All language teaching programmes are designed to a specification and in this sense are directed to specific purposes. In this respect, the teaching of LGP (Language for General Purpose) is no less specific and purposeful than LSP (Language for Specific Purpose). The question that could naturally arise would be as follows: Why are we emphasizing on teaching LSP then? To appreciate this, we will have to go a little deeper into the matter.
Actually, what distinguishes LSP and LGP is the way in which the purpose is defined and the manner of its implementation. We have already seen that language is a highly complex phenomenon. Thus the study of language can profitably take two distinct dimensions. These two dimensions of language study have been recognized as two distinct branches of structural versus functional approach (cf. Haugen 1966).
The structural approach of linguistic study aims primarily at the study of the language as a unified structure. This is essentially an educational operation which seeks to provide learners with a general capacity for language use. Under this teaching, a course might specify objectives in terms of lexical items or syntactic structures or notions or functions, but its aim would be to develop a general ability to exploit a knowledge of these elements in effective communication. Thus a course may have, as one of its objectives, the development of the ability to carry out certain experiments in Chemistry, but the aim of this exercise would refer to a more general capacity for problem solving and rational enquiry which learners could apply to later experience when they had no further contact with Chemistry for the rest of their lives.
On the other hand, the functional approach is essentially a training operation which seeks to provide learners with a restricted competence to enable them to cope with certain clearly defined tasks. These tasks constitute the special purposes which special courses on Language for Special purposes is designed to meet. Such courses make direct reference to eventual aims. |
