English for Academic

and Special Purposes

AN INTRODUCTION

MICHAEL HARRIS A. USITA

What is English for Academic and
Special Purposes?
Specialised languages usually refer to the specific discourse used by
professionals and specialists to communicate and transfer information
and knowledge. There are as many specialised languages as there are
professions. This is what has usually been known as Languages for
Specific Purposes or, when applied to English, English for Specific
Purposes (ESP), i.e., the special discourse used in specific settings by
people sharing common purposes.
English for Professional and Academic Purposes (EPAP) introduced
by Alcaraz-Varó (2000) (the original term in Spanish being Inglés
Profesional y Académico (IPA)), one of the most prestigious and
prolific scholars in Spain. He rested his view on the opinion of
Widdowson (1998: 4), who stated that “All language use is specific in
a sense”, so that language serves a specific purpose wherever it is
used.
The spread of science and technology all over the world, together
with the globalisation of the economy and the fact that the university
world is becoming more international, has all helped to make the
English language the current lingua franca of international
communication.
English for Academic or EAP “refers mainly to the academic needs
of students and of future professionals who would seek a career in
the academic environment”

English for Professional ( Special) Purposes (EPP) refers to “the

actual needs of (future) professionals at work”.
What sets English for academic purposes (EAP) apart from general
language study is its focus on specific, purposeful uses of language.
Cummins (1982) refers to specific purposes texts as using ‘context-
reduced’ language which tends to be abstract, and seems to rely less
heavily for its coherence on an immediate context than the language
of everyday interaction.
Reading and Writing in Academic
English
Activity 1
Look at the list of key terms associated with academic reading and
writing. Guess which ones refer to reading and which ones refer to
writing. One term is not relevant.
1. take notes 5. ask for clarification
2. main idea 6. critical thinking
3. building an argument 7. writer’s position
4. relevance of the text
Activity 2
Complete this summary of the terms associated with academic
reading and writing using the words in the box.

analyze find out information

When you read a book or article for an essay, you need to

(1.)_____________ if the information in the text is relevant and
useful. If it is, you should take notes on the (2.)_________ in the text.
You should also (3.)__________the information in the text and think
about how it compares with other ideas, how important it is and how
true it is. This is known as critical thinking.
Activity 3
Complete this summary of the terms associated with academic
reading and writing using the words in the box.

obvious organize topic

When you write an essay you need to think about what

you believe is true or not as far as the essay (1.)__________is
concerned. This is known as the writer’s position ( or the thesis
statement). You should not state your position in an
(2.)________way, but you should build an argument in the essay that
supports you position. You should also (3.)__________your argument
into paragraphs. Most paragraphs contain a main idea, which is
sometimes known as a topic sentence.
Think of your previous experience writing in English or in your
own language. Discuss the questions.

1. What kind of texts have you written?

2. Have you written any essays? What topic did you discuss in these
essays?
3. Is it appropriate to include personal reaction in an essay? Why/why
not?
Styles of Learning
(How do you learn)

1. Think about the following questions and then discuss with other
students.
a. What was a positive learning experience for you? You can talk
about any learning experience, for example, learning a new hobby.
b. If you have to write an essay in your first language, how do you
prepare for it?
Styles of Learning
(How do you learn)

c. What kinds of things do you do when you are studying for an exam
in your first language?
d. Do you think a lot about how to study something? Do you think
you are good at studying on your own?