Social Theory for English for Academic Purposes

Social Theory for English for Academic Purposes

Author: Alex Ding

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2022-07-28

Total Pages: 248

ISBN-13: 1350230715

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This book, written by pioneering architects of original social theory in educational/linguistic fields as well as expert practitioners, systematically exposes the sociological commitments of mainstream ideas and theories in English for Academic Purposes (EAP), commitments which are very often not fully examined by the discipline, but nonetheless shape practitioners' ideas and their praxis. The initial chapters outline what social theory is; the normative, critical, descriptive, social and generative purposes it serves; the scope and limits of social theory, and tracing the major historical traditions and recent currents. This mapping of social theory is followed by a detailed argument that makes the case for the centrality of social theory for EAP practitioners and praxis and the need to develop a sociological imagination to enhance knowledge and agency of practitioners. The contributions reveal the sociological foundations and commitments that underpin established theories in EAP, such as genre theories, systemic functional linguistics, and academic literacies. Each of these three major research streams in EAP is subject to critical analysis, linking each of these streams to the sociological commitments that underpin them. Finally, the book explores the social theories and approaches that have yet to make a full or significant impact on EAP research and practice, but would enable practitioners and researchers to understand educational contexts, texts, structures, culture(s), knowledge production and producers, and social agents with greater sociological clarity and sophistication. Topics covered include: social realism, legitimation code theory, critical realism, ethnography, feminism and Bourdieusian concepts for EAP. The overarching aim of this volume is to position social theory much more centrally to frameworks and conceptions of the (unstable and contested) knowledge-base for EAP practitioners and to promote a 'sociological imagination' among and for EAP practitioners.


Book Synopsis Social Theory for English for Academic Purposes by : Alex Ding

Download or read book Social Theory for English for Academic Purposes written by Alex Ding and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2022-07-28 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book, written by pioneering architects of original social theory in educational/linguistic fields as well as expert practitioners, systematically exposes the sociological commitments of mainstream ideas and theories in English for Academic Purposes (EAP), commitments which are very often not fully examined by the discipline, but nonetheless shape practitioners' ideas and their praxis. The initial chapters outline what social theory is; the normative, critical, descriptive, social and generative purposes it serves; the scope and limits of social theory, and tracing the major historical traditions and recent currents. This mapping of social theory is followed by a detailed argument that makes the case for the centrality of social theory for EAP practitioners and praxis and the need to develop a sociological imagination to enhance knowledge and agency of practitioners. The contributions reveal the sociological foundations and commitments that underpin established theories in EAP, such as genre theories, systemic functional linguistics, and academic literacies. Each of these three major research streams in EAP is subject to critical analysis, linking each of these streams to the sociological commitments that underpin them. Finally, the book explores the social theories and approaches that have yet to make a full or significant impact on EAP research and practice, but would enable practitioners and researchers to understand educational contexts, texts, structures, culture(s), knowledge production and producers, and social agents with greater sociological clarity and sophistication. Topics covered include: social realism, legitimation code theory, critical realism, ethnography, feminism and Bourdieusian concepts for EAP. The overarching aim of this volume is to position social theory much more centrally to frameworks and conceptions of the (unstable and contested) knowledge-base for EAP practitioners and to promote a 'sociological imagination' among and for EAP practitioners.

