ACQUIRING ESP TEACHER COMPETENCE THROUGH THEORY AND PRACTICE

The emergence of English for Specific Purposes (ESP), which is closely linked to particular professions, requires qualified language teachers. Despite the growing demand for courses in ESP in Romania, and the eagerness of universities and private institutions to include these courses in their curricula, insufficient attention has been given to teaching training in this domain. In the absence of under-graduate ESP teacher training programmes, ESP is taught by General English graduates who basically learn as they go. The aim of this paper is to map the territory, that is, to outline the main coordinates on which a framework of ESP teacher training can be developed in Romania. These coordinates refer to the particularities of teaching ESP and to the subsequent teaching practice. The research method consists in combining theoretical considerations with practical advice and suggestions for pre-service teachers.