Innovation (i.e., a new beneficial idea or practice) in English language teaching (ELT) has been a constant subject of academic discussion over the last few decades. This topic continues to be a concern to all English language practitioners because, as teachers, we are constantly encouraging new challenges in our teaching context and as a result we find new ways of addressing and resolving them. Innovation in the context of ELT is, however, still under-researched (Waters, 2014) although this area of research is emerging in the fields of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) and English for Specific Purposes (ESP) (e.g., see Hyland & Wong, 2013). Despite both EAP and ESP tending to be innovative, pioneering practices are often limited to individual teachers or institutions. Therefore, there is a need for more research in this area of EAP and ESP. Such innovative practices can benefit other EAP and ESP practitioners globally. In this context, this edited volume, the fourth book from the IATEFL ESP SIG, aims to contribute by bringing together EAP and ESP practitioners from around the world to share their innovations and research on their novel practices. 



Innovations in EAP and ESP are generally initiated locally to meet certain needs. Innovative practices, due to their nature being small-scale and local, may not flourish if there is no institutional support or there is resistance to change (Waters, 2009). Even if the innovation is national or large-scale, implementing it may still be challenging (Hu & McGrath, 2011). Despite these barriers, if local innovative practices in EAP and ESP are shared with other practitioners, EAP and ESP learners from around the world may benefit from these innovative practices given the increasing demand of English language skills globally for various purposes. As you will see, this volume aims to showcase local innovations from a global perspective in each of the 12 chapters

Shrestha, Prithvi

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Open Research OnlineThe Open University’s repository of research publicationsand other research outputsIntroductionBook SectionHow to cite:Shrestha, Prithvi (2015). Introduction. In: Shrestha, Prithvi ed. Current Developments in English for Academic andSpecific Purposes: Local Innovations and Global Perspectives. Reading: Garnet Education, pp. 6–8.For guidance on citations see FAQs.c© 2015 The AuthorsVersion: Accepted ManuscriptLink(s) to article on publisher’s website:http://www.garneteducation.com/Book/690/Current Developments in English for Academic and Specific Purposes: Local innovations and global perspectives.htmlCopyright and Moral Rights for the articles on this site are retained by the individual authors and/or other copyrightowners. For more information on Open Research Online’s data policy on reuse of materials please consult the policiespage.oro.open.ac.uk	  	  Please	  cite	  as:	  Shrestha. Prithvi (2015). Introduction:	  Local	  innovations	  and	  global	  perspectives	  in	  EAP	  and	  ESP. In Prithvi N. Shrestha, (ed.) Current Developments in English for Academic and Specific Purposes: Local innovations and global perspectives (pp. 6-8). Reading: Garnet Education.	  Introduction:	  Local	  innovations	  and	  global	  perspectives	  in	  EAP	  and	  ESP	  	  	  Innovation	  (i.e.,	  a	  new	  beneficial	  idea	  or	  practice)	  in	  English	  language	  teaching	  (ELT)	  has	  been	  a	  constant	  subject	  of	  academic	  discussion	  over	  the	  last	  few	  decades.	  This	  topic	  continues	  to	  be	  a	  concern	  to	  all	  English	  language	  practitioners	  because,	  as	  teachers,	  we	  are	  constantly	  encouraging	  new	  challenges	  in	  our	  teaching	  context	  and	  as	  a	  result	  we	  find	  new	  ways	  of	  addressing	  and	  resolving	  them.	  