Academic Utility of English Language Courses for University Studies : An EAP (English for Academic Purposes) Perspective, A Critical Analysis and Discussion

The CLT movement is hugely credited with-and rightly so-directing language education along much more utilitarian lines. More than anything, this is perhaps best illustrated by the introduction of language courses characterized as ESP. One important category of ESP courses is EAP, which is also the central subject of this work. In Ethiopia, where English is the medium of instruction in tertiary levels of education, students going to universities for higher education are required to take English language courses that are (purportedly) EAP in nature and that also claim to be founded on CLT assumptions. The author of this book has had the opportunity to teach these courses at different times-an experience that prompted a study on which this book is entirely based. By deeply looking into three different EAP courses given for university students in the Ethiopian higher education context, this book brings to light-via a thorough and critical analysis-the gaps between theory and practice, from course design to actual classroom delivery to assessment, in the implementation of CLT. Also, the book goes on to depict that the academic utility of majority of these courses is quite marginal