Linguistic Aspects of ESP Books in Higher Education

This article examines the representation of language skills—reading, writing, speaking, and listening—in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) textbooks across various academic fields. By implementing a mixed-methods approach, the study gathered quantitative data through evaluation scales and qualitative insights via semi-structured interviews with teachers and students in technical, medical, natural sciences, and humanities disciplines. Quantitative analysis using SPSS 21 included descriptive statistics and t-tests to identify significant patterns, while thematic analysis of interviews provided deeper context to the findings. The study reveals that speaking and listening skills are often underrepresented compared to reading and vocabulary-focused tasks. These results highlight the need for textbooks to incorporate a balanced approach to language skills development, ensuring students are well-prepared for real-world communication in their respective fields. The article concludes with actionable recommendations for textbook designers and educators, emphasizing the integration of interactive and skill-specific activities tailored to diverse professional contexts.