Critical English for Academic Purposes

Critical English for Academic Purposes

Author: Sarah Benesch

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2001-03-01

Total Pages: 184

ISBN-13: 1135663556

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Critical English for Academic Purposes: Theory, Politics, and Practice is the first book to combine the theory and practice of two fields: English for academic purposes and critical pedagogy. English for academic purposes (EAP) grounds English language teaching in the cognitive and linguistic demands of academic situations, tailoring instruction to specific rather than general purposes. Critical pedagogy acknowledges students' and teachers' subject-positions, that is, their class, race, gender, and ethnicity, and encourages them to question the status quo. Critical English for academic purposes engages students in the types of activities they are asked to carry out in academic classes while inviting them to question and, in some cases, transform those activities, as well as the conditions from which they arose. It takes into account the real challenges non-native speakers of English face in their discipline-specific classes while viewing students as active participants who can help shape academic goals and assignments. Critical English for Academic Purposes: Theory, Politics, and Practice: * relates English for academic purposes and critical pedagogy, revealing and problematizing the assumptions of both fields, * provides theoretical and practical responses to academic syllabi and other institutional demands to show that teachers can both meet target demands and take students' subjectivities into account in a climate of negotiation and possibility, * offers "rights analysis" as a critical counterpart to needs analysis, * discusses the politics of "coverage" in lecture classes and proposes alternatives, and * features teaching examples that address balancing the curriculum for gender; building community in an EAP class of students from diverse economic and social backgrounds; students' rights; and organizing students to change unfavorable conditions. This book is intended for undergraduate and graduate courses for preservice and in-service ESL and EAP teachers. It is also a professional book for those interested in critical approaches to teaching and EAP.


Book Synopsis Critical English for Academic Purposes by : Sarah Benesch

Download or read book Critical English for Academic Purposes written by Sarah Benesch and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2001-03-01 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Critical English for Academic Purposes: Theory, Politics, and Practice is the first book to combine the theory and practice of two fields: English for academic purposes and critical pedagogy. English for academic purposes (EAP) grounds English language teaching in the cognitive and linguistic demands of academic situations, tailoring instruction to specific rather than general purposes. Critical pedagogy acknowledges students' and teachers' subject-positions, that is, their class, race, gender, and ethnicity, and encourages them to question the status quo. Critical English for academic purposes engages students in the types of activities they are asked to carry out in academic classes while inviting them to question and, in some cases, transform those activities, as well as the conditions from which they arose. It takes into account the real challenges non-native speakers of English face in their discipline-specific classes while viewing students as active participants who can help shape academic goals and assignments. Critical English for Academic Purposes: Theory, Politics, and Practice: * relates English for academic purposes and critical pedagogy, revealing and problematizing the assumptions of both fields, * provides theoretical and practical responses to academic syllabi and other institutional demands to show that teachers can both meet target demands and take students' subjectivities into account in a climate of negotiation and possibility, * offers "rights analysis" as a critical counterpart to needs analysis, * discusses the politics of "coverage" in lecture classes and proposes alternatives, and * features teaching examples that address balancing the curriculum for gender; building community in an EAP class of students from diverse economic and social backgrounds; students' rights; and organizing students to change unfavorable conditions. This book is intended for undergraduate and graduate courses for preservice and in-service ESL and EAP teachers. It is also a professional book for those interested in critical approaches to teaching and EAP.

Practitioner Agency and Identity in English for Academic Purposes

Practitioner Agency and Identity in English for Academic Purposes

Author: Alex Ding

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2024-05-02

Total Pages: 202

ISBN-13: 1350263257

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This volume provides insights into EAP practitioners' identity and agency in varied contexts and field positions. Each chapter delves into a theoretical perspective (Bourdieu's field theory, Post-humanism, Legitimation Code Theory, Symbolic Interactionism..), and a variety of methodologies, enabling different questions to be explored. Each chapter is also a window into the everyday life of practitioners as they navigate their professional lives, and the specificities of their EAP contexts, the politics and struggles over power, domination, legitimacy, status, ambition and recognition. The authors' concerns and strategies vary and show that the weight of powerful structures and collective habitus is difficult - but not impossible- to resist. From a socio-analysis of EAP and its narratives of origins, to a discussion on Ethics in EAP and a critique of the Global South label, the reader will explore contributions from Canada, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Pakistan, Singapore, South Africa, the UK, and Zimbabwe. The chapters reveal a field which is made up of a constellation of worlds, each with its own logic but importantly, a field with no centre. The studies in the chapters are likely to intrigue, inspire, but also disrupt some readers' expectations and challenge their assumptions about the field and its practitioners.


