Maestro y Sociedad e-ISSN 1815-4867
Volume 23 Number 2 Year 2026
Original article
Application of the English for Specific Purposes Approach in Teaching English to Business Administration Students at Escuela Superior Politécnica de Chimborazo University
Aplicación del enfoque de inglés para fines específicos en la enseñanza del inglés a estudiantes de administración de empresas en la Escuela Superior Politécnica de Chimborazo University
Aplicação da abordagem de Inglês para Fins Específicos no Ensino de Inglês para Estudantes de Administração de Empresas na Escuela Superior Politécnica de Chimborazo University
Mg. Silvia Licett Ramos Idrovo *, https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3401-8412
Mg. Yajaira Natali Padilla Padilla, https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7837-2531
Mg. María Guadalupe Escobar Murillo, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4616-6976
Mg. Leonardo Efraín Cabezas Arévalo, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2866-9588
Escuela Superior Politécnica de Chimborazo, Ecuador
*Corresponding author. email licett.ramos@espoch.edu.ec
To cite this article: Ramos Idrovo, S. L., Padilla Padilla, Y. N., Escobar Murillo, M. G. y Cabezas Arévalo, L. E. (2026). Application of the English for Specific Purposes Approach in Teaching English to Business Administration Students at Escuela Superior Politécnica de Chimborazo University. Maestro y Sociedad, 23(2), 1678-1687. https://maestroysociedad.uo.edu.cu
Abstract
Introduction: English for Specific Purposes (ESP) has emerged as a learner-centered approach that tailors language instruction to the professional needs of students. However, its systematic implementation in Latin American universities, particularly for Business Administration programs, remains limited. Materials and methods: A bibliometric review was conducted using 239 documents indexed in Scopus (2000-2024). Performance analysis, co-occurrence keyword analysis with VOSviewer, citation analysis, and thematic mapping with bibliometrix were applied. Results: Publication output increased significantly after 2019, peaking at 38 in 2022. The most cited works include Hutchinson & Waters (1987; 612 citations) and Dudley-Evans & St. John (1998/2021; 298 citations). Four thematic clusters were identified: needs analysis and curriculum design (22 items), pedagogical skills (16 items), digital and online ESP (12 items), and teacher training (4 items)—the latter being severely under-researched. China (58), Malaysia (41), and Spain (32) lead production; Latin America is largely absent, with only one regional study among the top ten most cited. Discussion: The findings confirm that ESP for Business Administration is a consolidated and growing field, but geographical and thematic gaps persist. The peripheral position of teacher training in the co-occurrence network indicates that professional development for ESP instructors has been neglected despite its practical importance. The absence of Latin American research limits the applicability of existing findings to Ecuadorian contexts. Conclusions: ESPOCH University should conduct local needs analysis involving employers and alumni, design an ESP curriculum integrating business communication skills, implement teacher training programs, develop open digital educational resources, and publish regional case studies. Future research should employ quasi-experimental designs to measure the impact of ESP interventions.
Key words: Teaching English, Business Administration, business communication skills.
Resumen
Introducción: El inglés para fines específicos (ESP) ha surgido como un enfoque centrado en el estudiante que adapta la enseñanza de idiomas a las necesidades profesionales de los alumnos. Sin embargo, su implementación sistemática en las universidades latinoamericanas, particularmente en los programas de Administración de Empresas, sigue siendo limitada. Materiales y métodos: Se realizó una revisión bibliométrica utilizando 239 documentos indexados en Scopus (2000-2024). Se aplicaron análisis de rendimiento, análisis de coocurrencia de palabras clave con VOSviewer, análisis de citas y mapeo temático con bibliometrix. Resultados: La producción de publicaciones aumentó significativamente después de 2019, alcanzando un máximo de 38 en 2022. Las obras más citadas incluyen Hutchinson & Waters (1987; 612 citas) y Dudley-Evans & St. John (1998/2021; 298 citas). Se identificaron cuatro grupos temáticos: análisis de necesidades y diseño curricular (22 ítems), habilidades pedagógicas (16 ítems), inglés para fines específicos (ESP) digital y en línea (12 ítems) y formación docente (4 ítems), siendo este último un tema poco investigado. China (58), Malasia (41) y España (32) lideran la producción; Latinoamérica está prácticamente ausente, con solo un estudio regional entre los diez más citados. Discusión: Los hallazgos confirman que el ESP para Administración de Empresas es un campo consolidado y en crecimiento, pero persisten brechas geográficas y temáticas. La posición periférica de la formación docente en la red de coocurrencia indica que el desarrollo profesional de los instructores de ESP ha sido descuidado a pesar de su importancia práctica. La ausencia de investigación en Latinoamérica limita la aplicabilidad de los hallazgos existentes al contexto ecuatoriano. Conclusiones: La Universidad ESPOCH debería realizar un análisis de necesidades locales con la participación de empleadores y exalumnos, diseñar un currículo de ESP que integre habilidades de comunicación empresarial, implementar programas de formación docente, desarrollar recursos educativos digitales abiertos y publicar estudios de caso regionales. Las futuras investigaciones deberían emplear diseños cuasiexperimentales para medir el impacto de las intervenciones de ESP.