Innovation	  in	  the	  context	  of	  ELT	  is,	  however,	  still	  under-­‐researched	  (Waters,	  2014)	  although	  this	  area	  of	  research	  is	  emerging	  in	  the	  fields	  of	  English	  for	  Academic	  Purposes	  (EAP)	  and	  English	  for	  Specific	  Purposes	  (ESP)	  (e.g.,	  see	  Hyland	  &	  Wong,	  2013).	  Despite	  both	  EAP	  and	  ESP	  tending	  to	  be	  innovative,	  pioneering	  practices	  are	  often	  limited	  to	  individual	  teachers	  or	  institutions.	  Therefore,	  there	  is	  a	  need	  for	  more	  research	  in	  this	  area	  of	  EAP	  and	  ESP.	  Such	  innovative	  practices	  can	  benefit	  other	  EAP	  and	  ESP	  practitioners	  globally.	  In	  this	  context,	  this	  edited	  volume,	  the	  fourth	  book	  from	  the	  IATEFL	  ESP	  SIG,	  aims	  to	  contribute	  by	  bringing	  together	  EAP	  and	  ESP	  practitioners	  from	  around	  the	  world	  to	  share	  their	  innovations	  and	  research	  on	  their	  novel	  practices.	  Innovations	  in	  EAP	  and	  ESP	  are	  generally	  initiated	  locally	  to	  meet	  certain	  needs.	  Innovative	  practices,	  due	  to	  their	  nature	  being	  small-­‐scale	  and	  local,	  may	  not	  flourish	  if	  there	  is	  no	  institutional	  support	  or	  there	  is	  resistance	  to	  change	  (Waters,	  2009).	  Even	  if	  the	  innovation	  is	  national	  or	  large-­‐scale,	  implementing	  it	  may	  still	  be	  challenging	  (Hu	  &	  McGrath,	  2011).	  Despite	  these	  barriers,	  if	  local	  innovative	  practices	  in	  EAP	  and	  ESP	  are	  shared	  with	  other	  practitioners,	  EAP	  and	  ESP	  learners	  from	  around	  the	  world	  may	  benefit	  from	  these	  innovative	  practices	  given	  the	  increasing	  demand	  of	  English	  language	  skills	  globally	  for	  various	  purposes.	  As	  you	  will	  see,	  this	  volume	  aims	  to	  showcase	  local	  innovations	  from	  a	  global	  perspective	  in	  each	  of	  the	  12	  chapters.	  	  In	  Chapter	  1,	  Cope	  reports	  on	  an	  Australian	  study	  that	  examined,	  despite	  sharing	  the	  same	  dominant	  English	  language	  and	  culture,	  how	  cultural	  differences	  can	  affect	  the	  presentation	  of	  similar	  content	  in	  three	  countries	  (Australia	  ,	  the	  UK	  and	  the	  USA).	  She	  employs	  a	  critical	  discourse	  analysis	  approach	  to	  analyse	  the	  language	  used,	  and	  a	  pedagogical	  approach	  (with	  practical	  techniques)	  to	  raise	  learners’	  awareness	  about	  cultural	  differences	  in	  language	  use	  is	  presented.	  Such	  a	  pedagogical	  approach	  can	  be	  applied	  to	  other	  ESP	  or	  EAP	  settings.	  	  	  	  Chapter	  2	  (Knight	  and	  Candlin)	  concerns	  the	  teaching	  of	  business	  leadership	  skills	  following	  a	  nexus	  of	  practice	  approach	  in	  Japan.	  Based	  on	  the	  findings	  of	  the	  evaluation	  of	  an	  ESP	  programme	  for	  undergraduate	  business	  students,	  the	  authors	  argue	  that	  a	  nexus	  of	  practice	  approach	  allows	  an	  ESP	  practitioner	  to	  be	  more	  dynamic,	  reflective	  and	  responsive	  to	  the	  ever-­‐changing	  needs	  of	  students	  as	  the	  programme	  is	  continually	  refined	  and	  involves	  real	  tasks	  through	  projects	  and	  online	  forum	  discussions.	  	  Lawrence	  in	  Chapter	  3	  addresses	  challenges	  she	  faced	  in	  an	  in-­‐sessional	  EAP	  programme	  in	  a	  UK	  university.	  She	  presents	  an	  alternative	  approach	  to	  the	  existing	  in-­‐sessional	  EAP	  provision	  with	  a	  cohort	  of	  mechanical	  engineering	  students.	  This	  approach	  is	  more	  inclusive	  because	  it	  does	  not	  separate	  students	  on	  the	  basis	  of	  whether	  they	  speak	  English	  as	  their	  first	  or	  additional	  language.	  