Abstract
Language for special or specific purposes, LSP, is the traditional term for the various linguistic variants used in professional settings. The history of the field reveals an early theoretical interest in the description of various sublanguages, which are assumed to exist within the general language system in response to specific professional needs. Early studies were concerned with the written products — specific terminology, text types and registers. In recent decades, there has been a growing interest in the communicative processes involved and in their psychological and sociological dimensions, with a theoretical shift towards sociolinguistics, social constructivism and critical linguistics. Studies have dealt with spoken as well as written discourse and with the complex and diversified interplay between these media. The term professional discourse or professional communication is preferred to delineate this wider field.
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Gunnarsson, BL. (1997). Language for Special Purposes. In: Tucker, G.R., Corson, D. (eds) Encyclopedia of Language and Education. Encyclopedia of Language and Education, vol 4. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4419-3_11
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4419-3_11
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