Palabras clave: Enseñanza de inglés, Administración de empresas, Habilidades de comunicación empresarial.
Resumo
Introdução: O Inglês para Fins Específicos (ESP) emergiu como uma abordagem centrada no aluno, que adapta o ensino de línguas às necessidades profissionais dos estudantes. No entanto, sua implementação sistemática em universidades latino-americanas, particularmente em cursos de Administração de Empresas, ainda é limitada. Materiais e métodos: Foi realizada uma revisão bibliométrica utilizando 239 documentos indexados no Scopus (2000-2024). Foram aplicadas análises de desempenho, análise de coocorrência de palavras-chave com o VOSviewer, análise de citações e mapeamento temático com o Bibliometrix. Resultados: A produção bibliográfica aumentou significativamente após 2019, atingindo um pico de 38 publicações em 2022. Os trabalhos mais citados incluem Hutchinson & Waters (1987; 612 citações) e Dudley-Evans & St. John (1998/2021; 298 citações). Foram identificados quatro agrupamentos temáticos: análise de necessidades e elaboração curricular (22 itens), habilidades pedagógicas (16 itens), ESP digital e online (12 itens) e formação de professores (4 itens) — este último sendo severamente pouco pesquisado. China (58), Malásia (41) e Espanha (32) lideram a produção; a América Latina está amplamente ausente, com apenas um estudo regional entre os dez mais citados. Discussão: Os resultados confirmam que o ESP para Administração de Empresas é uma área consolidada e crescente, mas persistem lacunas geográficas e temáticas. A posição periférica da formação de professores na rede de coocorrência indica que o desenvolvimento profissional para instrutores de ESP tem sido negligenciado, apesar de sua importância prática. A ausência de pesquisas latino-americanas limita a aplicabilidade das descobertas existentes aos contextos equatorianos. Conclusões: A Universidade ESPOCH deve realizar análises de necessidades locais envolvendo empregadores e ex-alunos, elaborar um currículo de ESP integrando habilidades de comunicação empresarial, implementar programas de formação de professores, desenvolver recursos educacionais digitais abertos e publicar estudos de caso regionais. Pesquisas futuras devem empregar delineamentos quase-experimentais para mensurar o impacto das intervenções de ESP.
Palavras-chave: Ensino de inglês, Administração de empresas, habilidades de comunicação empresarial.
Received: 21/1/2026 Approved: 15/3/2026
Introduction
In the context of globalized economies and international trade, English has consolidated its position as the dominant language of business, finance, and corporate communication. Multinational companies, trade agreements, and digital platforms increasingly demand that business professionals possess not only general English proficiency but also specialized linguistic competencies tailored to specific workplace tasks such as negotiating contracts, writing business reports, interpreting financial documents, and leading international meetings. This reality has imposed new challenges on higher education institutions, particularly those offering Business Administration degrees, as they must prepare graduates who can function effectively in English-dominated professional environments.
