Overview

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.

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9781350229204

Table of Contents

Reviews

This is a very timely and insightful volume which explores the social theories which inform so much EAP research today. By clearly unpacking what is often only implicit and by showing the relevance of theory to classroom practice, this book should be required reading for all EAP researchers and teachers. --Ken Hyland, Visiting Professor, School of Education and Lifelong Learning, University of East Anglia, UK Social Theory for English for Academic Purposes makes a very valuable contribution to the EAP literature. This single volume provides a rare opportunity for researchers and practitioners in EAP to explore and expand their knowledge and appreciation of the diverse ways in which social theory is interpreted and practiced in relation to a shared focus. This potentially opens spaces for cross-disciplinary dialogue and intra-theoretical reflection to the benefit of the broad field of EAP. --Susan Hood, Honorary Associate Professor, Department of Linguistics, The University of Sydney, Australia

Author Information

Alex Ding is Associate Professor of English for Academic Purposes and Director of Scholarship at the University of Leeds, UK. Michelle Evans is Lecturer of English for Academic Purposes at the University of Leeds, UK.

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