THE ROLE OF CULTURE AND ESP IN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF SPECIALISTS

Abstract

As it is known culture is divided into the following sub-fields: national culture, professional culture and organizational culture. National culture conditions collective mental programming or “software of the mind” (Hofstede, 2001), i.e. the way of thinking of people of one and the same nation and, consequently, professionals belonging to this nation. Organizational culture specifies norms of behavior of professionals of one certain field from organizational point of view. Professional culture conditions ways of behavior of specialists in professional situations. English for Specific Purposes in combination with professional culture are very important means for creating common model of professional of certain field, thus ensuring the basis for unification of professionals from all over the world, in this way making significant contribution to globalization. Professional culture in combination with English for Specific Purposes can become effective means for developing communicative skills in professionals.

On the examples of absolutely different fields of human activity such as Medical and Maritime fields, we can see that due to professional culture medical specialists from all over the world have very much in common. Knowledge of Latin for Medicine, that can be considered to be the earliest example of Language for Specific Purposes, became important supplemental basis for this unification. In 1980s the English language was officially recognized as working language of maritime field. This fact as well as common professional culture significantly contributed to globalization of maritime field. Consequently, professional culture and English for Specific Purposes make significant contribution to development of model of professionals eligible for employment on the international level. Therefore, in the present article we offer consideration of syllabi for different ESP courses that would contain “culture” elements. Successful development of such syllabi that could be compiled on the global level would make significant contribution to globalization of different fields of human activity and could simplify the process of preparation of specialists in ESP both at higher educational institutions and international specialized companies on the international level. Practical implementation of this approach would be especially important for countries like Georgia that do not have significant experience in preparation of specialists who would be eligible for international employment.