Developing an English for Specific Purposes (ESP) Module for Oil Palm Supervisors in Sarawak, Malaysia

English for Specific Purposes (ESP) is very much driven by the specific learning needs of the target group and if learners’ needs are not taken into account, the course will be based on unsuitable or irrelevant materials. It is therefore imperative to understand the students and their reasons for learning the language and seek answers to: Why are students learning the language? Who are the students and what are the reasons for them to learn the language? Learners’ motivation to learn will be affected when there is a clear disconnect between the language needs and the course materials. This paper reports on a preliminary study carried out among students at a State Skills Training Center and proposes a theoretical framework for developing English for Specific Purposes (ESP) for Oil Palm Supervisors. The paper suggests that when the ESP module is specific, tailor-made according to the specific needs of learners, the learners’ capacity for greater understanding and learning is enhanced.