ESP in Social Sciences -Needs Analysis in Legal, Economics -Business and Its Application to English Education for Japanese Adult Leamers-

本研究的目的是分析日本法律、经济、商业等语篇群体对英语的需求，并以专门用途英语理论为基础，对日本成人学习者的专门用途英语教学提出进一步的探索。为了调查职场对英语的需求，在过去的两年里进行了一项问卷调查。这里描述的是一份关于日本商务人士语言需求的中期报告，其中包括Sasajima和Teruchi所做的海外实地调研。首先，调查结果显示了三个要点：(1)不同的IT相关类型；(2)所有四项技能和跨文化沟通技能都是必需的；(3)出于商业目的，与更多亚洲国家的商业活动具有多样性。此外，大多数英语工作者都重视英语的使用对发展表达技能、为特定目的的各种体裁的阅读和写作能力以及他们在语境中的词汇意识的重要性。这些发现表明，ESP如何满足成人英语学习者对其专业目标的需求，并满足他们的交际能力需求，以满足当今IT时代的商业需求。最后，对EBP(商务英语)课程设计以及香港、台湾和美国法律语篇社区的交流方式进行的实地研究展示了ESP课程设计的进一步前景，将对日本的英语教师和专业人员产生更大的裨益和启发。为了实现团队的最终目标，将在法律、经济/商业领域进行进一步的研究，即不仅在大学层面，而且在专业语篇社区中为英语项目提供替代的ESP方法，以回应学习者个人相应的需求。

The goal of this study is to analyze the needs of English in discourse communities of legal, economics -business in Japan and to propose further exploration of ESP approaches for Japanese adult learners based on ESP theories. In order to examine English needs in the workplace, a questionnaire survey had been conducted for the past two years. Described here is an interim report of the language needs of business people in Japan including the overseas filed-researches done by Sasajima and Terauchi. Firstly, the findings have shown three major points; (1) diverse IT-related genres were presented, (2) all four skills and intercultural communication skills were required and (3) multiplicity in business activities with more Asian countries for business purposes were revealed. Furthermorae, most workers attached the importance of use of English to the development of presentation skills, reading and writing skills for various genres for specific purposes required and to their lexical awareness in context. These findings suggest how ESP could satisfy adult learners of English needs for their professional goals and fulfill their communication proficiency needs to meet business requirement in this IT age. Lastly, the filed-researches on curriculum designs of EBP (English for Business Purposes) and on communication styles in legal discourse communities in Hong Kong, Taiwan and the United States presented further prospect of ESP course designs and will be more beneficial and stimulating for English teachers as well as professionals in Japan. Further research will be dam in legal, economics/business to achieve the teams ultimate goal, that is, to provide alternative ESP approaches to English programs not only at college level but also in professional discourse communities in response to individual learner needs for their purposes accordingly.