some typical Moroccan terms?!

What else?

Obviously, we have no choice. Our educational system is barren and the result is thousands of diploma holders without jobs. The elite is summoned by developed countries which can provide them jobs, the rest are torn apart between futile jobs and trying to "burn" travel illegally to Europe. Hence Swift's saying,"Bread is the staff of life.". Let's be quick and think of a suitable way to integrate this new ESP approach into our educational system, everybody does.

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