ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of the field of Chinese for specific purposes (CSP) under the main theoretical groundwork of language for specific purposes (LSP). By addressing issues underlined in existing research and practices of CSP, it has been revealed that CSP has progressed from isolated instruction of Chinese for business to a wider range of various specific purposes and interdisciplinary content areas. Chinese language and culture have been integrated at all curricular levels and groundbreaking research from the LSP has been incorporated into CSP theories and practices. This review concludes by identifying major challenges that CSP faces and highlights the direction of CSP, based on integration of research and practice, assimilation of language, culture, communication, content and context for real life and applications of utilization-based evaluations. The future of CSP research and practices should continue to develop in order to help learners meet their career goals and demands and gain entrance or acceptance into the workplaces that they aspire to be in.
