What is EAP?
This page gives a definition of EAP, describes the development of EAP, locates EAP in a family tree of English Language Teaching, considers general versus specific EAP, and compares EAP to General English.
EAP: a definition
English for Academic Purposes, or EAP for short, is the English which is needed to study or conduct research using that language. It is most commonly associated with preparation for undergraduate study, via short (4-12 week) pre-sessional courses, i.e. ones which take place before the study begins, though many other EAP contexts exist, including courses to prepare students for post-graduate study, longer courses such as foundation year programmes, and courses which take place at the same time as the study, called in-sessional courses.
The development of EAP
The term EAP was first used in 1974, when it was a minor branch of English Language Teaching (ELT). It has grown enormously in the years since, mainly due to the internationalisation of higher education and the increasing use of English as the language of academic knowledge exchange. EAP has had its own professional body since 1972, originally called SELMOUS (Special English Language Materials for Overseas University Students), which changed its name in 1989 and is now known as BALEAP (The British Association of Lecturers in English for Academic Purposes), which supports the professional development of English for Academic Purposes. EAP has its own professional journal, the Journal of English for Academic Purposes (JEAP), first published in 2002.
A family tree of ELT
Another way to understand EAP is by viewing it in the family tree of English Language Teaching (ELT), as shown below (based on Hutchinson and Walters, 1987). ELT can be divided into English as a Mother Tongue (EMT) and English as a Second Language (ESL) or English as a Foreign Language (EFL), depending on whether it is studied in an English speaking country (ESL) or not (EFL). EFL/ESL are sometimes referred to by other names, for example EAL (English as an Additional Language) and ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages), in deference to the fact that for many learners, English is not the second but the third, fourth or more language they have learnt. ESL/EFL can be sub-divided into General English (GE), and English for Specific Purposes (ESP). General English, which is mainly for exam purposes, is the form learners are most familiar with, since it is the kind of English taught in schools. Due to the fact that most GE students are too far from real communication in English to have any real need to study it, GE is sometimes referred to as TENOR (Teaching English for No Obvious Reason), which directly contrasts it with ESP, for which there is a specific purpose. ESP can be sub-divided into English for Occupational Purposes (EOP), for example English for business or English for law, and English for Academic Purposes (EAP).
General vs. Specific EAP
EAP itself can be sub-divided according to whether its content is general (EGAP, short for English for General Academic Purposes) or specific (ESAP, short for English for Specific Academic Purposes). Whether an EAP course is general or specific will often depend on the students in the class: if they are students who study or will study a range of disciplines, then the course will usually be more general; however, if the students study or will study a common discipline, for example Engineering, then the content will often be more specifically tailored to their needs, for example by including laboratory report writing. Many EAP teachers and writers consider EGAP to be synonymous with study skills, since these courses cover areas such as note-taking, referencing, and taking part in discussions, which are traditionally seen as study skills areas (though on this website, they are included in sections according to the area of English, e.g. the writing section for referencing, the speaking section for discussion skills).