The	  chapter	  shows	  that	  a	  more	  inclusive	  EAP	  provision	  needs	  effective	  collaboration	  with	  subject	  lecturers,	  offering	  the	  EAP	  provision	  to	  all	  students	  and	  making	  assessment	  count	  towards	  the	  subject	  programme.	  For	  this	  to	  happen,	  institutional	  support	  is	  crucial.	  	  Call	  centre	  ESP	  is	  the	  focus	  of	  Chapter	  4.	  Lockwood	  reports	  on	  an	  innovative	  approach	  used	  to	  develop	  an	  ESP	  curriculum	  and	  assessment	  for	  the	  call	  centre	  industry	  in	  Manila	  (the	  Philippines).	  She	  describes	  how	  she	  formed	  an	  effective	  collaboration	  with	  the	  industry	  and	  developed	  innovative	  assessment	  tools	  to	  assess	  the	  impact	  of	  the	  ESP	  curriculum	  on	  the	  business.	  The	  chapter	  also	  highlights	  potential	  challenges	  in	  working	  closely	  with	  industries.	  	  Chapter	  5	  (Mansur	  and	  Shrestha)	  is	  concerned	  with	  challenges	  faced	  when	  trying	  to	  implement	  ESP	  innovations	  in	  a	  Pakistani	  university.	  In	  particular,	  this	  chapter	  explores	  how	  the	  programme	  was	  perceived	  by	  three	  key	  ESP	  stakeholders:	  MBA	  students,	  ESP	  teachers	  and	  administrators.	  The	  third	  stakeholder	  is	  powerful	  but	  their	  view	  is	  seldom	  present	  in	  the	  EAP	  or	  ESP	  literature.	  The	  chapter	  shows	  how	  any	  conflict	  with	  this	  stakeholder	  group	  can	  adversely	  affect	  any	  ESP	  curricular	  innovation.	  	  	  In	  a	  Spanish	  context,	  Martín	  (Chapter	  6)	  reports	  findings	  from	  a	  study	  that	  looked	  at	  English	  medium	  instruction	  (EMI)	  in	  higher	  education.	  She	  argues	  that	  subject	  lecturers	  learning	  to	  teach	  their	  subjects	  in	  English	  need	  to	  be	  seen	  as	  a	  new	  type	  of	  EAP	  or	  ESP	  learners.	  Martín	  proposes	  that	  their	  skills	  and	  knowledge	  can	  be	  enhanced	  if	  the	  focus	  of	  their	  professional	  development	  is	  on	  the	  functional	  language	  required	  for	  EMI	  rather	  than	  on	  qualifications.	  	  	  Matheson	  and	  Basturkmen	  report	  on	  a	  study	  of	  EAP	  writing	  in	  a	  New	  Zealand	  university	  in	  Chapter	  7.	  They	  demonstrate	  how	  a	  generic	  EAP	  course	  can	  cater	  for	  disciplinary-­‐specific	  writing	  needs	  of	  arts	  and	  humanities	  students	  by	  drawing	  on	  a	  range	  of	  sources	  including	  students’	  written	  texts.	  The	  genre-­‐focused	  approach	  followed	  in	  this	  EAP	  course	  can	  easily	  be	  applied	  to	  other	  genre-­‐based	  disciplinary	  writing	  courses.	  	  Reporting	  on	  a	  project	  that	  examined	  the	  use	  of	  mobile	  technologies	  in	  EAP,	  Shrestha,	  Fayram	  and	  Demouy	  (Chapter	  8)	  explain	  how	  EAP	  learners’	  oral	  skills	  can	  be	  supported	  and	  assessed	  in	  an	  open	  and	  distance	  learning	  context.	  They	  	  	  describe	  how	  mobile	  technologies	  can	  be	  leveraged	  to	  enhance	  students’	  listening	  and	  speaking	  skills	  in	  EAP	  when	  there	  is	  no	  face-­‐to-­‐face	  contact.	  	  In	  Chapter	  9,	  Tsuda	  and	  Furneaux	  focus	  on	  an	  ESP	  course	  for	  dieticians	  in	  Japan.	  Given	  the	  increasing	  role	  of	  English	  language	  in	  the	  country,	  the	  authors	  argue	  that	  there	  is	  a	  dire	  need	  to	  develop	  appropriate	  ESP	  curricula	  and	  materials	  for	  Japanese	  dieticians.	  A	  number	  of	  recommendations	  are	  made	  and	  they	  may	  be	  applicable	  to	  other	  contexts	  too.	  	  Tully	  takes	  us	  to	  a	  novel	  area	  of	  ESP	  in	  Chapter	  10:	  English	  language	  for	  trade	  union	  education	  in	  Sierra	  Leone.	  