Cambridge Scholars Publishing The Research-Practice Interface in English for Specific Purposes: Past, Present and Future

This book reflects the state-of-the-art in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) research, drawing on both top-down and bottom-up practices and methodological itineraries. In order to fill some of the gaps in the current literature, it provides well-grounded and thorough investigations into discursive practices in academic, workplace and intercultural settings, throwing light on the specific varieties of language used to achieve professional targets. Teachers have to act as an interface between theory and praxis, bridging the gap between the classroom and the workplace to create a dynamic virtuous circle. The multi-perspective and multi-method frameworks presented in this volume range from quantitative corpus-based techniques integrated with discourse analysis to analyses of what occurs in the classroom informed by English language teaching (ELT) educational theories and notions regarding language acquisition, motivation, learning styles and instructional contexts. Both top-down and bottom-up approaches to the theory-practice dyad provide the opportunity to obtain a closer view of the subject from both ends of the spectrum and can prompt fresh initiatives by all those working within the domain of ESP. This book, therefore, offers a cutting-edge account of some of the latest avenues in research and practice which will be of interest to scholars and university teachers of ESP, as well as scholars in the field of applied linguistics.