With the demand for learning real world English language based on context and the role of the people involved, the craze for learning English is on a raise and there is mushrooming of a number of Spoken English institutes in every nook and corner of the country. But the courses designed in these institutes do not cater to the needs of the learner. It is observed that earlier ESP courses emphasised on reading and writing skills, but now equal attention is paid to all four language skills. It is also noted that in recent times general English content like grammar appears to be common in ESP courses and at the same time lot of attention is paid to communicative skills like making presentations, taking part in meetings, negotiation, group discussions, professional socializing etc. This paper attempts to summarise the basic elements for designing ESP courses.