Practitioner Agency and Identity in English for Academic Purposes


Book Description

This volume provides insights into EAP practitioners' identity and agency in varied contexts and field positions. Each chapter delves into a theoretical perspective (Bourdieu's field theory, Post-humanism, Legitimation Code Theory, Symbolic Interactionism..), and a variety of methodologies, enabling different questions to be explored. Each chapter is also a window into the everyday life of practitioners as they navigate their professional lives, and the specificities of their EAP contexts, the politics and struggles over power, domination, legitimacy, status, ambition and recognition. The authors' concerns and strategies vary and show that the weight of powerful structures and collective habitus is difficult - but not impossible- to resist. From a socio-analysis of EAP and its narratives of origins, to a discussion on Ethics in EAP and a critique of the Global South label, the reader will explore contributions from Canada, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Pakistan, Singapore, South Africa, the UK, and Zimbabwe. The chapters reveal a field which is made up of a constellation of worlds, each with its own logic but importantly, a field with no centre. The studies in the chapters are likely to intrigue, inspire, but also disrupt some readers' expectations and challenge their assumptions about the field and its practitioners.




The English for Academic Purposes Practitioner


Book Description

This book contextualizes the field of English for Academic Purposes (EAP), with a particular focus on the professional and academic identity and role of the EAP practitioner. The authors examine previously neglected areas such as the socio-economic, academic and employment contexts within which EAP practitioners function. In doing so, they develop a better understanding of the roles, expectations and constraints that arise from these contexts, which in turn shape professional practice and the identity of the practitioner. As EAP is emerging as an academic discipline with a growing body of published research, this book will appeal to trainee and established practitioners, along with researchers and students of linguistics and education.




English for Academic Purposes


Book Description

Since its inception in the 1960s, the field of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) has enjoyed a period of almost continual expansion and growth and now represents a multi-million dollar industry worldwide. This book provides readers with a critical and comprehensive overview of EAP’s birth, its historical development and its ongoing trajectory, incorporating along the way the views of individuals who have played key roles in the field. It examines a wide range of crucial topics in EAP, including pedagogy, materials and assessment and the role of EAP and those who teach it within the academy. The book concludes with a glimpse into the future as the author discusses the strengths, weaknesses and opportunities currently facing EAP and also evaluates some of the threats posed by issues such as privatisation and generative AI.




The English for Academic Purposes Practitioner


Book Description

This book contextualizes the field of English for Academic Purposes (EAP), with a particular focus on the professional and academic identity and role of the EAP practitioner. The authors examine previously neglected areas such as the socio-economic, academic and employment contexts within which EAP practitioners function. In doing so, they develop a better understanding of the roles, expectations and constraints that arise from these contexts, which in turn shape professional practice and the identity of the practitioner. As EAP is emerging as an academic discipline with a growing body of published research, this book will appeal to trainee and established practitioners, along with researchers and students of linguistics and education.




Contextualizing English for Academic Purposes in Higher Education


Book Description

This book highlights the centrality of political and ideological issues as they relate to the positioning and practice of English for Academic Purposes (EAP), demonstrating that EAP cannot flourish as a profession or a discipline without an awareness of the macro- and meso-level political shifts that impact the wider university. The volume states that the practices of EAP are, in fact, political acts and examines these as yet unexplored power dynamics. The volume begins by considering key influences that have shaped universities and their governance and management over the last three decades and how these relate to the role and practice of EAP. These influences include neoliberal economic policies, governmental demands for widening participation, globalization, entrepreneurial approaches to higher education, students as clients and therapeutism in universities. Following consideration of these broader contextual issues, specific chapters focus on politics and policies surrounding the recruitment and participation of international, fee-paying students, their positioning and identity within English-medium universities, including issues relating to English language, standards and academic integrity. Further chapters then consider more local influences that shape EAP programmes, such as their strategic roles within universities, their management, their teaching and wider academic impact.