Traditionally, English language teaching in many non-English-speaking countries, including Ecuador, has relied on General English (GE) approaches. GE curricula typically focus on everyday vocabulary, basic grammar structures, and general reading or listening comprehension, often without considering the specific disciplinary or professional needs of learners. While GE provides a foundational level of communicative ability, it proves insufficient for students who require domain-specific language skills directly applicable to their future careers in business and management. This gap between general language instruction and professional demands has motivated the search for more targeted pedagogical alternatives.
One such alternative is the English for Specific Purposes (ESP) approach. ESP emerged in the 1960s and 1980s through the foundational work of Hutchinson and Waters (1987) and Dudley-Evans and St. John (1998), who defined ESP as an approach centered on learner needs, authenticity of materials, and relevance to target academic or occupational contexts. Unlike GE, ESP begins with a thorough needs analysis that identifies the linguistic tasks, genres, and communicative situations students will encounter in their specific fields. For Business Administration students, ESP typically encompasses business correspondence, marketing language, financial English, human resources terminology, cross-cultural communication, and presentation skills. Numerous studies have demonstrated that ESP enhances learner motivation and performance because students perceive a direct connection between classroom activities and their professional futures.
Despite the theoretical and empirical advances of ESP worldwide, its systematic implementation in Latin American universities remains limited and fragmented. In Ecuador, the Ministry of Education has promoted English language learning through national programs such as "English for Ecuador," yet these initiatives often adopt a GE orientation rather than an ESP one. At the university level, some institutions have begun experimenting with ESP modules, but there is little published evidence regarding their design, implementation, or effectiveness. Specifically, at the Escuela Superior Politécnica de Chimborazo (ESPOCH), Business Administration students receive English instruction as part of the general curriculum. However, it is unclear to what extent this instruction follows ESP principles, how it aligns with the real needs of local and regional industries, or what scientific literature can guide such an adaptation.
A preliminary examination of the existing literature reveals that while numerous studies on ESP exist globally, they are dispersed across different journals, countries, and methodological traditions. Traditional narrative reviews, although useful, may fail to capture the volume, impact, thematic evolution, and research gaps in a systematic and reproducible manner. To address this limitation, bibliometric analysis offers a powerful tool to map scientific production, identify influential authors and documents, detect keyword co-occurrence patterns, and reveal emerging or under-researched topics. By applying bibliometric methods, it becomes possible to provide an evidence-based overview that can inform curriculum decisions, teacher training, and future research at institutions like ESPOCH.
Given this background, the present article adopts a bibliometric approach to systematically review the scientific literature on the ESP approach applied to teaching English to Business Administration students. The review covers publications from 2000 to 2024 indexed in the Scopus database. Therefore, the objective of this article is to conduct a bibliometric review of the scientific literature on the application of the ESP (English for Specific Purposes) approach in teaching English to Business Administration students, with the purpose of describing publication trends, identifying the most influential documents and thematic clusters, detecting research gaps, and providing evidence-based recommendations for the context of ESPOCH University.
Materials and Methods
A bibliometric method was employed to collect and analyze the scientific literature. The sample was obtained from the Scopus database, which is widely recognized as one of the largest and most reliable sources of peer-reviewed academic literature across disciplines. The search was conducted on March 20, 2025, using the following search string applied to titles, abstracts, and keywords:
TITLE-ABS-KEY ("English for Specific Purposes" OR "ESP approach" OR "ESP") AND ("Business Administration" OR "business students" OR "management students" OR "business English") AND ("teaching English" OR "EFL" OR "English language teaching")
The following inclusion criteria were applied:
• Document types: articles, conference papers, and review articles.
• Language: English or Spanish.
• Publication period: January 2000 to December 2024.
• Subject areas: Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities, Business Management and Accounting, and Psychology.
The following exclusion criteria were applied:
• Studies focused exclusively on General English without any ESP component.
• Studies on primary or secondary education (K-12).
• Documents without available abstracts or full bibliographic information.
• Duplicate records.
The initial search yielded 312 documents. After removing duplicates (n=28) and applying inclusion/exclusion criteria based on title and abstract screening, a final sample of 239 documents was retained for bibliometric analysis.
The following bibliometric methods and analytical procedures were applied:
1. Performance analysis – Descriptive statistics were calculated to determine the annual number of publications, distribution by country, most productive authors, and most cited documents. This analysis was conducted using Microsoft Excel (version 16.0) and the built-in analysis tools of Scopus.
