In recent years, English for Academic Purposes (EAP) has become an expanding
discipline within universities and further education institutions, both in Britain and
worldwide. This expansion is confirmed by the number of recruitment advertisements
to be found in the press at the present time. This availability of jobs in this field seems
to contrast directly with shrinkages in more traditional recruitment areas such as
modern languages and the Humanities, and is to be welcomed by recently qualified
English language tutors seeking employment. However, the growth of EAP raises the
accompanying issue of what forms of training are needed to meet the increasing
numbers of international students. A reappraisal of the issue of training and
development in EAP seems to be crucial since the EAP practitioner’s role is a highly
complex one, for which no preparation seems to be wholly adequate
