Abstract This study aims at examining the effectiveness a proposed program based upon English for Specific Purpose (ESP) for developing communication skills among students in the applied institutes in Kuwait. The participants in this study comprised fifty third level nursing students, who were randomly selected from the applied linguistics in Kuwait in the school year 2020-2021. The study employed a quasi-experimental design in which two groups were assigned- an experimental group (n=25) and a control one (n=25). Instruments of the study were composed of a needs analysis questionnaire of the communication skills, a pre-post communication skills test, and a scoring rubric. The results of the study indicated that the experimental group students scored significantly higher than those in the control group on the oral communication skills test, and the proposed program based upon English for specific purpose (ESP) had a considerable effect on reducing the experimental group students' English oral communication apprehension. Consequently, task- based activities following the learning-centered approach is truly effective to reducing students' English oral communication apprehension for nursing students if properly implemented.