The article is devoted to the issue of choosing ESP methodology when teaching English to the specialists of future in any field of occupation. The diversity of terminology in the ESP methodology not only provides for a wider choice in managing learning for the management of higher educational

establishments, but also is often confusing for this group of educators. However, it is obvious that a reasonable and well-grounded choice of the said methodology is to help them determine the most relevant forms for the pattern of learning and make decision on such important issues as the workload distribution both for professors and students, compile a balanced timetable or define the formats of

learning for students etc. Due to this scope of problems, the paper considers the major characteristics of the most salient approaches to teaching and learning professionally-oriented English in contemporary higher education.