Book Synopsis Practitioner Agency and Identity in English for Academic Purposes by : Alex Ding

Download or read book Practitioner Agency and Identity in English for Academic Purposes written by Alex Ding and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2024-05-02 with total page 202 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume provides insights into EAP practitioners' identity and agency in varied contexts and field positions. Each chapter delves into a theoretical perspective (Bourdieu's field theory, Post-humanism, Legitimation Code Theory, Symbolic Interactionism..), and a variety of methodologies, enabling different questions to be explored. Each chapter is also a window into the everyday life of practitioners as they navigate their professional lives, and the specificities of their EAP contexts, the politics and struggles over power, domination, legitimacy, status, ambition and recognition. The authors' concerns and strategies vary and show that the weight of powerful structures and collective habitus is difficult - but not impossible- to resist. From a socio-analysis of EAP and its narratives of origins, to a discussion on Ethics in EAP and a critique of the Global South label, the reader will explore contributions from Canada, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Pakistan, Singapore, South Africa, the UK, and Zimbabwe. The chapters reveal a field which is made up of a constellation of worlds, each with its own logic but importantly, a field with no centre. The studies in the chapters are likely to intrigue, inspire, but also disrupt some readers' expectations and challenge their assumptions about the field and its practitioners.

Theory and Concepts of English for Academic Purposes

Theory and Concepts of English for Academic Purposes

Author: Ian Bruce

Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

Published: 2011-03-29

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780230249745

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This book applies theory and research findings to the design of English for Academic Purposes courses. Drawing on approaches to researching academic communities, needs analysis and genre theory, a systematic approach to syllabus and curriculum development is proposed and used as the basis for detailed consideration of tasks and skills development.


Book Synopsis Theory and Concepts of English for Academic Purposes by : Ian Bruce

Download or read book Theory and Concepts of English for Academic Purposes written by Ian Bruce and published by Palgrave Macmillan. This book was released on 2011-03-29 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book applies theory and research findings to the design of English for Academic Purposes courses. Drawing on approaches to researching academic communities, needs analysis and genre theory, a systematic approach to syllabus and curriculum development is proposed and used as the basis for detailed consideration of tasks and skills development.

Writing Using Sources for Academic Purposes

Writing Using Sources for Academic Purposes

Author: Rosemary Wette

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2020-12-29

Total Pages: 183

ISBN-13: 0429614381

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Writing Using Sources for Academic Purposes: Theory, Research and Practice provides research-based information about key components of source-based writing, and the challenges it presents for novices. Proficiency in source-based writing is an essential and challenging goal for all inexperienced academic writers, from both L1 and L2 backgrounds. This comprehensive book presents an innovative, integrated approach for graduate students, teaching faculty, and practice-oriented researchers in ESP/EAP around the world. Each chapter includes suggestions and sample tasks for self-study or classroom use. Incorporating reviews of research and scholarly knowledge as well as information about likely challenges for novices, the book examines: (1) Changing views on the origins of novices’ difficulties (2) Pre-writing tasks that writers need to work through, from locating and evaluating sources to proficient reading-to-write and summarizing strategies (3) Citing types and purposes (4) The more sophisticated abilities of conveying an appropriate stance and engaging with readers (5) Disciplinary citing practices This book will be of interest to undergraduate and postgraduate writers from a variety of backgrounds, as well as their teachers and supervisors. It will be relevant to the growing number of researchers from non-English speaking backgrounds who are obliged to publish their work in English language international journals, and scholars who may be interested in carrying out research related to source-based writing.