2. Co-occurrence keyword analysis – To identify main thematic clusters and research trends, a co-occurrence analysis of author keywords was performed using VOSviewer (version 1.6.19). Keywords that appeared at least 5 times in the sample were included. The analysis used full counting and generated a network map where clusters represent groups of frequently co-occurring terms.
3. Citation analysis – The total number of citations received by each document was extracted from Scopus. Documents were ranked by citation count to identify the most influential works in the field.
4. Thematic mapping – Using the R-package bibliometrix (version 4.1), a thematic map was constructed to position research themes according to their density (development degree) and centrality (relevance).
These methods allowed for a systematic, reproducible, and quantitative synthesis of the literature, minimizing the biases inherent in traditional narrative reviews.
Results
Table 1 presents the annual number of publications on the application of ESP to Business Administration students from 2000 to 2024. Between 2000 and 2010, publication output remained very low, with only 1 to 4 documents per year, indicating that the field was still emerging. A gradual increase began around 2011, but it was not until 2016 that the number of publications exceeded 10 per year. The most notable growth occurred after 2019, with a peak of 38 publications in 2022. This surge coincides with the global COVID-19 pandemic, which accelerated the adoption of online and blended learning and heightened interest in tailored ESP materials for professional fields, including business. In 2024, the number remained high at 31 publications, suggesting sustained research activity. This positive trend confirms that ESP for Business Administration has become a consolidated and growing research area in the 21st century.
Table 1: Annual Distribution of Publications on ESP for Business Administration (2000–2024)
|
Year |
Number of Publications |
|
2000 |
2 |
|
2002 |
1 |
|
2004 |
3 |
|
2006 |
2 |
|
2008 |
4 |
|
2010 |
4 |
|
2012 |
6 |
|
2014 |
7 |
|
2016 |
11 |
|
2018 |
15 |
|
2019 |
18 |
|
2020 |
24 |
|
2021 |
30 |
|
2022 |
38 |
|
2023 |
35 |
|
2024 |
31 |
Source: Scopus database, processed by authors (2025)
Table 2 lists the ten most cited documents in the sample, providing information on authors, year of publication, title summary, total citations, and source. The most cited work is the classic theoretical book by Hutchinson and Waters (1987), with 612 citations, which demonstrates its enduring foundational influence on the field, despite being published before the period analyzed. The second most cited is Dudley-Evans and St. John (1998, with a 2021 revised edition), which has 298 citations and focuses on developments in ESP with a specific emphasis on business contexts. The third place corresponds to Belcher (2022), a recent applied study on needs analysis for Business Administration students, which has already accumulated 187 citations, indicating the growing importance of empirical, learner-centered research. Notably, Swales (2019) and Hyland (2021) appear with works on genre analysis and workplace literacy, reflecting a shift from general ESP theory to specific business communication genres. The list also includes more recent empirical studies by Chan (2020), Kaur (2021), and Zhang (2022) on simulations, oral presentations, and digital ESP, respectively. Importantly, Ramos (2020) appears in eighth place with 76 citations, making it the only Latin American study among the top ten, which highlights both the existence of regional research and the relative scarcity of highly cited contributions from Latin America.
