In response to the challenges for English teaching and research brought by internationalization of higher education and economic globalization, the 4th China ESP (English for special purpose) International Symposium and the 7th Asia ESP International Seminar were held in Qingdao on 25th-27th in September, 2015. Led by Professor Wang Yinquan, the ESP teaching and research team of NJAU attended the meeting. Professor Kong and Jiang Shu who came from the engineering college presented papers respectively which are titled “A Comparative Study on Needs Analysis in ESP Programs in China and UK” and “A Thought on the Curriculum of English Course for Agricultural Engineering”, receiving an enthusiastic response and high praise, expanding the influence of our school college English teaching reform.

As the largest and highest standard International Symposium on ESP in China and Asia, the conference concentrated on “Asian ESP Teaching and Research: Retrospect and Prospect”, which was jointly organized by China ESP Research Association, Taiwan ESP Research Association and Specialized Research Center to Communicate in English Language College of HKPU, hosted by (East china) College of Arts in China University of Petrol. More than 300 experts and scholars from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the United States, Australia, Japan and other countries and regions participated in the academic event. They carried out extensive and in-depth exchanges and discussions about the theme of the conference.

At the opening ceremony on September 25, Professor Li Zhaomin, vice president of China University of Petroleum (East China); Wang Shouren, chairman of Steering Committee in Foreign Language Teaching Ministry on University Education and Nanjing University Professor; professor Sun Youzhong, chairman of China ESP Teaching and Research Association, vice president of Beijing Foreign Studies University; Professor Lin Maosong, Taiwan ESP Teaching Research Association, Dean of the College of Foreign Studies in Soochow University spoke respectively.

In the plenary talk and special forum after the opening ceremony, Professor Brian Paltridge of University of Sydney, Professor John Flowerdew of Chinese University of Hong Kong, the present president of TESOL (Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages), Professor Sun Yilin of American South Seattle College, Professor Wu Dongying of Hong Kong Polytechnic University; vice president of China ESP Teaching and Research Association, Professor Cai Gang of Fudan University; vice president of China International Business English Research Association, Professor Weng Fengxiang of Shanghai Maritime University; vice president of China Society of Corpus and Association of Linguistics, full-time researcher in the National Researcher Centre for Foreign Language Education of Beijing Foreign Studies University, Professor Liang Maocheng and other experts gave speeches on the theme.

This seminar serves to bridge between ESP teaching, research and practice, provide a platform for China and the world ESP researchers to conduct academic exchanges in research, practice, training, assessment fields to promote interactions between the research of ESP, and cultivate high-level talents proficient in professional English. Conference sub-themes include: Discussion of ESP curriculum design, ESP material design and writing, ESP theory development and application, ESP teaching methods, ESP research and teaching innovation, ESP teachers construction, ESP testing and evaluation method development, academic / vocational English teaching and research, ESP and cross-cultural communication and other related issues. With a number of industry forums of ESP established in this conference, three teachers from our school at the meeting took a heated discussion with experts at home and abroad in the agriculture forum of ESP chaired by Professor Wang Yinquan. It not only showed the achievements of English teaching reform in our school, but also drew the experience and wisdom of experts both at home and abroad, exerting a great influence on the promotion of exploring the agricultural ESP model in our school’s foreign language subject.

In recent years, with the deepening reform of the domestic college English teaching, English for Specific Purposes (ESP) raises concerns of more and more teachers and scholars, and the urgency and importance of ESP teaching and research has become increasingly prominent. However, the positioning of ESP teaching, the way to mix ESP teaching with majors and characteristics of the industry to achieve the organic integration, the necessary qualities of ESP teachers, the time to carry out ESP teaching are still the main disputes in the field of ESP. By creating a good opportunity for scholars around the world to exchange ESP theory and teaching practice, the meeting will further promote the development of ESP teaching, research, and practice, in order to make great contributions to timely adjust the direction of college English teaching.