ESP books are rare, but Routledge have recently published a series called: Routledge Introductions to English for Specific Purposes, edited by Brian Paltridge and Sue Starfield – well know joint editors of the Handbook for English for Specific Purposes (Wiley, 2013).

According to the blurb: Routledge Introductions to English for Specific Purposes provide a comprehensive and contemporary overview of various topics within the area of English for specific purposes, written by leading academics in the field. Aimed at postgraduate students in applied linguistics, English language teaching and TESOL, as well as pre- and in-service teachers, these books outline the issues that are central to understanding and teaching English for specific purposes, and provide examples of innovative classroom tasks and techniques for teachers to draw on in their professional practice.

I don’t know if there will be more, but at the moment, there are six books in the series:

• Introducing English for Specific Purposes by Laurence Anthony;
• Introducing Course Design in English for Specific Purposes by Lindy Woodrow;
• Introducing Genre and English for Specific Purposes by Sunny Hyon;
• Introducing Needs Analysis and English for Specific Purposes by James Dean Brown;
• Introducing English for Academic Purposes by Maggie Charles, Diane Pecorari;
• Introducing Business English by Catherine Nickerson & Brigitte Planken.

Introducing English for Specific Purposes presents the key concepts and practices of ESP in a modern, balanced, and comprehensive way. This book defines ESP and shows how the approach plays a crucial role in the world of English language teaching. Explaining how needs analysis, language and learning objectives, materials and methods, and evaluation combine to form the four main pillars of ESP, the book includes:

• practical examples that illustrate how the core theories and practices of ESP can be applied in real-world academic and occupational settings;
• discussion of some of the most hotly debated issues in ESP;
• insights on how ESP courses can be organized and integrated to form a complete program;
• reflection boxes, practical tasks, extension research questions, and resources for further reading in each chapter.

Introducing Course Design in English for Specific Purposes is an accessible and practical introduction to the theory and practice of developing ESP courses across a range of disciplines. The book covers the development of courses from needs analysis to assessment and evaluation, and also comes with samples of authentic ESP courses provided by leading ESP practitioners from a range of subject and global contexts. Included in this book are:

• The basics of ESP course design
• The major current theoretical perspectives on ESP course design
• Tasks, reflections and glossary to help readers consolidate their understanding
• Resources for practical ESP course development
• Examples of authentic ESP courses in areas such as business, aviation and nursing.

Introducing Genre and English for Specific Purposes provides an overview of how genre has been conceptualized and applied in ESP, as well as the features that distinguish ESP genre research and teaching from those of other genre schools. The macro and micro aspects of ESP genre-based pedagogy are also analysed and include: different possibilities for planning and designing an ESP genre-based course; the concrete, micro aspects of materials creation; and how genres can be learned through play.

Introducing Needs Analysis and English for Specific Purposes is a clear and accessible guide to the theoretical background and practical tools needed for this early stage of curriculum development in ESP. Beginning with definitions of needs analysis and ESP, this book takes a jargon-free approach which leads the reader step-by-step through the process of performing a needs analysis in ESP, including:

• how to focus a needs analysis according to the course and student level;
• the selection and sequencing of a wide variety of data collection procedures;
• analysis and interpretation of needs analysis data in order to write reports and determine Student Learning Outcomes;
• personal reflection exercises and examples of real-world applications of needs analysis in ESP.

Introducing English for Academic Purposes is an accessible and engaging textbook which presents a wide-ranging introduction to the field, covering the global and institutional position of EAP as well as its manifestations in classrooms and research contexts around the world. Each chapter provides:

• a critical overview introducing readers to theory- and research-informed perspectives;
• profiles of practice to guide readers in putting theory to use in real world contexts;
• tasks, reflection exercises and a glossary to help readers consolidate their understanding;
• an annotated further reading section with links to online resources to enable readers to extend their knowledge.

Introducing Business English provides a comprehensive overview of this topic, situating the concepts of Business English and English for Specific Business Purposes within the wider field of English for Special Purposes. This book draws on contemporary teaching and research contexts to demonstrate the growing importance of English within international business communication.

Covering both spoken and written aspects of Business English, this book:

• examines key topics within Business English, including teaching Business English as a lingua franca, intercultural business interactions, blended learning and web-based communication;
• discusses the latest research on each topic, and possible future directions;
• features tasks and practical examples, a section on course design, and further resources.

They all look excellent and I look forward to having a good look at them in the near future.