ESP Projects, English as a global language, and the challenge of change

The article reviews a number of key ESP Projects over the last 40 years and makes some predictions for the future of ESP and its link with developments in transnational education. The author describes the political and economic conditions behind the spread of English as a global language which in turn are driving the development of ESP programmes and projects. He makes a plea for a greater awareness of the systemic contextual aspects of ESP programmes and believes that ESP Project implementation can be made more successful by applying aspects of educational innovation theory.