EAP - English for Academic Purposes
Andy Gillett, University of Hertfordshire
EAP refers to the language and associated skills that students need to undertake study in higher education through the medium of English.
EAP is a branch of ESP in that the teaching content is matched to the learners' requirements (Robinson, 1991, pp. 2-5):
The recent QAA benchmarking statement for languages (Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, 2002) identifies four key elements that characterise language programme outcomes: use of the target language; explicit knowledge of the language; knowledge of aspects of the target cultures and intercultural awareness. This is a useful framework in which to examine typical EAP course content.
Use
The most problematic use of English in HE is probably writing. Writing tasks vary from writing short answers in exams to writing dissertations and theses and EAP courses often concentrate on the process of writing - planning, organising, presenting, re-writing, and proof-reading. Typical writing skills include research and using sources; writing different text types as well as different genres; and using appropriate style. Students also need to do a large amount of reading, listening and note-taking. This must be done flexibly and involves surveying the text, skimming for gist/general impression; scanning to locate specifically required information; as well as intensive study of specific sections. Listening involves following a lecture or discussion, which means recognising lecture organisation and extracting relevant points to summarise. In both reading and listening, language skills such as understanding important points; distinguishing the main ideas from supporting detail; recognising unsupported claims and claims supported by evidence and following an argument are essential as are recognising known words and deducing the meaning of unfamiliar words and word groups from context. Speaking is becoming increasingly important as teaching methods change to involve more group work. Making presentations involves producing and using notes, planning and presenting. Discussion includes interrupting politely, asking questions, agreeing and disagreeing.
Knowledge of language
As well as these skills, knowledge of the language is necessary and forms an important component of EAP courses. Recent research has provided us with useful data on academic language, both grammatical (Biber, Johansson, Leech, Conrad & Finegan, 1999) and lexical (Coxhead, 2000). This includes knowledge of different text types (oral and written) and features of different genres, linking words, signposting expressions, and appropriate style. Students also need knowledge of various strategies that they can use in comprehending written and oral texts and producing essays and oral presentations. As examinations and other forms of assessment are so important, knowledge of the format and language of exam questions is also necessary.
Culture
The culture where the language is used in EAP is Higher Education, usually in an English speaking country. Therefore knowledge of the academic culture is necessarily part of an EAP course and students need to be aware of differences between their own cultures and where they are studying. Writing conventions, such as organisation and use of sources, for example, can vary. In the UK, students need to develop a willingness to accept responsibility for their own learning and to be reflective and critical. Other areas of difficulty include use of names between lecturers and students, how and when to ask questions and how to deal with lateness and privacy. There are also subject specific cultures (Hyland, 2000) that students and lecturers need to be aware of.
Conclusion
EAP is thus an important area of ESP, accounting for a large amount of the ESP activity world-wide. A good introduction is Jordan (1997). For recent research, see Flowerdew & Peacock (2001).
References
Benesch, S. (2001). Critical English for academic purposes. Malwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Biber, D., Johansson, S., Leech, G., Conrad, S. & Finegan, E. (1999). Longman grammar of spoken and written English. Harlow: Longman.
Coxhead, A. (1998). An academic word list. Wellington: Victoria University of Wellington.
Flowerdew, J. & Peacock, M. (Eds.). (2001). Research perspectives on English for academic purposes. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Hyland, K. (2000). Disciplinary discourses. Harlow: Longman.
Jordan, R. R. (1997). English for academic purposes: A guide and resource book for teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (2002). Benchmarking statements: Languages and related studies. Available from; http://www.qaa.ac.uk/crntwork/benchmark/phase2consult.htm
Robinson, P. (1991). ESP today: A practitioner's guide. London: Prentice Hall.
Gillett, A. J. (2004). The ABC of ELT … “EAP”. IATEFL Issues, 178, 11.