English for Acedamic Purpose

Hello Everyone, Here is my interpretation on the Research work "English for Academic Purposes"by Liz Hamp-Lyons
What is EAP..?
EAP is not only a teaching approach but it's also a branch of applied linguistics consisting of a significant body of research into effective teaching & assessment approaches, methods of analysis of the academic language needs of students, analysis of the linguistic & discoursal structures of academic texts & analysis of the textual practices of academics.
EAP is an educational approach & a set of beliefs about TESOL(Teaching English to the Speakers of Other Languages) that is unlike that in general English courses & textbooks.
Background:-
The term EAP came into use through The British Organization SELMOUS(special English language materials for overseas university students) in 1972.Strevens saw EAP as a branch of the larger field of ESP(English for Special or Specific Purposes). EAP focus on Reading & Writing while General English focus on Speaking & Listening.
In discussing ESP & EAP Strevens argued that courses can be specific in four ways:-
By restricting the language taught to only those skills which are required for learner's immediate purpose
By selecting from the language only those items of vocabulary, grammar patterns & linguistic functions for the same purpose
By including only topics,themes & discourse contexts that are relevant to the learner's needs
By addressing those communicative needs that relate to his purpose
Jordan(1997) offers a useful & comprehensive overview of practice in EAP.
Needs Analysis:-
It is fundamental to an EAP approach to course design & teaching.
The language is attended to at the levels of:-
Register:-Lexical & grammatical features
Discourse:-The effect of communicative context,the relationship between text & its speakers
Genre:-How language is used in particular setting
Research:-
The first major study in this area was Geoghegan(1983).
Research in this area attends to affect how students feel about their study experiences, it also includes studies pointing out differences between student's wants & expectations.there is also significant research into the assessment of EAP by the British Council for the Associated Examining Board on TEAP(Teaching English for Academic Purposes).
Practice:-
Materials design & development
Attracts the best English language teachers
A concern with literacy dominates the literature & the terminology of academic skills development (in USA).
Current & future trends & directions:-
The term Academic Literacy has come to be applied to the complex set of skills which are increasingly argued to be vital underpinnings to the cultural knowledge required for success in academic communities from elementary school on.
The discourse of academic literacy is more usually found outside TESOL.
Conclusion:-
EAP is a thriving & important aspect of TESOL.
Its greatest strength is its responsiveness to the needs of the learners but its greatest weakness also the same that making many of its solutions highly contextual & of doubtful transferability.
Thank You.