English for Art & Design: Art history precourse (1993)

R.J. Preece (EFL)
artdesigncafé | café library | Published 2 February 2012
This paper resulted from an independent study in a Master’s program in English Education at Temple University, Philadelphia, USA in 1993, with the title "Brush and English: A student needs analysis for an art history precourse".

English for Specific Purposes (ESP) has gained international respect for addressing student motivation and providing relevant training for advanced study, professional aspirations, or current job needs. ESP contrasts with general English as a Second Language (ESL) and English as a Foreign Language (EFL), where students with a wide variety of interests are joined together to study the language in and of itself with the assumption that students will be able to transfer these skills to suit their individual ESP needs. However, when a teacher [often] asks his students why they are studying English, it becomes evident that their students are studying English for a purpose.

According to Strevens (1977), the field of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) can be divided into two categories: English for Occupational Purposes (EOP); and English for Academic Purposes (EAP). For ESP, there are many specializations including the following: English for Science and Technology; Business English; Medical English, and, since the 1980s, Art English. Each specialization can fall into either category, EOP or EAP, depending on the context.

I. Introduction to Art English
In theory, Art English can be found in both an EOP and EAP context. While I lived in Korea, I tutored art dealers and artists who wanted to improve their English in order to gain independence when dealing with international art market concerns. Art English for occupational purposes includes not only combining the English language and art content, but also business content. Due to the fractured nature of the art business world, this field has little prospect for development.

However, Art English in an academic context has sprouted up at art and design schools, most notably in the United States. I have found that the teaching of Art English can be found in three types of situations: (1) at American art and design schools where there are a lot of international students; (2) at art and design schools abroad where students plan to pursue further study at an English-speaking art and design school; and (3) in the form of an elective course for advanced ESL students in an intensive university program.

As indicated in my research, most professors of art and ESL agree that, unlike other disciplines, many classes for the art student do not require a high level of English. An art program’s curriculum includes a significant amount of studio requirements along with some number of liberal arts requirements. The former are not language-demanding, as the classes usually have an extremely light reading load, if one at all. Also, because it is continually context-embedded, problems are minimized. To some degree, art is a visual language, and therefore, in studio classes, a professor and institution can ignore a student’s problems with a second language. While additional language training would certainly enhance the student’s studio experience, he can certainly produce art without it.

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