The	  author	  reports	  on	  how	  European	  ESP	  programmes	  for	  trade	  unionists’	  employability	  skills	  were	  adapted	  for	  Sierra	  Leone.	  She	  highlights	  the	  importance	  of	  working	  closely	  with	  various	  stakeholders	  for	  the	  success	  of	  the	  ESP	  programme	  in	  the	  country.	  	  In	  Chapter	  11,	  Velliaris,	  Willis	  and	  Breen	  present	  a	  study	  from	  Australia	  which	  investigated	  higher	  education	  pathway	  programmes	  and	  EAP	  and	  ESP	  for	  rapidly	  growing	  international	  students.	  In	  their	  study,	  they	  draw	  on	  reflections	  of	  academic	  staff	  in	  their	  institution.	  The	  authors	  make	  a	  number	  of	  recommendations	  for	  increasing	  chances	  of	  international	  students’	  success	  through	  pathway	  programmes	  in	  Australia.	  	  The	  final	  Chapter	  (Zhou,	  Butler	  and	  Wei)	  is	  concerned	  with	  how	  we	  can	  further	  develop	  our	  understanding	  of	  Asian	  (in	  this	  case,	  Chinese	  and	  Thai)	  graduate	  students’	  academic	  writing	  trajectory	  by	  tracing	  their	  cultural	  roots	  and	  their	  effects	  on	  their	  academic	  writing.	  The	  authors	  argue	  that	  it	  is	  essential	  for	  academic	  writing	  tutors	  to	  be	  aware	  of	  Asian	  students’	  cultural	  and	  educational	  backgrounds	  to	  support	  with	  their	  writing	  development.	  	  All	  in	  all,	  these	  12	  chapters	  demonstrate	  innovative	  local	  practices	  in	  EAP	  and	  ESP	  in	  different	  parts	  of	  the	  world	  and	  how	  they	  may	  be	  applied	  to	  other	  contexts.	  I	  believe	  that	  you	  will	  find	  this	  edited	  volume	  valuable	  in	  enriching	  your	  EAP	  and/	  or	  ESP	  repertoire.	  The	  volume	  provides	  an	  array	  of	  research	  methods	  and	  innovative	  pedagogical	  ideas	  in	  both	  the	  fields.	  	  This	  introduction	  would	  be	  incomplete	  without	  acknowledging	  the	  valuable	  contributions	  made	  by	  a	  number	  of	  people.	  First	  of	  all,	  I	  would	  like	  to	  thank	  all	  the	  contributing	  authors	  for	  trusting	  me	  with	  this	  edited	  volume	  and	  responding	  to	  all	  my	  requests	  in	  a	  timely	  manner.	  I	  am	  grateful	  to	  Professor	  Caroline	  Coffin	  who	  agreed	  to	  write	  a	  Foreword	  to	  this	  volume.	  I	  am	  also	  indebted	  to	  these	  colleagues	  who	  kindly	  helped	  me	  with	  the	  review	  and	  selection	  of	  the	  initial	  proposals:	  Dr	  Inma	  Alvarez,	  Andy	  Gillett,	  Dr	  Kristina	  Hultgren,	  Dr	  Maria	  Leedham,	  Dr	  Ghanshyam	  Sharma	  and	  Dr	  Jackie	  Tuck.	  	  	  	  Finally,	  the	  IATEFL	  ESP	  SIG	  is	  thankful	  to	  Garnet	  Education	  for	  enabling	  the	  publication	  of	  this	  fourth	  volume.	  I	  am	  personally	  grateful	  to	  Matthew	  George	  and	  Mike	  Hinks	  for	  their	  patience	  and	  support	  throughout	  the	  writing	  process.	  	  References	  	  	  	  Hu,	  Zhiwen,	  &	  McGrath,	  Ian.	  (2011).	  Innovation	  in	  higher	  education	  in	  China:	  are	  teachers	  ready	  to	  integrate	  ICT	  in	  English	  language	  teaching?	  Technology,	  Pedagogy	  and	  Education,	  20(1),	  41-­‐59.	  doi:	  10.1080/1475939X.2011.554014	  Hyland,	  Ken,	  &	  Wong,	  Lillian	  L.	  C.	  (Eds.).	  (2013).	  Innovation	  and	  Change	  in	  English	  Language	  Education.	  Abingdon,	  Oxon:	  Routledge.	  Waters,	  Alan.	  (2009).	  Managing	  innovation	  in	  English	  language	  education.	  Language	  Teaching,	  42(04),	  421-­‐458.	  doi:	  doi:10.1017/S026144480999005X	  Waters,	  Alan.	  (2014).	  Managing	  innovation	  in	  English	  language	  education:	  A	  research	  agenda.	  Language	  Teaching,	  47(01),	  92-­‐110.	  	  	  	  

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