Increased Popularity of AI and Digital Technologies in ESP: A Bibliometric Review
Аннотация
English serves as a global lingua franca, essential for communication across various industries. Despite focused instruction in English for specific purposes (ESP) in education, a gap remain between what is taught and the demands of specific fields. Therefore, understanding past and current research on ESP is crucial. This study aims to identify the frequent topics on ESP, with a particular focus on the integration of learning technologies. Eight hundred forty-three (843) papers spanning from 1991 to 2023, selected from the Scopus database, were examined and analyzed. The first-ranked journal with 999 is the first specialist peer-cited international journal, English for Specific Purposes, followed by the Journal of English for Academic Purposes with 316 citations, the International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism with 211 citations, and System with 146 citations. Results showed that China, the USA, and Russia are three of the top countries to which authors who publish about ESP in education. The study also highlights a notable rise in the frequency of topics such as the utilization of digital technologies, collaborative and assessment platforms, and artificial intelligent (AI) and Immersive technologies. The three key topics in ESP are expected to contribute to the effective development of ESP in education. The authors suggest that the rise of these topics is viewed as one of the positive outcomes of the pandemic. These trends are seen as crucial in shaping future of ESP in educational settings.