Social Theory for English for Academic Purposes

2022-07-28
Social Theory for English for Academic Purposes
Author: Alex Ding
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 248
Release: 2022-07-28
Genre: Foreign Language Study
ISBN: 1350230715
GET BOOK

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

2001-03-01
Critical English for Academic Purposes
Author: Sarah Benesch
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 176
Release: 2001-03-01
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1135663556
GET BOOK

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.

The English for Academic Purposes Practitioner

2017-07-17
The English for Academic Purposes Practitioner
Author: Alex Ding
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2017-07-17
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 9783319597362
GET BOOK

This book contextualizes the field of English for Academic Purposes (EAP), with a particular focus on the professional and academic identity and role of the EAP practitioner. The authors examine previously neglected areas such as the socio-economic, academic and employment contexts within which EAP practitioners function. In doing so, they develop a better understanding of the roles, expectations and constraints that arise from these contexts, which in turn shape professional practice and the identity of the practitioner. As EAP is emerging as an academic discipline with a growing body of published research, this book will appeal to trainee and established practitioners, along with researchers and students of linguistics and education.

Practitioner Agency and Identity in English for Academic Purposes

2024-05-02
Practitioner Agency and Identity in English for Academic Purposes
Author: Alex Ding
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 265
Release: 2024-05-02
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1350263249
GET BOOK

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.

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

2014-10-28
English for Academic Purposes in Neoliberal Universities: A Critical Grounded Theory
Author: Gregory Hadley
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 195
Release: 2014-10-28
Genre: Education
ISBN: 3319104497
GET BOOK

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.

Social Theory for English for Academic Purposes

2022-07-28
Social Theory for English for Academic Purposes
Author: Alex Ding
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 249
Release: 2022-07-28
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1350229180
GET BOOK

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.

Researching Social Inequalities in Higher Education

2024-09-10
Researching Social Inequalities in Higher Education
Author: Vikki Boliver
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 204
Release: 2024-09-10
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1040133789
GET BOOK

Drawing from original research and recent developments in theory, Researching Social Inequalities in Higher Education brings together insights from multiple national contexts and phases to consider a diverse range of equity issues in higher education. Authored by current and recently graduated PhD students, chapters examine the socioeconomic, ethnic and gender equalities at play within each of the following components: • access to higher education • the student experience • the academic workforce An essential read for anyone researching higher education, or wishing to address social inequalities within higher education, this volume unpacks how higher education is becoming more accessible, inclusive and beneficial to an increasingly diverse population of students and staff.

Writing Using Sources for Academic Purposes

2020-12-30
Writing Using Sources for Academic Purposes
Author: Rosemary Wette
Publisher:
Total Pages: 154
Release: 2020-12-30
Genre: Academic writing
ISBN: 9780367175924
GET BOOK

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.