ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHERS TRANSITIONING FROM ENGLISH FOR GENERAL PURPOSES TO ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC/ACADEMIC PURPOSES: CHALLENGES AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

This systematic review aims to synthesize a body of scholarship on the transition of English language teachers from English for General Purposes (EGP) to English for Specific Purposes (ESP)/English for Academic Purposes (EAP), with a focus on their challenges, solutions, and professional development. A total of 37 texts were selected as the focal literature for thematic analysis. Six strands of challenges under the themes of emotional tensions, ESP/EAP-related knowledge, course materials, target students, collaboration with content teachers, and research practice, each coupled with corresponding solutions, were identified. To address these challenges, transitioning ESP/EAP teachers follow diverse and individualized learning trajectories that are shaped by their previous learning and working experience as well as their contextual conditions. These findings are expected to facilitate English teachers’ EGP-to-ESP/EAP transition, inform the design of ESP/EAP teacher education programs, and provide a reference point for future research on transitioning ESP/EAP teachers.