What the project is about
This project explores how English for academic purposes (EAP) is viewed by practitioners of EAP. We aim to interview teachers from a range of contexts and all levels of experience. This will enable us to explore to what extent current frameworks guide practice and professional development are relevant and applicable to practitioners in different contexts.
As a small-scale study, participants who work in EAP in the UK and China will be invited to share their views. We will share the details of the research methodology for anyone wishing to replicate this in other contexts.
Project Updates
What we've done so far:
- Project design & pilot of instruments completed
- Ethical approval received
- Data processing agreements in progress
- Next stages: call for participants and data gathering (summer 2025)
Research Team:
The initial application was put forward by Dr Carole MacDiarmid and Dr Lindsay Knox. We have now been joined by our co-researcher, Xiaoqing Bi.
Dr Carole MacDiarmid is a senior lecturer and EAP manager (teacher development) in English for academic study at the University of Glasgow, Scotland. She has been involved with the BALEAP TEAP scheme since 2011 and co-chairs the Teacher Education in EAP BALEAP Special Interest Group.
Dr Lindsay Knox is Head of Teacher Development and Scholarship at the Centre for Open Learning at the University of Edinburgh. She has strategic oversight of the professional development for colleagues and is the Co-Convenor of the Teacher Education in EAP BALEAP Special Interest Group.
Xiaoqing Bi is an EAP lecturer at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU). She is a BALEAP TEAP-accredited practitioner and co-host of the All Things EAP podcast. Her professional interests include EAP competence, collaboration between language and content lecturers, and the professional development of ESAP teachers.