Letter from the Editor

Kevin Knight, Kanda University of International Studies, Chiba, Japan 

Hello, ESPers worldwide!

At the TESOL 2026 Virtual Convention in November, be sure to check out the TESOL ESPIS Academic Session with the title “English for Specific Purposes (ESP): Stories and Advice for Current and Aspiring Leaders.” The presenters listed in alphabetical order include: Mike Ennis, Kevin Knight, Ha Le, Jennifer Roberts, and Margaret van Naerssen. Five English for Specific Purposes (ESP) specialists and leaders from TESOL International Association's ESP Interest Section (ESPIS) (representing North America, Europe, and Asia) discuss their leadership journeys and share practical advice for current and aspiring leaders in the field.

In the Letter from the Chair, Anne Lomperis covers major topics and includes a list of the members of the current ESPIS Steering Board, English for Academic Purposes (EAP) and English for Occupational Purposes (EOP) in the ESPIS, collaborations with the ESP SIG of IATEFL, TESOL 2027 in March, an EOP community building project, and more!

In the Letter from the Chair-Elect, Rachel Lee shares parts of her interesting background as a pilot and aviation instructor before becoming an Aviation English Specialist at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) Worldwide. In addition, she introduces the TESOL ESPIS Academic Session at TESOL 2027 in Houston.

In the first article in this issue of ESP News, Grace Davis, who is an English in Occupational Settings (EOS) Representative on the ESPIS Steering Committee, explains how her podcast evolved into an English for Occupational Purposes (EOP) platform based on the English language needs of her listeners for workplace communication skills in specific occupations. She interviews subject-matter experts in a variety of fields.

In the second article, you will learn more about Rachel Lee in the 67th ESP Project Leader Profile! She describes an exciting project in which her ERAU learners are engaged in creating graded Aviation English readers. Her profile will inspire you to think about how you can leverage the expertise of your learners to train others worldwide in their field.

This is a very good time to become more involved in the activities of the ESPIS! If you have an idea for an article, please contact me. I look forward to hearing from you!

All the best,

Kevin

PS – See the About This Community Section of ESP News to learn about the history of the ESPIS (including the names of all of the Chairs) and to see the names of the featured leaders in all of the 67 ESP Project Leader Profiles. The first 55 profiles have been published in one volume (and the PDF version is free to download at the publisher’s website: https://www.candlinandmynard.com/ESPprofiles.html).

Kevin Knight (PhD in linguistics, MBA, MPIA) is Professor in the Department of International Communication of Kanda University of International Studies in Chiba, Japan. His research interests include leadership conceptualization and development, ESP, and professional communication. He is series editor of Leadership in Language Education. (See https://www.candlinandmynard.com/leadership.html .)