Research tendency of China ESP teaching from 2007 to 2021 based on visualization analysis using CiteSpace

Abstract

With the increasing demand for the enhancement of interdisciplinary competence in English teaching reform, English for specific purposes (ESP) teaching has become a hot topic in the field of English education. In order to better understand the phenomena and problems of ESP teaching in China, this study investigated the research tendency in China ESP teaching between 2007–2021 based on 206 articles from the Web of Science (WOS) by employing the CiteSpace Atlas. The study revealed that the literature in China ESP teaching formed an inverted "V" shape over the past 15 years. It can also be seen that most of the institutions with cooperative relations are in the same region, and cross-regional cooperation is less. In addition, the latest research focuses on cutting-edge topics as keywords such as "ESP teaching," "ESP," and "ESP theory" emerged. The findings suggest that it needs to develop effective methods for ESP teaching in China and expand research areas for the future.