Book Synopsis Writing Using Sources for Academic Purposes by : Rosemary Wette

Download or read book Writing Using Sources for Academic Purposes written by Rosemary Wette and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2020-12-29 with total page 183 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Writing Using Sources for Academic Purposes: Theory, Research and Practice provides research-based information about key components of source-based writing, and the challenges it presents for novices. Proficiency in source-based writing is an essential and challenging goal for all inexperienced academic writers, from both L1 and L2 backgrounds. This comprehensive book presents an innovative, integrated approach for graduate students, teaching faculty, and practice-oriented researchers in ESP/EAP around the world. Each chapter includes suggestions and sample tasks for self-study or classroom use. Incorporating reviews of research and scholarly knowledge as well as information about likely challenges for novices, the book examines: (1) Changing views on the origins of novices’ difficulties (2) Pre-writing tasks that writers need to work through, from locating and evaluating sources to proficient reading-to-write and summarizing strategies (3) Citing types and purposes (4) The more sophisticated abilities of conveying an appropriate stance and engaging with readers (5) Disciplinary citing practices This book will be of interest to undergraduate and postgraduate writers from a variety of backgrounds, as well as their teachers and supervisors. It will be relevant to the growing number of researchers from non-English speaking backgrounds who are obliged to publish their work in English language international journals, and scholars who may be interested in carrying out research related to source-based writing.

A Guide to In-sessional English for Academic Purposes

A Guide to In-sessional English for Academic Purposes

Author: Neil Adam Tibbetts

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2023-05-02

Total Pages: 138

ISBN-13: 1000870723

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

A hands-on guide for practitioners, this book prepares instructors to teach in-sessional English for Academic Purposes (ISEAP) higher education courses. As university cohorts become more diverse, there is demand for in-sessional EAP courses not only to support international students, but also increasingly as a provision for all students. This informative resource explores the varying formats of ISEAP courses and how they are embedded within and alongside students’ degree programmes in the United Kingdom and beyond. In accessible chapters, authors Neil Adam Tibbetts and Timothy Chapman present illuminating findings drawn from interviews conducted with experts in the field and highlight the challenges that students and practitioners face. Avoiding prescriptive recommendations, Tibbetts and Chapman address different models and contexts of ISEAP courses at the university level and offer guidance and tools for practice. Covering key topics such as pedagogies, logistical challenges, and the wider university context, this book not only provides a roadmap to the often ill-defined but essential domain of ISEAP but also provokes questions and ideas for further reflection, guiding the reader towards a deeper understanding of their role and development in context. Engaging and inviting, Tibbetts and Chapman’s helpful text is a necessary resource for teachers to design and lead successful ISEAP courses.


Book Synopsis A Guide to In-sessional English for Academic Purposes by : Neil Adam Tibbetts

Download or read book A Guide to In-sessional English for Academic Purposes written by Neil Adam Tibbetts and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2023-05-02 with total page 138 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A hands-on guide for practitioners, this book prepares instructors to teach in-sessional English for Academic Purposes (ISEAP) higher education courses. As university cohorts become more diverse, there is demand for in-sessional EAP courses not only to support international students, but also increasingly as a provision for all students. This informative resource explores the varying formats of ISEAP courses and how they are embedded within and alongside students’ degree programmes in the United Kingdom and beyond. In accessible chapters, authors Neil Adam Tibbetts and Timothy Chapman present illuminating findings drawn from interviews conducted with experts in the field and highlight the challenges that students and practitioners face. Avoiding prescriptive recommendations, Tibbetts and Chapman address different models and contexts of ISEAP courses at the university level and offer guidance and tools for practice. Covering key topics such as pedagogies, logistical challenges, and the wider university context, this book not only provides a roadmap to the often ill-defined but essential domain of ISEAP but also provokes questions and ideas for further reflection, guiding the reader towards a deeper understanding of their role and development in context. Engaging and inviting, Tibbetts and Chapman’s helpful text is a necessary resource for teachers to design and lead successful ISEAP courses.