Essential Speaking Skills


Book Description

Practical and easy to use, Essential Speaking Skills is the definitive guide to teaching speaking to students of English as a second or additional language. Brimming with invaluable advice on teaching approaches and practical classroom ideas and learning activities, the handbook is specifically designed for teachers who teach large classes with very few resources. The clear explanations and the activities are suited to both new and experienced teachers of English, and can be used in junior and senior secondary school classrooms and for adult learners.




Making Language Visible in the University


Book Description

This book focuses on the nexus of language, disciplinary content and knowledge communication against the background of the economic, cultural and ideological forces of Higher Education’s current push for internationalisation. It suggests the need for a greater synergy between language and content experts and argues that change needs to be implemented through policy rather than on an ad-hoc basis by individual teachers. It is a call to action for English for Academic Purposes practitioners to find a way out of the silo of their own centres and work to assert influence over the wider context in which they work. The book begins and ends in the practice of teaching, with a focus throughout on understanding the barriers and enablers to that practice within a particular context.




Pedagogies in English for Academic Purposes


Book Description

As the delivery of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) continues to expand internationally, so too must the literature available to support teaching. This volume showcases some of the research-informed work in this exciting and complex field, providing insights into EAP pedagogies employed in a diverse range of contexts. Drawing on the work of practitioners and practitioner-researchers, it responds to the repeated calls for a firmer link between theory, research and practice in language teaching, and provides a much-needed focus on pedagogy. From contexts where English is the principal dominant societal language or one of several official languages, to those where English-medium instruction (EMI) is common in higher education as an additional language for students and faculty, the chapters explore a range of geographical contexts, including Brazil, Canada, China, Norway, South Africa, Turkey, the UAE, the UK and the USA. Diversity is also represented in the range of types of EAP provision featured in this volume. Contributions focus on EAP for undergraduate and postgraduate students, from lower to advanced proficiency levels, before and during degree study, and in English for both general and specific academic purposes teaching, with discussion of consequences for on-going teacher education. Pedagogic responses and innovations to these varied contexts and needs are illustrated in the range of contributions, which provide insights into current practices in EAP globally.




Specialised English


Book Description

Specialised English: New Directions in ESP and EAP Research and Practice provides an authoritative and cutting-edge account of the latest avenues of research and practice in the dynamic field of Specialised English. Ken Hyland and Lillian Wong present 17 specially commissioned chapters by some of the world’s leading experts to offer discussions of key topics in research, theory and pedagogy from a variety of international perspectives. Divided into three sections, which focus on conceptual issues, text and classroom practice, this book: Offers a clear and accessible introduction to current issues in EAP and ESP, including academic interaction, academic lingua franca, second language publishing, workplace talk, practitioner identity, data-driven learning and critical thinking Includes studies of a range of genres such as research articles and student reports, student spontaneous speech, personal statements, builders’ diaries and university tutorials Presents links between theory and practice with a sampling of different research methodologies, practical applications and theoretical approaches Specialised English is essential reading for upper-level undergraduate and postgraduate students and researchers in EAP/ESP and applied linguistics, as well as pre- and in-service teachers and teacher educators.




English for Professional and Academic Purposes


Book Description

English in academic and professional settings has received great attention over the last 50 years, as its use has become a key asset for anyone interested in improving his/her chances of communicating internationally. However, it still offers rich opportunities for teachers and researchers working on English in specific settings. The aim of English for Professional and Academic Purposes is to offer an overview of several topics within the field of discourse analysis applied to English in academic and professional domains. The book compiles contributions from different origins, ranging from Japan to the USA and several European countries, and covers English as a native, second, foreign and international language. It also deals with various specialities, including academic writing, business discourse or English for medicine, nursing, maritime industry and science and engineering. This volume is divided into three sections: Discourse Analysis of English for Academic Purposes, Professional English and EPAP Pedagogy, since it was conceived as a contribution to the research on how English is analysed as both the discourse of and for effective communication in academic and professional settings, and how it can be applied to teaching. This manuscript offers some fresh insights for those involved or interested in this field of expertise, in an attempt to shed some light on its latest innovations.