LSP at 50: Looking back, looking forward

Swales (1985) has suggested that 1962 marks “the beginning of the story” of LSP. If that is the case, then we celebrate during 2012 the 50th anniversary of LSP as a field of applied linguistics. On the occasion of this golden anniversary, this article reflects on how the field of LSP has evolved over the past half century as it has matured and grown in significance. Broad observations are made about changes that have occurred in the areas of (1) needs analysis, (2) language analysis, and (3) materials and methods, as reflected by leading scholars in four different time periods: Halliday, Strevens and McIntosh in the 1960s, Strevens in the 1970s, Dudley-Evans and St. John in the 1990s, and Belcher in the 2000s. Two current areas of debate – specificity and power – are then described. The article concludes by commenting on likely trends and areas of importance in LSP in the decade ahead.