Contextualizing English for Academic Purposes in Higher Education

Contextualizing English for Academic Purposes in Higher Education

Author: Ian Bruce

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2022-07-28

Total Pages: 235

ISBN-13: 1350230472

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This book highlights the centrality of political and ideological issues as they relate to the positioning and practice of English for Academic Purposes (EAP), demonstrating that EAP cannot flourish as a profession or a discipline without an awareness of the macro- and meso-level political shifts that impact the wider university. The volume states that the practices of EAP are, in fact, political acts and examines these as yet unexplored power dynamics. The volume begins by considering key influences that have shaped universities and their governance and management over the last three decades and how these relate to the role and practice of EAP. These influences include neoliberal economic policies, governmental demands for widening participation, globalization, entrepreneurial approaches to higher education, students as clients and therapeutism in universities. Following consideration of these broader contextual issues, specific chapters focus on politics and policies surrounding the recruitment and participation of international, fee-paying students, their positioning and identity within English-medium universities, including issues relating to English language, standards and academic integrity. Further chapters then consider more local influences that shape EAP programmes, such as their strategic roles within universities, their management, their teaching and wider academic impact.


Book Synopsis Contextualizing English for Academic Purposes in Higher Education by : Ian Bruce

Download or read book Contextualizing English for Academic Purposes in Higher Education written by Ian Bruce and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2022-07-28 with total page 235 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book highlights the centrality of political and ideological issues as they relate to the positioning and practice of English for Academic Purposes (EAP), demonstrating that EAP cannot flourish as a profession or a discipline without an awareness of the macro- and meso-level political shifts that impact the wider university. The volume states that the practices of EAP are, in fact, political acts and examines these as yet unexplored power dynamics. The volume begins by considering key influences that have shaped universities and their governance and management over the last three decades and how these relate to the role and practice of EAP. These influences include neoliberal economic policies, governmental demands for widening participation, globalization, entrepreneurial approaches to higher education, students as clients and therapeutism in universities. Following consideration of these broader contextual issues, specific chapters focus on politics and policies surrounding the recruitment and participation of international, fee-paying students, their positioning and identity within English-medium universities, including issues relating to English language, standards and academic integrity. Further chapters then consider more local influences that shape EAP programmes, such as their strategic roles within universities, their management, their teaching and wider academic impact.

English for Academic Purposes in Neoliberal Universities: A Critical Grounded Theory

English for Academic Purposes in Neoliberal Universities: A Critical Grounded Theory

Author: Gregory Hadley

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2014-10-28

Total Pages: 195

ISBN-13: 3319104497

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The critical grounded theory presented in this book offers valuable insights on the social processes and strategies used by Blended English for Academic Purposes Professionals (BLEAPs) at higher education institutions, as they struggle to negotiate the challenges arising from a new focus on recruiting international students and hunting for other resources for their universities. Drawing from in-depth interviews with numerous research participants at over eleven higher educational institutions in the UK, Japan and the United States, this work focuses on those who have been precariously placed as middle manager at many EAP and TESOL programs. Lacking in both positional power or permanence, these 'BLEAPs' are faced with many challenges as they seek to understand their changing role in higher educational institutions, and engage in strategies that can help them gain greater control over issues in their profession.


Book Synopsis English for Academic Purposes in Neoliberal Universities: A Critical Grounded Theory by : Gregory Hadley

Download or read book English for Academic Purposes in Neoliberal Universities: A Critical Grounded Theory written by Gregory Hadley and published by Springer. This book was released on 2014-10-28 with total page 195 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The critical grounded theory presented in this book offers valuable insights on the social processes and strategies used by Blended English for Academic Purposes Professionals (BLEAPs) at higher education institutions, as they struggle to negotiate the challenges arising from a new focus on recruiting international students and hunting for other resources for their universities. Drawing from in-depth interviews with numerous research participants at over eleven higher educational institutions in the UK, Japan and the United States, this work focuses on those who have been precariously placed as middle manager at many EAP and TESOL programs. Lacking in both positional power or permanence, these 'BLEAPs' are faced with many challenges as they seek to understand their changing role in higher educational institutions, and engage in strategies that can help them gain greater control over issues in their profession.

