One of the most controversial debate topics in current College English teaching is whether EGP(English for General Pur-poses) should be replaced by ESP(English for Specific Purposes). The latest College English Curriculum issued by MOE(Ministryof Education) does not reflect the trend of developing College English Teaching by focusing on ESP, but rather on improving gener-al English course books. However, the first local College English Curriculum published in 2012 in Shanghai focuses on developingESP and English for academic purpose as its teaching objectives. This paper analyzes different definitions of ESP in China’s educa-tion setting, compares different views on handling the relationship between EGP and ESP in China’s College English Reform, andexplores how to apply an appropriate notion of EGP to College English teaching in China.
