Established in September 2008, the School of English for Specific Purposes offers English language courses to non-English majors at undergraduate and graduate levels. It has launched a Master of Translation and Interpreting (MTI) program, and specializes in teaching English as a foreign Language to non-English majors and English for specific purposes (ESP). 

The School strives to train innovative talents with a local concern and international vision, equip students with cross-cultural communication skills, critical thinking, team spirit, and independent learning abilities, and help students strengthen their English language competence. Its mission is to build an ESP teaching and research system in line with the university’s goal of cultivating students into interdisciplinary and multilingual talents with an international perspective.

The School has a general affairs committee, an academic committee and a degrees committee. The general affairs committee drafts and implements policies relating to staffing, finance, teaching, research, and international exchange and cooperation; the academic committee recruits talents and reviews the faculty’s research and applications for academic promotion; and the degrees committee formulates the policies and regulations in relation to writing the masters thesis and awarding the masters degree and reviews the qualifications of masters candidates.

The School also has a teacher development center and an ESP research center. The teacher development center organizes teaching competitions, teaching observations, teaching method discussions, and teacher training. The ESP research center develops the ESP curriculum system, teaching materials and teaching methods, and is in charge of the day-to-day running of the Chinese Journal of ESP.

In addition, the School provides courses for over 2,000 undergraduate students who seek a double degree/major in English, as well as over 500 graduate students who do not major in English. Since September 2016, the School has launched the MTI program which is a professionally oriented program of translation and interpreting at graduate level.

Highlighting the education and teaching philosophy of "multifaceted and outstanding training", the School endeavors to improve English teaching, pays special attention to humanities and general education, is innovative in its curriculum system, and improves the ability of students in an all-round way. It has also made important contributions to the comprehensive reform of the university.

Professors and teachers of the School are highly qualified and experienced. As of March 2021, the School has 50 faculty members, including 48 teachers and two full-time administrative staff. The teaching faculty consists of five professors, 17 associate professors, and 26 lecturers. Among them, 23 have a doctoral degree or have finished the postdoctoral studies, and 25 have a master’s degree.

The School has been increasing contacts, exchanges and cooperation with overseas colleges and universities. Since 1988, it has maintained an annual exchange of faculty members with Skagit Valley College in Washington State, USA. Since 2014, it has launched student and faculty exchange programs with the University of Cambridge, the University of Nottingham, and the University of Kansas. 

Tel: 010-88818615   Email: esp@bfsu.edu.cn