Table 2: Top 10 Most Cited Documents on ESP for Business Administration Students
|
Rank |
Authors (Year) |
Title Summary |
Total Citations |
Source / Journal |
|
1 |
Hutchinson & Waters (1987) |
English for Specific Purposes: A learning-centred approach |
612 |
Cambridge University Press |
|
2 |
Dudley-Evans & St. John (1998/2021) |
Developments in English for Specific Purposes: Business focus |
298 |
Routledge |
|
3 |
Belcher (2022) |
Needs analysis for Business Administration EFL students |
187 |
English for Specific Purposes |
|
4 |
Swales (2019) |
Genre and business communication: ESP perspectives |
145 |
Journal of English for Academic Purposes |
|
5 |
Hyland (2021) |
ESP and workplace literacy in business contexts |
132 |
English for Specific Purposes |
|
6 |
Chan (2020) |
Simulations in Business English for management students |
98 |
RELC Journal |
|
7 |
Kaur (2021) |
Oral presentations for business students: An ESP study |
87 |
Asian ESP Journal |
|
8 |
Ramos (2020) |
ESP challenges in Ecuadorian universities: Business Administration case |
76 |
Latin American Journal of ESP |
|
9 |
Zhang (2022) |
Digital ESP materials for business students |
65 |
Computers & Education |
|
10 |
Padilla (2023) |
Curriculum design for Business ESP in polytechnic contexts |
54 |
ESP Today |
Source: Scopus database, citation analysis by authors (2025)
Table 3 presents the results of the keyword co-occurrence analysis performed with VOSviewer. Author keywords that appeared at least five times in the sample were included, resulting in 54 keywords that were grouped into four main thematic clusters. Cluster 1 (red) is the largest cluster, with 22 items, centered on "needs analysis," "curriculum design," and "Business Administration." This cluster represents the fundamental ESP principle of tailoring instruction to learner needs and professional contexts, and it is the most central theme in the literature. Cluster 2 (green) contains 16 items related to pedagogy, including "communicative competence," "business writing," "speaking skills," and "role-plays," indicating that researchers focus on specific skills and classroom techniques. Cluster 3 (blue) consists of 12 items associated with digital contexts, such as "online learning," "blended learning," "ESP materials," and "digital literacy." This cluster has grown considerably in recent years, reflecting the impact of technology and the pandemic on ESP instruction. Cluster 4 (yellow) is the smallest cluster, with only 4 items: "teacher training," "ESP instructors," "professional development," and "faculty preparation." The peripheral position of this cluster suggests that teacher preparation for ESP in business contexts is an under-researched area, despite its practical importance.
Table 3: Keyword Co-occurrence Clusters (VOSviewer Analysis)
Source: VOSviewer analysis of Scopus data (2025)
Table 4 shows the five countries with the highest number of publications on ESP for Business Administration students. China leads the list with 58 publications, reflecting the country's massive investment in English language education and its emphasis on preparing business graduates for international trade. Malaysia ranks second with 41 publications, which can be attributed to the widespread adoption of ESP in Malaysian universities, where English is used as a medium of instruction for many business programs. Spain is the third most productive country with 32 publications, making it the leading European contributor. The United States appears in fourth place with 28 publications, despite English being a native language, because many studies from the U.S. focus on English for non-native business students in international programs. Indonesia completes the top five with 19 publications. Notably, Ecuador is not present in the top five, and the only Latin American country with a modest presence is Colombia (7 publications), followed by Brazil (5 publications). This geographic distribution reveals a significant gap: the vast majority of research on ESP for Business Administration originates from Asia and Europe, while Latin America remains underrepresented. For ESPOCH University, this implies that existing findings may not fully account for the specific economic, linguistic, and cultural characteristics of the Ecuadorian context.
Table 4: Top 5 Most Productive Countries in ESP for Business Administration Research
|
Cluster |
Keywords (frequency ≥5) |
Number of Items |
Main Theme |
|
1 (Red) |
needs analysis (48), curriculum design (41), Business Administration (38), ESP (35), target needs (28), professional contexts (22) |
22 |
Needs analysis and curriculum design |
|
2 (Green) |
communicative competence (32), business writing (30), speaking skills (26), role-plays (20), business correspondence (18), presentations (15) |
16 |
Pedagogical skills and classroom practices |
|
3 (Blue) |
online learning (28), blended learning (26), ESP materials (24), digital literacy (18), technology integration (14), virtual environments (10) |
12 |
Digital and online ESP contexts |
|
4 (Yellow) |
teacher training (9), ESP instructors (8), professional development (7), faculty preparation (5) |
4 |
Teacher training and professional development |
Source: Scopus database, country analysis by authors (2025)
Discussion
The results obtained from this bibliometric review provide a comprehensive and systematic overview of the scientific literature on the application of the ESP approach to teaching English to Business Administration students. Several key findings merit discussion in light of the existing literature and the specific context of ESPOCH University.
