Past, Present and Future Perspectives on English for Academic Purposes

Since its emergence in the 1970s, when it would have been categorized as a relatively minor sub-set of the much larger discipline English for Specific Purposes, the field of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) has undeniably gone from strength to strength. It now boasts its own dedicated journals, its own conferences, its own professional organizations, its own discipline-specific meta-language and its own accreditation schemes and published guidelines for best practice. As all of these impressive achievements have happened within a timespan of less than sixty years, it means that when examining EAP through a historical lens, mapping its developmental trajectory should still be a relatively manageable task. The modest aim of my new book is therefore an attempt to do just that, presenting a range of critical perspectives not only on EAP’s past, but also on its present and its future.