Reconsidering Context in Language Assessment

Reconsidering Context in Language Assessment

Author: Janna Fox

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2022-04-06

Total Pages: 296

ISBN-13: 1351184555

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This volume reconsiders the problem of context in language testing and other modes of assessment from the perspective of transdisciplinarity. Transdisciplinary assessment research brings together collaborators who draw on the strengths of their differing backgrounds and expertise in order to address high-stakes complex socially-relevant problems. Traditional treatments of context in language assessment research have generally been informed by individualist cognitive theories within measurement and psychometrics. The additive potential of alternative social theories, including theories of genre, situated learning, distributed cognition, and intercultural communication, has largely been overlooked. In this book, the benefits of socio-theoretical reconsiderations of context are discussed and further exemplified in transdisciplinary research studies that investigate the use of assessment in classroom and workplace settings. The book offers a renewed view of context in arguments for the validity of assessment practices, and will be of interest to assessment researchers, practitioners, and students in applied linguistics, education, educational psychology, language testing, and other related disciplines and fields.


Book Synopsis Reconsidering Context in Language Assessment by : Janna Fox

Download or read book Reconsidering Context in Language Assessment written by Janna Fox and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2022-04-06 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume reconsiders the problem of context in language testing and other modes of assessment from the perspective of transdisciplinarity. Transdisciplinary assessment research brings together collaborators who draw on the strengths of their differing backgrounds and expertise in order to address high-stakes complex socially-relevant problems. Traditional treatments of context in language assessment research have generally been informed by individualist cognitive theories within measurement and psychometrics. The additive potential of alternative social theories, including theories of genre, situated learning, distributed cognition, and intercultural communication, has largely been overlooked. In this book, the benefits of socio-theoretical reconsiderations of context are discussed and further exemplified in transdisciplinary research studies that investigate the use of assessment in classroom and workplace settings. The book offers a renewed view of context in arguments for the validity of assessment practices, and will be of interest to assessment researchers, practitioners, and students in applied linguistics, education, educational psychology, language testing, and other related disciplines and fields.

Discipline-Specific Writing

Discipline-Specific Writing

Author: John Flowerdew

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2016-09-13

Total Pages: 218

ISBN-13: 1315519003

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Discipline-Specific Writing provides an introduction and guide to the teaching of this topic for students and trainee teachers. This book highlights the importance of discipline-specific writing as a critical area of competence for students, and covers both the theory and practice of teaching this crucial topic. With chapters from practitioners and researchers working across a wide range of contexts around the world, Discipline-Specific Writing: Explores teaching strategies in a variety of specific areas including science and technology, social science and business; Discusses curriculum development, course design and assessment, providing a framework for the reader; Analyses the teaching of language features including grammar and vocabulary for academic writing; Demonstrates the use of genre analysis, annotated bibliographies and corpora as tools for teaching; Provides practical suggestions for use in the classroom, questions for discussion and additional activities with each chapter. Discipline-Specific Writing is key reading for students taking courses in English for Specific Purposes, Applied Linguistics, TESOL, TEFL and CELTA.


Book Synopsis Discipline-Specific Writing by : John Flowerdew

Download or read book Discipline-Specific Writing written by John Flowerdew and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2016-09-13 with total page 218 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Discipline-Specific Writing provides an introduction and guide to the teaching of this topic for students and trainee teachers. This book highlights the importance of discipline-specific writing as a critical area of competence for students, and covers both the theory and practice of teaching this crucial topic. With chapters from practitioners and researchers working across a wide range of contexts around the world, Discipline-Specific Writing: Explores teaching strategies in a variety of specific areas including science and technology, social science and business; Discusses curriculum development, course design and assessment, providing a framework for the reader; Analyses the teaching of language features including grammar and vocabulary for academic writing; Demonstrates the use of genre analysis, annotated bibliographies and corpora as tools for teaching; Provides practical suggestions for use in the classroom, questions for discussion and additional activities with each chapter. Discipline-Specific Writing is key reading for students taking courses in English for Specific Purposes, Applied Linguistics, TESOL, TEFL and CELTA.