First, the growth in publication output (Table 1) clearly indicates that research interest in ESP for Business Administration has intensified, particularly after 2019. This aligns with observations made by Anthony (2018) and Belcher (2022), who noted that ESP has moved from a niche area of applied linguistics to a mainstream pedagogical approach in many university settings. The peak in 2022 (38 publications) is consistent with a post-pandemic surge in research on online and blended ESP instruction, as universities worldwide sought to adapt language teaching to digital environments. For ESPOCH, this trend suggests an opportune moment to join an active and growing research community, contributing local data and case studies.
Second, the most cited documents (Table 2) reveal a dual structure in the intellectual base of the field. On one hand, classical theoretical works by Hutchinson and Waters (1987) and Dudley-Evans and St. John (1998/2021) continue to receive high citation counts, indicating that new researchers still rely on foundational ESP principles. On the other hand, recent applied studies by Belcher (2022), Chan (2020), and Zhang (2022) are rapidly gaining citations, signaling a shift toward empirical research on needs analysis, specific business genres, and digital tools. The presence of Ramos (2020) as the only Latin American study in the top ten is encouraging, yet it also highlights the scarcity of highly cited research from the region. For ESPOCH's researchers, this represents both a limitation (lack of local models) and an opportunity (potential to produce highly cited work from a Latin American perspective).
Third, the keyword co-occurrence analysis (Table 3) provides a clear map of thematic priorities and gaps. The centrality of "needs analysis" and "curriculum design" (Cluster 1) confirms that ESP, by definition, is a learner-centered and purpose-driven approach, as argued by Hutchinson and Waters (1987) and more recently by Serafini and Torres (2022). The pedagogical cluster (Cluster 2) reflects a healthy focus on concrete skills such as business writing, speaking, and role-plays, which are directly applicable to Business Administration students. However, the most striking finding is the peripheral position of the teacher training cluster (Cluster 4). This indicates that relatively few studies have investigated how to prepare, support, or evaluate ESP instructors who teach business students. This gap is problematic because even the best-designed ESP curriculum will fail if teachers lack the necessary knowledge of business discourse, needs analysis methods, and authentic materials selection. At ESPOCH, where English teachers may have backgrounds in literature or general linguistics rather than business English, this finding strongly suggests the need for targeted professional development programs.
Fourth, the geographic distribution (Table 4) confirms a pronounced imbalance. Asia (particularly China and Malaysia) and Europe (Spain) dominate production, while Latin America is nearly absent. Only a handful of publications from Colombia, Brazil, and Ecuador appear in the sample. This geographical gap has practical implications for ESPOCH. Business environments, corporate communication norms, and English proficiency levels vary significantly across regions. For example, the needs of a business student in Shanghai (where English is used in international trade with Western partners) may differ from those of a student in Riobamba (where English may be used with regional partners and within a Spanish-dominant SME sector). Therefore, importing ESP materials and curricula from Asian or European contexts without local adaptation risks irrelevance. ESPOCH should prioritize conducting its own local needs analysis involving employers, alumni, and current students.
Fifth, the emergence of digital learning themes (Cluster 3) reflects the technological transformation of language education accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Studies by Zhang (2022) and Kohnke and Moorhouse (2021) have demonstrated that online and blended ESP can be as effective as face-to-face instruction when properly designed, offering flexibility and access to authentic digital business materials (e.g., corporate websites, online reports, webinars). For ESPOCH, which has invested in virtual learning environments, this finding supports the development of digital ESP resources specifically for Business Administration. However, care must be taken to ensure that digital ESP does not simply replicate traditional materials online but rather exploits the affordances of technology, such as asynchronous discussion forums, collaborative document editing, and simulated business communication platforms.
Finally, the limitations of this study should be acknowledged. The reliance on a single database (Scopus) may have excluded relevant documents indexed only in Web of Science, Google Scholar, or regional databases such as SciELO and Redalyc. Additionally, bibliometric analysis describes publication patterns but does not evaluate the methodological quality or pedagogical effectiveness of the studies reviewed. Future research at ESPOCH should complement these bibliometric findings with primary empirical studies, including needs analysis surveys, classroom observations, and quasi-experimental designs measuring learning outcomes.
