The Origins of French for Specific Purposes: Historical Perspectives

Abstract

As a continuation of our research work on the teaching of French for Specific Purposes, we recommend to better define the specificities of this concept by going back to its origins as a means to understand its dimensions, its structures, its actors, etc. Indeed, the concept of French for Specific Purposes (FOS in French) appeared in the 1920s. FOS has undergone several phases of evolution that have marked its historical and methodological journey from military French to the language of specialization, to instrumental French, to functional French.
This article presents FOS’s journey through its history for the purpose of identifying the characteristics of each stage of its development. In this sense, we have outlined the different target groups of this specialized teaching. In order to adopt a methodological approach in teaching FOS, it is necessary to consider the nature of these audiences in order to meet their specific needs.