Learning Strategies in the ESP Learning Process at the University Level

The paper is based on the personal experience in teaching ESP at the university level. It examines the language learning strategies which ESP students are suggested and encouraged to use in order to make their learning more efficient. The strategies are grouped around three primary areas of ESP learning tasks - corresponding to the development of one language skill - and can be classified as acquiring of competence in: 1/ reading for information, 2/ writing summaries, and 3/ listening comprehension. The secondary area of ESP learning tasks should be the restricted competence in speaking (oral summaries or reports). It is pointed out that each of these areas of tasks can be achieved separately, by means of eliciting adequate language learning strategies, but the best results in ESP learning are obtained when these tasks are treated as an integrated whole, or considered to be the phases in an ESP learning process. The strategies employed in the process show a great similarity and tendency of transferring from one to the other area of tasks. The conclusion drawn from the paper is that an efficient language learner should not be only taught a great variety of language strategies, but should also be given the opportunities to use them more or less modified through the different language tasks. These activities foster both her/his motivation and his/her 'strategic competence'