Page 45 - IJSA, Vol. 4, No 1, 2021

International Journal of Science Annals, Vol. 4, No. 1, 2021
рrint ISSN: 2617-2682; online ISSN: 2707-3637; DOI:10.26697/ijsa

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

A Topical Methodology Research Subject

in the European Area of Higher Education:
ELF, EFL or ESP?

Maslov Y. V. 1

1 Belarusian State Economic University, Belarus

Received: 28.05.2021; Accepted: 11.06.2021; Published: 30.06.2021

Keywords: university teaching, English as a lingua franca (ELF), English as a foreign
language (EFL), English for specific purposes (ESP), methodology
Copyright: © 2021 Maslov Y. V. Published by Archives of International Journal of Science
Annals
DOI and UDC DOI https://doi.org/10.26697/ijsa.2021.1.6 UDC 378:005:009
Conflict of interests: The author declares that there is no conflict of interests
Peer review: Double-blind review

Source of support: This study did not receive any outside funding or support
Information about Maslov Yury Vsevolodovich – https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5715-6546;
the author: [email protected]; Doctor of Philosophy in Pedagogy, Associate Professor,
Belarusian State Economic University, Minsk, Belarus.

Dear Editor,
The European “ecosystem” of higher education seems to more focus not on EFL studies but on research in the field
have been affected by the global pandemic in a number of ELF and ESP (English for Specific Purposes). It is
of ways. Some of these impacts may well be viewed as explained by the fact that the ability to use ESP is now a
negative; some others, as giving a new impetus to the highly desirable skill for the majority of professionals
development of the entire educational system. It is working in the post-communist part of Europe.
evident, for instance, that the dire necessity to “go Traditionally, teaching EFL/ESP at tertiary level in
virtual” has created new avenues for the intensification countries like Ukraine and Belarus has been viewed as
of contacts between educators who previously were less high-quality and effective. However, it mostly embraced
motivated to do so (Magomedov et al., 2020; Melnyk et teacher training programs that typically last four years
al., 2020). and end in obtaining an EFL teacher certificate. In
That clearly manifests the fact that the ongoing process contrast, ESP programs offered to students of
of transformations taking place in national higher engineering or natural sciences seldom take more than a
education systems across Europe has not slowed down at year and generally yield far more modest educational
all, which has made some of the current cultural and outcomes.
educational challenges even more pressing. One such Universities across Western and Central Europe have
challenge is the necessity to effectively use ELF (English long offered multiple courses in English. Yet higher
as a lingua franca). education establishments operating today in Eastern
In recent years, the phenomenon has been covered in Europe are not quite capable of following the same path.
many publications whose authors studied it from multiple The most common reason is the lack of educational
perspectives (Barančicová & Zerzová, 2015; Cogo, 2016; cadres who can teach their subjects using English. There
Jenkins, 2009). The most common approach seems to be are many competent English teachers but they are unable
the linguistic one, the research question being whether to teach courses other than those related to EFL. To do
ELF is or isn’t a qualitatively new linguistic entity. so, they need to obtain at least an additional Master’s
Researchers working in post-communist countries have degree in the respective field (law, economics, etc.).
made valuable contributions to linguistic studies, There is also another dimension to this problem. English
especially in the area of EFL studies, as these countries is undoubtedly the language of the European academia.
clearly belong to the so-called Expanding Circle. This brings about the need to use English throughout the
However, the social and cultural realities of today call for entire university continuum. A specific aspect of faculty

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