Our Vision

To bring together an inclusive global community where English for Academic Purposes (EAP) practitioners collaborate to create transformative educational practices, fostering professionalism and research to elevate our discipline. We support educators to work with learners in navigating the evolving landscape of academic communication, striving to empower our community as critical and creative contributors in diverse academic contexts.

Our Values

Our four values were created in collaboration with our membership.  In August 2020 we surveyed the membership on the values that should underpin the work of BALEAP in order to understand how to best support our members, make decisions on allocating resources, and take a principled stance and contribute to public debate around issues in the broader context of our work.  We are proud to say our work is built on four core values:

 

BALEAP Values in Practice Framework

The BALEAP Values in Practice framework outlines how BALEAP’s values—collaboration, development, inclusivity, and professionalism—translate into ethical practice across the key areas of our work to support the professional development of those involved in learning, teaching and research in EAP. 

The Values provide guidance for BALEAP’s strategic decision making and a reference point for all members of the organisation. Successful embedding of the framework will be ongoing and supported through activities to engage the BALEAP membership and bring the Values to life, for example through events and scholarly enquiry. Evaluation will be ongoing, iterative and reflexive as use of the Values becomes embedded in BALEAP’s work.

This framework is representative in that it highlights work that BALEAP already does, but is also aspirational, prompting all those in our organisation to reflect on how we co-create and sustain a community that truly lives and breathes our values. 

Download our Values in Practice here

Collaboration
  1. Encourage practitioner knowledge exchange through open platforms, including digital spaces, for sharing ideas, research, and diverse practices within and beyond our membership. 
  2. Foster collaboration through BALEAP’s individual and institutional accreditation schemes,
  3. Special Interest Groups (SIGs), and events, promoting dialogue across practitioner networks, institutions and related academic communities. 
  4. Provide opportunities for all BALEAP members to shape the organisation, embedding member consultation in decision-making.
Development
  1. Foster practitioner development through the Teaching English for Academic Purposes (TEAP) award, and support institutions to develop EAP provision with attention to quality and ethical standards through our BALEAP Accreditation Scheme (BAS). 
  2. Curate professional development resources to support ongoing professional growth and foster links between research and practice, highlighting innovative approaches to teaching, teacher development and research methods to enhance practices.
  3. Value the diverse knowledge and experience of EAP practitioners from all professional backgrounds, enabling professional development for all members.
  4. Champion the development of our field through supporting practitioners to engage in research and scholarship and to disseminate findings. 
Inclusivity 
  1. Celebrate a range of perspectives in the organisation, engaging globally to include the voices of members from diverse EAP contexts, embracing different academic cultures and epistemologies.
  2. Foster diversity in event programming, avoiding overrepresentation, and maintaining a robust online presence in order to support the inclusion of a range of voices and perspectives. 
  3. Reduce barriers to participation wherever possible, for example through differentiated fee structures, tiered pricing and accessible resources and events, supporting the inclusion of those experiencing professional precarity. 
Professionalism
  1. Enhance BALEAP’s profile, strengthening external understanding and awareness of the value of EAP across multiple stakeholders through media, research, and partnering with organisations that align to our values.
  2. Uphold ethical standards through our policies and processes, including our accreditation processes, providing signposted channels for the calling out of unethical practices. 
  3. Provide quality assurance through accreditation schemes that promote good practice whilst taking contextual practices into account.

Our EDI Statement:


BALEAP is a community of members coming not just from across the United Kingdom but also across the world. Therefore, as a community we are committed to supporting  all of our members and the various identities they hold. This includes fostering a spirit which enables everyone to make their voice heard. We take a view that this both represents key elements of individual and community rights but also strengthens and enriches all through an enhanced diversity of views.

The purpose of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Statement is to set out clearly and fully the values that underpin any actions we can take to combat direct and indirect discrimination in the organisation, in the services it provides and in its relationships with other organisations. We also recognise that some of these actions and practices may be subtle and/or systemic, and are willing to both advocate for and support our members (both individual and institutional) who are seeking positive change. 

We are profoundly opposed to both individuals and institutions who persist in oppressive actions and practices and are dedicated in continuing to make BALEAP a community where all members – both current and prospective – feel welcome, safe, and able to contribute (see articles of association, 2.1.4 and 3.1 and our own BALEAP Values). 

In adopting this Equality and Diversity and Inclusion Statement, BALEAP is also making an unequivocal commitment to turning this values statement into action in collaboration with our members, so as to ensure that equal opportunity becomes a reality and with the associated benefits and strengths to all of diversity.

(written March 2022)