The Post-communist Era: "the bloom" of ESP in Romania
The Post-communist Era: "the bloom" of ESP in Romania

Summary/Abstract: In the last 30 years since the Romanian revolution, there have been a lot of changes occurring at the level of acquiring foreign languages, especially English, trends which have grown hand in hand with the changing needs of the learners. More and more students in higher education as well as adults working for different international companies are becoming aware of the importance of learning English at a professional level so that they might become proficient speakers of the language. Thus, the present paper aims at discussing some of the important aspects of teaching and learning English for Specific Purposes (ESP) in Romania in the post-communist period. ESP has evolved a lot in our country, starting from its spread at the academic level and continuing with an increased demand on behalf of the professionals working for different international entities. Structured in five sections, the paper intends to present the background of ESP in general, focusing on the needs analysis of the learners, their motivational factors and expectations and continues with enhancing the language skills necessary for both teaching and learning ESP. A review of the materials and textbooks used throughout years is also brought into discussion in order to highlight how much the learning process has evolved. Of all the branches of ESP, special emphasis is offered to Business English as well as to Technical English and English for medical professionals. Undoubtedly, when it comes to ESP in general, the goal of any teacher/trainer is to select the proper materials which meet both the needs and expectations of their learners.

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