English for Academic Purposes (EAP) is a truly international phenomenon, linked in with the overall trend towards the globalisation of information exchange, communication and education. English is now well established as the world language of research and publication and an ever-greater number of universities and institutes of learning are using English as the language of instruction. With this tremendous expansion, there has been a parallel growth in the preparation of non-native English speakers (NNSs) for study in English. This has taken place, and is continuing, in English-speaking countries such as the United States, Canada, Great Britain and Australia, post-colonial territories such as South Africa, Zambia, Malawi, Hong Kong, Singapore and the Arabian Gulf States, and other countries where English has no official status, such as China, Japan, continental Europe and South America.

In recognition of this important development, it is time that serious attention was given to EAP in a scholarly work. The purpose of this book is to highlight the various key issues of the field and to demonstrate, through specially commissioned articles from leading scholars in the field, the scope, theoretical issues and pedagogical concerns of EAP. Individual contributions are original research articles, taking a broad deinition of research to include philosophical enquiry and critical review. The majority of the chapters, however, contain empirical studies. Contributors have been chosen by reason of their track record in the EAP ield, based on a literature review of the leading books and journals that deal with EAP.