The core idea and the advanced characteristics of English for Specific Purposes(ESP) are dealt with in detail based on its essential definition.It is emphasized that ESP is in fact not only a tentative teaching approach,but also a highly effective one.Apparently,a reform for College English Teaching(CET) transitioning from General English(GE) to ESP in Chinese universities and colleges is urgently needed.However,some sort of misunderstanding in cognitive area prevents our teachers of English from using ESP to teach post-secondary or tertiary students in China.After analyzing the major reasons why the transition has been so complicated and difficult,the author offers a few recommendations to help speed up the reform.