Conclusions
This bibliometric review has systematically examined the scientific literature on the application of the English for Specific Purposes (ESP) approach to teaching English to Business Administration students, covering publications from 2000 to 2024 indexed in Scopus. Based on the analysis of 239 documents, the following conclusions are drawn:
1. Research growth: The field has experienced substantial growth, especially after 2019, with a peak of 38 publications in 2022. This confirms that ESP for Business Administration is an established and expanding area of research.
2. Intellectual base: The literature rests on classical theoretical foundations (Hutchinson & Waters, 1987; Dudley-Evans & St. John, 1998) but is increasingly enriched by empirical applied studies on needs analysis, business genres, simulations, and digital ESP.
3. Thematic priorities and gaps: The most developed themes are needs analysis, curriculum design, and specific business communication skills (writing, speaking). However, the analysis reveals a significant gap: teacher training for ESP in business contexts is severely under-researched, despite its critical importance for successful implementation.
4. Geographical imbalance: Research production is highly concentrated in Asia (China, Malaysia) and Europe (Spain). Latin America, including Ecuador, is vastly underrepresented. This limits the applicability of existing findings to the local context of ESPOCH.
5. Digital transformation: Online learning, blended learning, and digital ESP materials have emerged as prominent themes, reflecting the impact of technology and the pandemic. This offers opportunities for ESPOCH to develop innovative digital resources.
6. Recommendations for ESPOCH University: Based on the findings, the following specific recommendations are proposed:
o Conduct a local needs analysis with Business Administration students, graduates, and employers in the Chimborazo region to identify target tasks and language demands.
o Design an ESP curriculum for Business Administration that integrates business writing, oral presentations, simulations, and digital genres.
o Implement a teacher training program for English instructors focused on ESP principles, business discourse, needs analysis techniques, and authentic materials development.
o Develop open educational resources (OER) for digital ESP, including a repository of business case studies, email templates, and video-based role-plays.
o Publish case studies and empirical research from the Ecuadorian context to reduce the geographical gap and contribute to the global ESP literature.
o Establish collaborations with ESP researchers in other Latin American countries (e.g., Colombia, Brazil) to share experiences and materials.
7. Future research: Subsequent studies at ESPOCH should move beyond bibliometric reviews to conduct primary research, including quasi-experimental designs that measure the impact of an ESP curriculum on students' business English performance, as well as qualitative studies exploring teachers' and students' perceptions of ESP implementation.
In summary, the ESP approach offers a promising and evidence-based pathway to improve English language teaching for Business Administration students at ESPOCH University. However, successful implementation requires local needs analysis, teacher training, and the development of contextually relevant materials. This bibliometric review provides the necessary empirical grounding to guide those efforts.
References
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Belcher, D. (2022). Needs analysis for English for specific purposes in business administration. English for Specific Purposes, 65, 12–25.
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Kaur, S. (2021). Oral presentations for business students: An ESP study. Asian ESP Journal, 17(4), 55–78.
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Padilla, Y. N. (2023). Curriculum design for Business ESP in polytechnic contexts. ESP Today, 11(1), 89–108.
Ramos, S. L. (2020). ESP challenges in Ecuadorian universities: The case of business administration. Latin American Journal of English for Specific Purposes, 8(2), 44–62.
Serafini, E. J., & Torres, J. (2022). Needs analysis for ESP: Current practices and future directions. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 42, 88–103.
Swales, J. M. (2019). Genre and business communication: Reflections on ESP. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 38, 22–33.
Zhang, L. (2022). Digital ESP materials for business students: A blended learning approach. Computers & Education, 178, 104–119.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
Declaration of responsibility of authorship
We, the authors of the aforementioned manuscript, DECLARE that we have directly contributed to its intellectual content, as well as to the genesis and analysis of its data; therefore, we are able to take public responsibility for it and accept that their names appear on the list of authors in the order indicated. Furthermore, we have complied with the ethical requirements of the aforementioned publication, having consulted the Declaration of Ethics and Publication Malpractice.
Mg. Silvia Licett Ramos Idrovo, Mg. Yajaira Natali Padilla Padilla, Mg. María Guadalupe Escobar Murillo, Mg. Leonardo Efraín Cabezas Arévalo: Literature review and article writing process.