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The English for Academic Purposes Practitioner pp 53–92Cite as

Palgrave Macmillan

The Origins and Nature of EAP

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Abstract

Ding and Bruce examine the professional and intellectual history of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) and consider how it has influenced the current EAP practitioner role. They first trace the historical development of English-language teaching (ELT) and the emergence of EAP. They then provide a timeline of landmark EAP events and publications that illustrate the ongoing development and growing complexity of the field. They then review the principal theories and research streams that inform the knowledge base of EAP. They conclude by discussing the disconnect between the view of EAP as a specialist, theory- and research-informed branch of English-language and literacy education and the neoliberal view of EAP as a commodified, revenue-generating support activity.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Leeds, Leeds, UK

    Alex Ding

  2. University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand

    Ian Bruce

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  1. Alex Ding
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Ding, A., Bruce, I. (2017). The Origins and Nature of EAP. In: The English for Academic Purposes Practitioner. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-59737-9_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-59737-9_3

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