DER LERNER ALS ZENTRALER FAKTOR IM FACHSPRACHENUNTERRICHT

Teaching Languages for Special Purposes (LSP) is a complex and challenging process, because it differs a lot from teaching general language: the goals and contents are different, one has to focus on the practical needs of the language learners, the learners are supposed to already have some professional skills in the field they are studying in, the learner is the central figure in the didactic process. This means that the teacher of LSP has to have some knowledge in the field in which his learners are working or intend to work. The teacher needs also to take into account a series of other subjects such as psychology, sociology, linguistics and didactics in order to create a unitary course. The purpose of the paper is to show the way in which the learner of LSP (in this particular case the learner of business German) and his needs are reflected in literature and if a profile of the LSP learner can be established. Certain features of the LSP learner have to be taken into account such as their age, the skills in their specific field, their cultural background and their language level. Each of these factors contributes to the way in which an LSP course is conceived and organized. The question also arises whether there is a good learner, what characterizes him/her and under which circumstances does he/she learn best. And finally the paper tries to integrate the LSP learner into certain learner types with their distinctive features, strengths and weaknesses. Of course other elements like the course planning and organizing, the text choice, the types of exercises used and the assessment methods must not be ignored, as they are also crucial for the success of the LSP course, but the learner with his background and future needs remains the key element of the equation.