English in the Disciplines

Book excerpt: The context for the teaching and learning of English for specific disciplinary purposes is undergoing profound changes under the influence of economic globalization and new digital communication technologies. English in the Disciplines demonstrates how fundamental principles of ESP, to tailor language learning materials to the needs of specific groups of learners, can be adapted to new contexts of learning in the digital age. Based on sustained research into students’ experiences in an ESP context in Hong Kong, this volume provides an empirically grounded and practical methodology to ESP learning and course design and features: • mixed-method case studies; • links between theory and practice, with plentiful examples of teaching materials and learning activities; • recognition of the effect of new technologies and globalization on the practice of ESP, highlighting problems and providing practical solutions; • a new pedagogical model for ESP course design, addressing multiple dimensions relevant to today’s ESP learners including learner autonomy, genre, multimodality and digital literacies, plurilingual practices, and project-based learning and collaboration. English in the Disciplines provides key reading for anyone studying and researching this topic.