AFTER MORE THAN A DECADE OF GROWTH and development, the field of languages for specific purposes (LSP) in the United States has come of age. Its position in the foreign language curriculum seems secure and it has established a presence at the majority of US colleges and universities. The even distribution of LSP at small, medium, large, public, and private institutions indicates a widespread willingness in the profession to innovate and expand the base of foreign language offerings. LSP courses provide an alternative to traditional language courses at the first-and second-year levels and an option other than literature, civilization, or linguistics for advanced undergraduate and graduate students. 1 In this article we trace the development of LSP in the United States, present a rationale for its place within the foreign language curriculum, and offer an assessment of its research base. 2
NATURE OF LSP IN THE USCurrent developments in LSP in the US derive from experiments in creating undergraduate business foreign language courses in the early to